TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black 16

From unique pieces to whole ranges without breaking any promises

After the Black Bay One - designed for the Only Watch auction - was introduced, the launch of the new series Heritage Black Bay Black left enthusiasts wondering whether it was just a coincidence.

By Vincent Daveau
Contributor

Inspired by the Oyster Prince Submariner Ref. 7923 released in 1955, Only Watch's Black Bay One left many expert collectors in an incredible state of anticipation after its introduction. Yet, there was unfortunately only one of the modern, steel piece driven by a self-winding mechanical caliber, and it was only available for the Only Watch auction sale.

TUDOR Oyster Prince Submariner 7923 (1955) TUDOR Oyster Prince Submariner 7923 from 1955

After being unveiled on our website, the piece obtained the immediate approval of the public, especially as several details, such as the rose-shaped logo, the baton hands, the graduated bezel were clear references to older pieces in its range.

TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black

Tudor was well aware of the impact that the piece had on watch experts. Indeed, it was inspired by a historical and much sought-after by collectors model. Hence, seeing as the brand’s followers were calling for the model to be in the official catalog, the brand decided to launch a new, Black version of the Heritage Black Bay. Of course, the new little marvel could not be the same as the one created for Only Watch – Tudor refused to tamper with the unique character of the piece that had been exclusively designed for the charity sale.

TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black

Extrapolating to keep the spirit

However, Tudor, which recently took on the role of a manufacture with the development of its own self-winding mechanical caliber, perfectly understood the importance of the “vintage” trend. Therefore, the brand decided not to disappoint its audience by creating the Black version the aficionados of the Black Bay had been waiting for since the launch of the range in 2012. While the historical burgundy version made headlines and the blue reference was much appreciated by experts in military watches, the range of available colors lacked the most obvious black.

TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black

Described as a syncretic product since its launch, the new Black Bay Black is driven by the self-winding Tudor 2824 caliber and is water resistant to 200 meters. The watch is a combination of the several historical models by the brand. Thus, its domed glass is borrowed from the brand's first diving watch, known as ref. 7922 and launched in 1954. The domed dial is inspired by the first models of the Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner. The large winding crown is a throwback to the Reference 7924 that was revealed in 1958 and which collectors nicknamed “Big Crown” due to its special size. The angular-shaped hands, also known as “snowflakes” by experts and previously used by Tudor between 1969 and the early 1980s, are found both on this watch and on the previous Black Bay versions. By borrowing ideas from past pieces and merging them with elements of contemporary design such as the 41-mm steel case, the colored anodized aluminum crown tube confers the Tudor Heritage Black Bay a uniqueness that has now been reinforced by its black color.

TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black

In essence and to conclude, the timepiece everyone had been eagerly waiting for since the introduction of the unique Black Bay One designed for Only Watch has been revealed at the perfect time. Indeed, it has managed to pique enthusiasts’ curiosity just enough to draw their attention to this highly anticipated black version of the Black Bay. The double launching has not only brought attention to the products' quality, but it has also showed that Tudor has successfully handled the principles of fame. This is shown in the smart choice of elements, which have served the brand to make a distinct difference between the two versions (hands, dial graduations and different calibers), the two references, and the rest of the collection.

TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black TUDOR Heritage Black Bay Black

Tudor Heritage Black Bay Black in figures

Diving watch (in series) with a 41-mm steel case. Satiny polished finish. Steel unidirectional turning bezel with black matt plate and luminescent triangular insert; 38-h power reserve for the Tudor 2824. Screwed crown for water resistance and the latter pushed to 200 meters. Sapphire glass, luminescent hands and indexes. Full back. Steel or old leather strap with deployment buckle. Comes with an additional fabric strap.

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