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The secrets facts of Tudor Black Bay Watch
- 31.Jul.2023
5 minutes-
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Written by Rubi BG for Cooke & Kelvey
10 UNHEARD FACTS ABOUT TUDOR BLACK BAY WATCHES
1. WHY IS IT CALLED BLACK BAY?
As explained by Tudor, the name “Black Bay” was derived from a “fictitious hidden cove, that holds secrets which can only be unearthed with time, step by step. Even though the name is relatively fictional, this definition holds the true essence of Black Bay and Tudor’s vision for the model. The part that mentions “which holds secrets that can only be discovered over time, step by step” , fits perfectly to this model as Tudor has consistently launched new versions and iterations of Black Bay. The first one was Heritage Black Bay 79220R and since then the brand has unveiled multiple variations of the same.
2. THE FIRST BLACK BAY WASLAUNCHED IN 2012
The history of Tudor’s most famous watches, Black Bay goes back to 2012 when the first ever watch in this category was launched, namely Heritage Black Bay 79220R. To design this specific model, the team scoured all the dive watches made by Tudor, took the best features from all and seamlessly incorporated them into this single watch.
3. INSPIRED BY VINTAGE TUDORDIVEWATCHES
The Tudor Black Bay series is inspired by the best and the oldest Tudor dive watches. This goes back all the way to the watches from the 1950s, 1970s, 1980s and even 1990s. Inincorporating the best parts from history, Tudor made the most timeless and popular watches of the brand.
4. PARTNERED WITH BREITLING TOUSE THEIR CHRONOGRAPHMOVEMENT
Until 2017, Tudor was already producing the Heritage Chronograph 70330B and 70330N, but for a brand new release, Tudor wanted a movement that wasn’t an ETA movement. So in 2017, the brand turned to Breitling which is renowned for its chronographs. One of the watches that uses this chronograph is the MT5813, the movement however has been subtly modified with Tudor’s own regulator, silicon hairspring, and a new rotor.
5. THE TWO-TONE BLACK-BAYS AREMADE OF GOLD
Tudor makes several watches thatare two-toned (in gold and steel). Some of these in the Black Bay collection are the Black Bay Chronograph 793639, the Black Bay 79833MN amongst others. The bezel and crown of these watches are made in solid gold, while the gold parts of the bracelet are gold-capped i.e. the links of the bracelet are covered with a thick layer of gold.
6. THE FABRIC STRAPS FOR TUDORBLACK BAYS ARE MADE BYTRADITIONAL PASSEMENTERIECOMPANY
Over the years, Tudor’s fabric straps have become a signature design element. These straps are made by traditional passementerie company and its quality goes beyond the quintessential NATO strap. Their “Fastbinder” watch was then first ever design to feature the strap, and eventually, all Black Bay watches were accompanied by a fabric strap.
6. THE FABRIC STRAPS FOR TUDORBLACK BAYS ARE MADE BYTRADITIONAL PASSEMENTERIECOMPANY
7. TUDOR CREATED A ONE-OF-ONE BLACKBAY FOR THE ONLY WATCH AUCTION IN2015
Only Watch auction is a biennial charity auction founded by Lux Pettavino in 2005. It is orchestrated by the Monegasque Association Against Muscular Dystrophy (MAAMD) under Prince Albert II of Monaco. As the name suggests, the idea of the auction revolves around creating a unique, charity only watch by various brands each time which is then put up for charity. In 2015, Tudor participated in the auction and created Black Bay One that created a stir amongst the watch lovers. The reason for its popularity was that this watch took inspiration from Tudor’s first big crown dive watch and it showcased all the features of vintage Tudor and Rolex dive watches including the pencil hands and a lollypop second hand.
8. TUDOR HAS A BOUTIQUE ONLY“BLACK-BAY” MADE IN BRONZE
In 2021, Tudor released a Black Bay Fifty- Eight, the first ever Black Bay in full bronze, reference number 79012m. This specific model also took acompletely different approach with its retail strategy i.e. it became the first ever “boutiqueonly” watch by Tudor. This means that the model is sold exclusively in Tudor stores andnot by official Tudor retailers.
9. BLACK BAY FIFTY EIGHT WONTHE PRIZE AT THE 2020 GRANDPRIX D’HORLOGERIE DE GENÈVE.
Since the launch of the brand,Tudor has won countless awards. One of the most notable ones was when Black Bay Fifty Eight won the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève which is the most respected and coveted award inthe watch industry.
10. THE TUDOR BLACK BAY CERAMICS ISTHE FIRST METAS-CERTIFIED TUDORWATCH
Launched in 2021, Tudor Black Bay ceramics is the first METAS- certified Tudor watch. META, also referred to as the Federal institute of metrology, has stern tests to vet the performance and reliability of watch movements. In addition to being METAS certified, the 79210CNU model of Tudor is also COSC certified.
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