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Splashdown: TUDOR’s Deep-Sea Legacy in the Space Race

A Legacy Beneath the Surface


In the midst of the Space Race, where the eyes of the world turned skyward, an extraordinary chapter unfolded below the surface of the sea. One that few knew existed—until now.

TUDOR’s new documentary, Splashdown: The Little-Known Story of the Navy Frogmen and the Space Program, takes us beneath the waves to honour the men who helped recover astronauts from historic missions like Apollo 11—a narrative shaped by courage, innovation, and the reliability of TUDOR timepieces.

The Unsung Heroes of the Sea


Throughout the 1960s and '70s, elite units of U.S. Navy Frogmen, many trained through the Underwater Demolition Teams (UDT) that would later become the SEALs, served as the silent strength behind America's capsule recovery operations. As astronauts returned from space, plunging into vast oceans, it was these brave individuals who recovered the capsules and rescued the crew—often under extreme pressure and in full view of a world held breathless.

These missions weren’t only acts of military precision; they were live moments of global importance. Amid turbulent seas, these divers risked their lives to bring our heroes home safely. And on their wrists? TUDOR dive watches—trusted for their durability, clarity, and no-fail performance in the most demanding conditions on Earth.

TUDOR and the U.S. Navy: A Legacy Forged in Purpose


Few know that TUDOR’s relationship with the U.S. Navy dates back to the mid-20th century. The brand’s rugged, highly legible timepieces became standard issue for Navy divers, setting the bar for what a professional tool watch should be. These watches weren’t ornamental; they were vital.

The documentary Splashdown brings this history to life, capturing the rarely told accounts of these men and their missions, with a poignant focus on the Apollo 11 recovery—a moment when the world’s first moonwalkers were brought back to Earth and retrieved from the Pacific Ocean under the watch of these silent guardians and their TUDOR watches.

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