Tudor becomes founding donor for Navy SEAL Museum San Diego
One Museum, One Mission, Two Locations...
Tudor has a long and storied history with navies around the world, and now the brand is taking its connection to the next level as a founding donor for the Navy SEAL Museum San Diego, which officially opened on October 3, 2025. The new museum expands the National Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce into San Diego, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore SEAL heritage across two cities central to the force’s history.
The new building in San Diego
The wall of donors proudly displaying Tudor Watch
Tudor and the US Navy
The ties between Tudor and the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams go back to the very founding of the elite special operations unit. Shortly after the SEALs were commissioned in 1962, Tudor contributed a significant quantity of dive watches directly from its New York office, continuing a relationship that had begun with the U.S. Navy in 1958. Tudor was among the first suppliers of equipment to the newly established Frogmen units, including those based in Coronado, San Diego, just a short distance from the new museum. This relationship endured for decades, with regular deliveries of watches to the Navy SEAL supply system recorded well into the 1980s, and Tudor Submariners were still being issued to newly graduated SEALs as recently as the 1990s. Archival documents, photography, and video footage from the 1960s through the 1980s attest to the extensive use of Tudor Submariners by SEAL Teams, including their unique role as part of the U.S. space program recovery missions.
On Parade
The museum’s exhibits showcase period-correct Tudor watches that reflect the actual equipment SEALs wore throughout most of the unit’s history. On display are original U.S. Navy-delivered Tudor Submariner references 7928 and 9401, two models produced in the 1960s and 1970s. These watches are visible on mannequins, positioned with attention to historically accurate placement, and featured within the main diving equipment displays. One of these watches, in untouched Vietnam-era configuration and complete with wrist compass and fabric strap, was famously issued to retired SEAL Lieutenant Philip “Moki” Martin. Martin’s story and watches were highlighted in a Hodinkee “Talking Watches” episode, providing a personal connection to the brand’s history with the Navy.
For Tudor, supporting the Navy SEAL Museum San Diego is a natural extension of its legacy. These watches were designed for the most challenging environments, trusted by those whose missions demanded precision, reliability, and durability. As a founding donor, Tudor celebrates its own history while honouring the extraordinary men and women of the U.S. Navy SEALs whose service continues to inspire collectors and watch enthusiasts worldwide.
