Being bold can take many forms. Originally made together with Jay Chou and now released to the public this new version of the Black Bay Chrono celebrates the daring spirit of the TUDOR ambassadors. A pink dial might seem unexpected at first, but going against the grain is part of TUDOR’s core DNA. That’s exactly what earned this daring design a place in the TUDOR range.
Jay Chou owns the colour pink, so much so that it’s become his signature, recognized by anyone who follows him. When the leader of the Giro d’Italia puts on the pink jersey, there is no hesitation. The distinction is earned and the rider is proud to wear pink. When David Beckham dreamed up Inter Miami CF, pink was incorporated into the team’s aesthetic because they had to stand out. These TUDOR ambassadors wear pink with intention. They know that being daring means going against the status quo. To them, there are no rules. The Black Bay Chrono “Pink” might not be for everyone, and that’s OK because few of them will ever be made. The Black Bay Chrono was already quite a bold watch even before this new dial colour was introduced. Since the launch in 1970 of the Oysterdate model, TUDOR’s first chronograph, the brand has always produced watches that are closely tied to the world of motorsport. Since 1954, TUDOR has likewise been constantly improving its professional divers’ watches. The Black Bay Chrono model 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 “Pink” isn’t for the mainstream. Only a small number of examples will be produced.
KEY POINTS
- Satin-brushed and polished case in 316L stainless steel, 41mm in diameter, with a fixed bezel in 316L stainless steel, insert in black anodised aluminium with tachymetric scale
- Domed pink dial, with contrasting circular sub-counters
- “Snowflake” hands, one of the hallmarks of the TUDOR divers’ watches introduced in 1969, with Grade A, Swiss Super-LumiNova® luminescent material
- 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-link bracelet in stainless steel with TUDOR “T-fit” rapid adjustment clasp
- 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 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 pink 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 rose-signed crown – are preserved in a steel case with a 41-millimetre 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 very first 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 model comes fitted on a 5-link stainless-steel bracelet with TUDOR “T-fit” rapid adjustment clasp. Easy to use, requiring no tools and offering five positions, this practical system allows wearers to carry out a fine, instant adjustment of the total length of the bracelet along 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 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 MT5813 Chronograph Calibre 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 Chronograph Manufacture 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, which have chosen to pool their expertise in the design and production of certain mechanical movements.
THE ESSENCE OF BLACK BAY
Like other models in the Black Bay range, the Black Bay Chrono has adopted TUDOR’s characteristic angular hands known as “Snowflake” that first appeared in the brand’s 1969 catalogue. The result of a subtle blend of traditional aesthetics and contemporary watchmaking, the Black Bay line is far from simply being an identical rerelease of a classic. Resolutely anchored in the present, it brings together almost seven decades of TUDOR divers’ watches. Whilst it is neo-vintage in conception, its manufacturing techniques and its robustness, reliability, durability and precision as well as the quality of its finish are above modern industry standards.
5 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 motorsport, it paved the way for more than 50 years of technical chronographs that TUDOR has never stopped improving.
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 is offering 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.
ABOUT TUDOR
TUDOR is an award-winning 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 Royal. Since 2015, TUDOR has also offered mechanical Manufacture Calibres with multiple functions and superior performance.