Heritage Black Bay has been a very successful model, Tudor, they reiterated its luxury sports watches games in place. After only recently returned to the United States and Britain, black Bay is undoubtedly part of this initiative, the key views of consumers and success, including GPHG revival Award in 2013 for Black Bay is a retro-style diver Tudor and Release 2012 Basel Watch Fair in burgundy panel, dark brown dial and rose gold markers and hands. Full of retro effect crystal dome and large crown, black bay already popular from the outset.
While I really like the Tudor Black Bay, I have to admit that the original brown dial and the burgundy bezel felt a little overdone to my eyes. Even in dressier forms like the Tudor Black Bay, I like my divers to be a bit more muted. So, when I was first handed a Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue (79220B) during a Tudor-hosted dinner at Baselworld this past March, I was thrilled to find the aesthetic had been dialled back. Though perhaps a little less romantic, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue is the quietly-confident and understated of these two nearly-identical twins.
The new Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue is essentially the same watch as the 79220R but with a dark blue bezel, a black dial, and white metal for the hands and markers. While the change is just color, the effect is massive, and it feels like a different watch. Where the original Black Bay was perhaps a little twee, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue is rather stoic and wears like much more of an “everyday” watch (despite the fact that they are technically identical). It feels more modern, and the blue bezel appears almost black in low light, which gives the 79220B the wrist presence of a Submariner (Rolex or Tudor, your choice).
If, like me, you’re obsessed with dressy divers that don’t cost as much as modern Rolexes or Omegas, you’ve read everything about the Black Bay since it was released. Under the assumption that some of you are normal high-functioning members of society, allow me to refresh your memory. The Tudor Heritage Black Bay, both R and B references, uses a 41 mm steel case that is 12.7 mm thick and 50 mm lug to lug. Based on a mix of vintage references from Tudor’s past, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay is a dressier alternative to something like the Tudor Pelagos. With a unidirectional bezel, oversized crown, and domed sapphire crystal, the Black Bay is available on a steel bracelet, a leather strap, or a fabric Tudor-style nato.
Whatever expectations the case, crown, and bezel may setup, the dial can support. The Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue has a really beautiful flat-black dial with bright white metal applied markers and hands and a matching white minute track. Wonderfully monochromatic, the BBB’s dial is balanced, supremely legible and capable of catching the light in a very pleasing way. If I’m being very picky, I could do without the “rotor self winding” text, but I have to applaud Tudor for something else they omitted: the date display. The 2824 ticking within offers a date display but the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue’s dial is left unspoiled by a date. If done perfectly, I don’t mind a date display, but my preference for a sport watch is always no date.
The dial on the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue does a wonderful job of complementing the deep metallic blue of the bezel and the properly-sized handset which, with the minutes and seconds reaching all the way to the markings, makes for a balanced and functional design.
Finally, the lume is also excellent, with plenty of material used on the hands and the markers (see video for live shot). While I did not get the opportunity to take the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Blue diving, I have no doubt that the legibility and lume would be up to the task, even if the bezel might be tricky to operate with the 5mm gloves that are required in my local waters.
