Who says the latest chronograph in TUDOR’s Daring Watches collection can’t be bright yellow? There are no rules, anyway. Complementing this bold dial is a 39mm diameter case that wears phenomenally, not to mention the fact that it’s now 13.1mm thin. Of course, you have the column-wheel Manufacture Calibre MT5813 inside to ensure reliability and smooth operation, all with a 70-hour power reserve. It’s not just about the case or the movement, either. The Snowflake hands have been redesigned for sub-dial legibility, and the pushers feature a new knurling pattern – MK2, the purists might say. Last but not least, a new three-link bracelet with smooth link sides completes the package. Will the “Bumblebee” save the world? Maybe. But it will certainly save your wrist from wearing anything but a daring design.
When it came to the 1970 launch of the Oysterdate model, TUDOR’s first chronograph, the brand had always produced watches that were closely tied to the world of motorsports. Since 1954, TUDOR has likewise been constantly improving its professional divers’ watches. The Black Bay Chrono seamlessly fuses these traditions in a sports chronograph, with contrasting sub-counters and a high-performance automatic Manufacture Calibre, with column-wheel construction and vertical clutch. The Black Bay Chrono 39 “Bumblebee” departs from the norm. But that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a TUDOR.
KEY POINTS
1. Satin-brushed and polished case in 316L stainless steel, 39mm in diameter, with a fixed bezel in 316L stainless steel, insert in black anodised aluminium with tachymetric scale.
2. Domed “Bumblebee” yellow dial, with contrasting circular black sub-counters.
3. “Snowflake” hands, one of the hallmarks of the TUDOR divers’ watches introduced in 1969, with Grade A Swiss Super-LumiNova® luminescent material.
4. Manufacture Chronograph Calibre MT5813, certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), with a silicon balance spring, a 70-hour power reserve, a column-wheel construction and vertical clutch.
5. Three-link bracelet in stainless steel with TUDOR “T-fit” rapid adjustment clasp.
6. Five-year transferable guarantee, without registration or mandatory maintenance checks.
THE SPIRIT OF ASPHALT AND SEA
Remaining faithful to the Black Bay aesthetic, the Black Bay Chrono 39 model has made the famous “Snowflake” hands – a brand signature for divers’ watches since 1969 – its own, in a version honed to ensure optimum readability on its bright yellow domed dial including two hollowed black sub-counters. Inspired by the first generation of TUDOR chronographs, the dial layout includes a 45-minute counter and a date aperture positioned at 6 o’clock. The recognisable characteristics of the Black Bay line – satin-brushed and polished finishes, bevelled lugs and TUDOR shield-signed crown – are preserved in a steel case with a 39mm diameter. Typical of the scrupulous attention to detail that is characteristic of the brand, the design of the stainless steel pushers has been inspired by the second generation of TUDOR chronographs. A fixed bezel in stainless steel complete with a tachymetric scale insert in black anodised aluminium completes the look and function of these sporty chronographs.
STEEL BRACELET WITH “T-FIT” CLASP
This new Black Bay Chrono 39 model comes fitted on a new three-link stainless steel bracelet, with smooth link sides and TUDOR “T-fit” rapid adjustment clasp. Easy to use, requiring no tools and offering five positions, this practical system allows wearers to carry outa fine, instant adjustment of the total length of the bracelet within an adjustment window of 8mm. The clasp also features ceramic ball bearings that ensure a smooth and secure closure in addition to adding a pleasing tactile element to the action of the clasp.
THE MANUFACTURE CHRONOGRAPH CALIBRE MT5813
The Manufacture Chronograph Calibre MT5813, which powers the Black Bay Chrono 39 model, displays hour, minute, second, chronograph and date functions. It has the finish typical of TUDOR Manufacture Calibres. Its rotor in tungsten monobloc is openwork and satin-brushed with sand-blasted details, and its bridges and mainplate have alternate sand-blasted and polished surfaces with laser decorations.
Boasting a 70-hour power reserve and a silicon balance spring, the Manufacture Chronograph Calibre MT5813 is certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), with its performance exceeding the standards set by this independent institute. In fact, where COSC allows an average variation in the daily rate of an uncased movement of between -4/+6 seconds’ variation per day, TUDOR applies a -2/+4 seconds’ variation standard on the completely assembled watch. A high-performance movement, it was crafted in the purest watchmaking tradition, with a column-wheel mechanism and vertical clutch. In keeping with the TUDOR philosophy of quality, it presents extraordinary robustness and reliability, guaranteed by the array of extreme tests applied to all TUDOR products.
