A Modern Amalgamation

THE HERITAGE BLACK BAY

TUDOR’s heritage of diving watches began with the launch of the TUDOR Submariner Reference 7922 in 1954. This iconic timepiece laid the foundation for an ideal diver’s watch—one that was ergonomic, legible and accurate. Over the next sixty years, TUDOR made constant improvements to their dive watches. Each model gained unanimous approval from professionals in the field, including the Marine Nationale and the United States Navy. In recent years, some of the most important references in TUDOR’s history have been reworked within the Heritage line. At Baselworld 2012, TUDOR released the Heritage Black Bay in red; a modern, reimagined version of the iconic TUDOR Submariner. Far from simply being an identical re-release of a classic watch, the Heritage Black Bay was the culmination of the very best elements from TUDOR’s historic dive watch models. The general lines, domed crystal and dial on the Heritage Black Bay were inspired by the first TUDOR diving watches. It features snowflake hands from TUDOR watches used by the French National Navy in the 1970s and an oversized winding crown (known as “big crown”) that pays homage to the famous TUDOR Reference 7924 of 1958. This release of the original Heritage Black Bay was extremely well received and earned attention from the media and watch lovers alike. The Black Bay was awarded the “Revival Prize” at the 2013 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève (often referred to as “The Oscars” of watchmaking).

Distilling 60 years of TUDOR’s history into one incredible watch, the Heritage Black Bay is infused with some of the most iconic elements from TUDOR’s early dive watches.

AN ANTICIPATED ANNOUNCEMENT

For Baselworld 2016, TUDOR announced some exciting updates to the Heritage Black Bay line including more aesthetic options and two new in-house movements! At the heart of the original Heritage Black Bay was the popular ETA 2824 movement. While this is a solid movement, it lacks the prestige of an in-house movement. Each Heritage Black Bay is now equipped with an in-house movement developed, manufactured and assembled by TUDOR. In addition to the burgundy bezel, the Heritage Black Bay is now available in three versions, each with their own personality. With its burgundy bezel, rose gold hands and markers, and cream colored luminescent coating, the original TUDOR Heritage Black Bay has the soft, warm patina of an antique watch. Aptly named “Midnight Blue” by aficionados of the brand, the blue bezel displays sharp contrasts to give the look of a professional technical instrument. With its black bezel, the Heritage Black Bay in black best captures the pioneering spirit of the first TUDOR diving watches. A notable new decorative detail is the famous red triangle on the unidirectional bezel, taken from TUDOR models of the 1950s. All three of these versions feature a 41mm steel case equipped with TUDOR’s new MT5602 in-house movement with a 70-hour power reserve.

The Heritage Black Bay Burgundy, Blue and Black are available in a variety of strap options or a bracelet.

HERITAGE REINTERPRETED

A completely new look for this line is the Heritage Black Bay Dark. This timepiece also features TUDOR’s MT5602 movement but its 41mm steel case is finished with a black PVD-treated coating. Directly derived from the thin film technology originally developed by NASA for its space programs, physical vapor deposition (PVD) enables inorganic materials to be bonded with metals. The Heritage Black Bay Dark has an entirely satin finish, reminiscent of military utility equipment.

The Black Bay Dark

Not only has the Heritage Black Bay collection grown by selection, it has also grown in size with the larger 43mm case of the new Heritage Black Bay Bronze. Crafted from a high-performance aluminum bronze alloy, its case will evolve and slowly darken with wear to develop a subtle yet unique patina. TUDOR added aluminum to the traditional bronze alloy of copper and tin to ensure the patina is homogeneously developed over time. The brushed finishing on the case creates a visually rich and handsome golden hue. Completing its warm palette, the combination of a chocolate brown dial and bezel on the Heritage Black Bay Bronze give it a tactically industrial look. The Heritage Black Bay Bronze is also fitted with a slightly larger TUDOR in-house movement, the MT5601, with an impressive 70-hour power reserve.

The Black Bay Bronze

TUDOR’s rich diving history has been distilled into these timepieces, paying homage to TUDOR dive watches of yesteryear. The Heritage Black Bay, however, is clearly not a tribute to any one particular dive watch but rather the culmination of 60 years of excellence rolled into one iconic watch.

LOOKING FOR MORE?

» Wixon Jewelers is an authorized dealer of TUDOR Watches

» Read about the birth of the TUDOR brand

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