Tudor Heritage Black Bay

This is the newly released Tudor Heritage Black Bay Diver.  It’s been a successful couple of years for Tudor watches – in 2010 the brand was one of the darlings of Basel with their retro-tastic Tudor Heritage Chrono – in 2011 they unveiled another tasty release, the silky, silvered Tudor Heritage Advisor.  This latest piece seals the deal, the design department at Tudor has a knack for breathing new life into their vintage pieces and the Black Bay is another handsome and desirable addition to the Heritage collection.

The Heritage Black Bay is made from stainless steel and measures 41mm across.  Most striking is the burgundy bezel, forgivable for its matt finish – a polished rim in a color so rich would surely give both wearer and onlooker a poke in the eye.  There are subtle details a-plenty, the matching band of burgundy on the screw-down crown with its Tudor Rose motif, the contrasting polished and satin finishing on the case and those lengthened lugs and of course, on the black dial the “snowflake” hands and the generous “dots and dash” markers with the added authenticity of a pink gold patina.

The piece takes inspiration from diving models of 1954, and further design references are evident in the domed dial and sapphire crystal.  Inside is an ETA 2824 automatic calibre with 38 hours of power reserve.  Aesthetics aside, divers will be particularly interested in the practicalities of the newly designed folding clasp and the water resistance of the watch, to 200 metres.  Stylistas will be more interested in the fact that you can choose from a black fabric strap with either spare steel bracelet or spare aged leather vintage-style strap