Tudor Black Bay: Why It’s Worth Buying

tudor heritage black bay blue

Tudor Black Bay: Why It’s Worth Buying

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay is one of the most successful dive watches introduced during the decade. Launched in Baselworld 2012, the vintage-inspired line of diver watches was a hit from day one – and put Tudor back in the luxury watch game.

Got your eyes on a Tudor Heritage Black Bay watch? We give you three compelling reasons to get one:

 

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue Bezel Steel Watch 79220B


Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue Bezel Steel Watch 79220B

 

It’s Retro Done Right

Before the Tudor Black Bay came out in the market, the Tudor brand has been rebuilding its identity. Their strategy was clear: to reach deep into their archives for inspiration and combine their strong heritage with modern design and technology.

Their winning streak began with the widely acclaimed Tudor Heritage Chrono of 2010, a watch inspired by their Oysterdate Chronograph from the 1970s. Stemming from its success, they continued to make vintage remakes and re-ignited the NATO strap craze along the way.

 

 The first edition of the Tudor Heritage Black Bay - the Burgundy bezel

The first edition of the Tudor Heritage Black Bay – the Burgundy bezel

In 2012, they released the Tudor Heritage Black Bay; a vintage-inspired watch that is not a reboot of one particular timepiece as many expected, rather, it’s one watch that aimed to catch the essence behind Tudor timepieces.

Most of its details were inspired by vintage Tudor Oyster Prince Submariners. The first Black Bay model took a few vintage elements — the burgundy bezel, snowflake hand, and fabric strap – and combined it with a larger dial.

It’s not a carbon copy of an old model, but an attempt to use the best details of their vintage dive watches, on a really new and contemporary watch.

This design strategy made the Tudor Heritage Black Bay a runaway success.

 


 

There’s a Black Bay for Everyone

Since its first outing in 2012, Tudor has introduced new variants of the Heritage Black Bay to the market.

The beautiful burgundy dial Black Bay was followed in 2014 with the Black Bay Blue and then in 2015 by the Black Bay Black. The burgundy bezel really stood out as not a lot of watches come in this color; so for those who wanted a confident yet understated watch, the blue and black bezel were welcome additions.

 

Tudor Heritage Black Bay in Burgundy, Blue, and Black Bezel


Tudor Heritage Black Bay in Burgundy, Blue, and Black Bezel

 

Added features followed after the successful trio of Black Bay watches, helping it grow into an important and attractive collection. There’s a watch for almost every type of collector, just within the Black Bay family:

 

Tudor Black Bay Dark PVD Coated Watch, Tudor Black Bay GMT, Tudor Black Bay Chrono


Tudor Black Bay Dark PVD Coated Watch, Tudor Black Bay GMT, Tudor Black Bay Chrono

 

Black Bay Dark (2016) – an all-black watch with a matte case and PVD-coated bracelet. The blacked out color makes it perfect for diving in deep, dark waters.

Black Bay Chrono (2017) – an all-steel chronograph and dive watch whose movement is based on Breitling’s B01 movement. The dive watch and chronograph hybrid, plus the collaboration with Breitling, sums up into a well-executed timepiece.

Black Bay GMT (2018) – a major move for Tudor, where they did not take any new historical references from past models. This watch pulled inspiration from the iconic Rolex GMT-Master Pepsi of its sister brand.

Black Bay Fifty-Eight (2018) – a 39mm sized dive watch in the vein of the original Heritage Black Bay line. With its smaller size (vs 41mm Black Bays), it’s a great alternative for those with smaller wrists.

 


 

 Tudor Heritage Black Bay Automatic Bronze Dial Leather Strap Watch 79250


Tudor Heritage Black Bay Automatic Bronze Dial Leather Strap Watch 79250

 

An In-House Movement

One of the most important developments is Tudor’s introduction of their very first in-house movement, the MT56XX (the last two digits change per variation). With specs that include a silicon hairspring, COSC-certified accuracy, a 70-hour power reserve (vs 38 hours), and a design that’s close to sister-brand Rolex’s calibers, it was built to last.

This was first launched with their North Flag model, but since Basel 2016, all the Black Bay models come equipped with the movement. The first version of the Black Bay to be offered with the in-house movement is the Black Bay Bronze, and in true fashion, the bronze timepiece also made waves when it was first released.

Over the years, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay has grown into the archetype of vintage-meets-modern done well. With a time-tested design and a movement that’s built to last, it’s worth considering as your next watch.

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SEE MORE OF THE WATCHES IN OUR VIDEO:

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