Derived from the Manufacture Chronograph Calibre B01 from Breitling, with a high-precision regulating organ developed by TUDOR and exclusive finishes, this movement is the result of a lasting collaboration between the two brands.
THE ESSENCE OF BLACK BAY
Like other models in the Black Bay range, the Black Bay Chrono 39 has adopted TUDOR’s characteristic angular hands known as “Snowflake” that first appeared in the brand’s 1969 catalogue, here redesigned for effect. The result of a subtle blend of traditional aesthetics and contemporary watchmaking, the Black Bay line is far from simply being identical rereleases of classic TUDOR watches. Resolutely anchored in the present, it brings together seven decades of TUDOR divers’ watches with a modern twist. Whilst it can be neo-vintage in looks, its manufacturing techniques and its robustness, reliability, durability and precision as well as the quality of its finish are above modern industry standards.
FIVE DECADES OF TUDOR CHRONOGRAPHS
In 1970, TUDOR introduced its first chronograph, the Oysterdate. A watch that was both robust and functional, its unique design was characterised by its bright colours, its pentagonal hour markers shaped like a baseball home plate, its 45-minute counter and its date function at 6 o’clock. Immediately adopted by the world of motorsports, it paved the way for more than 50 years of technical chronographs that TUDOR has never stopped improving, including another bright yellow “Tiger” in the 1990s.
THE TUDOR MANUFACTURE
Every TUDOR watch is assembled and fully tested to TUDOR’s superior standards at the new TUDOR Manufacture located in Le Locle, Switzerland. This new state-of-the-art facility, bringing together the know-how of watchmakers with the best in production management and automated testing systems, was completed in 2021 after three years of construction. All decked out in TUDOR red, the Manufacture spans over four levels totalling 5,500 square meters and is physically and visually connected to the neighbouring Kenissi Manufacture, the TUDOR movement production facility founded in 2016. With Kenissi and a network of TUDOR-owned affiliates, the brand has been able to integrate the development and production of high-performance mechanical calibres. As a consequence, TUDOR now fully masters the manufacturing of strategic components and can guarantee their quality.
THE TUDOR GUARANTEE
Since its creation by Hans Wilsdorf in 1926, and in line with his vision of an ideal watchmaking product, TUDOR has never stopped producing the most robust, durable, reliable and precise watches in existence today. Bolstered by this experience, and confident in the knowledge of the superior quality of its watches, TUDOR offers a five-year guarantee on all its products. This guarantee does not require the watch to be registered or any periodic maintenance checks to be performed and is transferable should the watch change ownership during coverage. TUDOR also recommends that its watches should be serviced approximately every 10 years depending on the model and the extent of its use on a day-to-day basis.
TUDOR IS “BORN TO DARE”
In 2017, TUDOR launched a new campaign with the “Born To Dare” signature. It reflects both the history of the brand and what it stands for today. It tells the adventures of individuals who have achieved the extraordinary on land, on ice, in the air and underwater, with a TUDOR watch on their wrists. It also refers to the vision of Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of TUDOR, who manufactured TUDOR watches to withstand the most extreme conditions, watches made for the most daring lifestyles. It is testimony to TUDOR’s singular approach to watchmaking, which has made it what it is today. At the cutting edge of the watchmaking industry, its innovations are now essential benchmarks. The TUDOR “Born To Dare” spirit is supported throughout the world by first class ambassadors, whose achievements result directly from a daring approach to life.
ABOUT TUDOR
TUDOR is an award-winning, century-old, Swiss-made watch brand, offering watches with refined aesthetics, proven reliability and unique value for money.The origins of TUDOR date back to 1926, when “The Tudor” was first registered as a brand on behalf of the founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf. He created the Montres TUDOR SA Company in 1946 to offer watches with the quality and dependability of a Rolex, at a more affordable price point. Because of their robustness and affordability, throughout their history TUDOR watches have been chosen by the boldest adventurers on land, underwater and on ice. Today, the TUDOR collection includes emblematic models such as Black Bay, Pelagos, 1926 and TUDOR Royal. Since 2015, TUDOR has also offered mechanical Manufacture Calibres with multiple functions and superior performance.
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