Cannot get enough of that bronze hype with Tudor. Never-ending bronze watches trend continues on the Tudor side with an anthracite bezel/ anthracite dial combination.
It was years ago, a watch brand introduced a new model with a bronze case. Well, they had not rediscovered America, but by then, no other brand had achieved such a success either. I’m sure many of you know the brand that I’m talking about. Other brands that follow this success with envy, also immediately began to work. Apparently, neither the brands nor the customers have yet been satisfied with the bronze. It’s up to us to enjoy this trend...
First of all, bronze is not a material for everyone. In fact, it is not a suitable material for every watch either. The world of watchmaking is doing its best to produce watches that are more resistant to the harsh effects of time with advanced technology and exotic materials. Bronze on the other side literally is effected by air. On the other hand, I think the integration of this material, which is highly related to maritime history, into aviation or motor sports themed models is just an ill-fated attempt. Let’s get back to Tudor and have a look at what we got with this new Black Bay.
Bronze is an alloy... An alloy with different chemical and physical properties depending on the percentage of metals in its content. Therefore, not all bronze alloys look the same. Some bronzes have a pink gold-like tone before they are oxidized, while other manufacturers, including Tudor, prefer darker and always "dirty looking" bronze alloys. The case back of this 43mm diameter model is made of stainless steel but finished with a bronze tone PVD coating. The reason for this is that bronze may cause an allergic reaction for some skin types. Most brands use 100% biocompatible titanium for the case back. Tudor, on the other hand, still manages to win our hearts by the coating despite going for the low budget stainless steel option.
The model is equipped with an anthracite tone aluminum insert uni-directional bezel and a matching gradient dial. Although I think the anthracite is a good choice for the dial color, I believe pastel brown and green tones are the best to go with bronze watches. On the other hand, I would like to have a bronze insert rather than an aluminum or even a ceramic one on the bezel in terms of making the watch more appealing. The case sports a scratch resistant sapphire crystal on the front side and offers a water resistance rating of 200 meters / 20 bars.
Tudor Black Bay Bronze (Ref. M79250BA-0001) is powered by the manufacture Caliber MT 5601. The movement, which winds up efficiently and silently with its bi-directional oscillating rotor, offers a power reserve of 70 hours when fully wound. The decision that Tudor (and some other mid-level brands) took years ago for switching to in-house movements from outsourced ones was a very sound decision. With this move, both technically superior movements meet the industry and end users feel privileged. For those who complain about rising costs, more affordable alternatives are still available on the market. Tudor also provides a COSC certification for this model, proving its sensitivity for precision and accuracy.
The model is available with two different strap alternatives as a black nubuck strap and a black NATO strap with bronze stripes. Both options, which seem pretty durable and nicely match with the rest of the watch visually, are secured by a Tudor signed pin buckle made of bronze alloy.
MSRP for the Tudor Black Bay Bronze (Ref. M79250BA-0001) is 3850, 00 CHF.
