Dr. N.
The Black Bay of Tudor, launched in 2012, is perhaps the model that more than any other has contributed to the relaunch of the Rolex-controlled brand. Its past-inspired lines combined with modern materials, construction and reliability have won over many new enthusiasts, making the name Tudor much appreciated especially by young people.
Let's see together why the Tudor Black Bay, in its various versions, fascinates so many admirers of mechanical watchmaking.
Why Tudor?
Tudor is a brand founded by Hans Wilsdorf, creator of Rolex, in the 1969s. The goal is to combine the robustness and reliability that are already making Rolex famous at an affordable price, making quality watches available to the common man. Tudor's most successful period is probably the seventies, when the company begins to detach itself from the stylistic features of the parent company to create original timepieces with their own character. A good example of this trend are the so-called “Snowflake” hands introduced in the 2011 Tudor Submariner, which help to differentiate itself from the bulky “big brother” of which it uses, in addition to various components such as the case, also the name. Tudor continued its effort to create its own identity, reaching, in the XNUMXs, to have a range with no components in common with Rolex, but the real turning point came in XNUMX, with the launch of the Tudor Heritage Chrono. It is a much discussed model: some consider it too extravagant, others appreciate its youthful and colorful aesthetic, moreover closely inspired by the chronographs made by Tudor in the seventies.
The chronograph is appreciated by the public, and Tudor decides to follow the traced line, that of renewal in the wake of tradition, with an eye to the young public. The Tudor Heritage Black Bay was then launched in 2012.
Why the Tudor Heritage Black Bay?
From the name, it is easy to understand that this watch refers to the past. The style is typical of diver from the sixties and seventies: great legibility, clean and simple dial, a colored rotating bezel, the oversized winding crown without protective shoulders.
The choice to refer to stylistic features Retro it is also evident in the golden color of the perimeter scale of the dial, of the writings and of the spheres. The reason for the presence of similar shades in the style-inspired watches vintage lies in the fact that the clocks of the past have luminescent paint made with weakly radioactive paints, containing tritium, an isotope of hydrogen which, when decaying, emits energy in the form of light radiation. This choice has the advantage of allowing the watch to be consulted at night without depending on a light source to "charge" the luminescence. However, it has the defect, which thanks to the “magic” of collecting becomes a virtue, of deteriorating over time, taking on darker shades and turning from whitish-yellow to orange-ocher. Modern watches with style vintage they come out of the factory with these shades. It is a choice that may or may not like, but which has certainly led to good Tudor, which with the Black Bay has significantly expanded its customer base.
The variants of the Black Bay
The first Tudor Heritage Black Bay, presented in 2012, represents a turning point for the company. With this watch, a new stylistic course is set that will affect all future models of the Rolex-controlled house. There is still, however, a link with the Tudors of the recent past: the first Black Bay in fact it uses an ETA movement. This choice, while technically flawless - ETA has been the industry standard in the sector for decades, supplying movements to many maison -, however, represents a limit in the eyes of some. Traditionally, in fact, manufacturers are considered to be more prestigious, capable not only of designing the watch and of making its case, dial, spheres, glass and bracelet, but also of producing the mechanical movement that animates the watch itself. Since Tudor has decided to raise the public's perception of the prestige of its brand, the creation of a so-called movement in-house it is a logical step. In 2016, the reference 79230 was presented, equipped with the caliber MT5602, which offers a power reserve of 70 hours, the silicon anti-magnetic hairspring and the chronometer certification, confirming the goodness of the project.
The update to the new caliber is well received by the public, but there are some features that are not appreciated by everyone. The diameter of the case, 41 mm, is very little vintage, and many users find it cumbersome. Not only for the diameter, which is now considered normal for a sportsman, but also for the overall volume of the case, which is quite high - 15 millimeters - and massive.
Tudor therefore decided, in 2018, to create an edition of the Black Bay more usable by those who do not like large diameters. The Tudor 79030 is immediately distinguishable from its "big brother" thanks to the reduced diameter of the case, from 39 millimeters, to the smaller thickness, of 12 millimeters versus 15, and to the overall more comfortable fit: the Tudor Black Bay 58 remember, in wearability, i Rolex Submariner vintage, which showed a smaller footprint on the wrist than their robust appearance would suggest.
The most compact Tudor 79030 it is also equipped with a different caliber, called MT 5402, with more compact dimensions than the MT5602 of Tudor 79230, but with unchanged performance. Another feature that differentiates the 41mm Tudor from the 39mm Tudor - speaking of numbers, the smaller of the two is also called Black Bay 58, in honor of the year Tudor introduced its first diving watch with 200 meters of water resistance - it's the bezel. In the Tudor 79030, the numbering on the bezel is bronze-colored like the spheres: a further nostalgic touch that fuels the effect vintage of the Tudor Black Bay 58.
The Tudor Black Bay, a successful model
We have seen how the Tudor Black Bay is certainly a guessed model, who knows how to combine charm vintage and modern build quality.
In the next article we will discover another recent Tudor hit, the Tudor Black Bay GMT.
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