Tudor, which achieved great success with the Heritage Black Bay concept, also introduced a two-tone version in Baselworld 2017.
I think the importance of the Heritage Black Bay concept for Tudor does not require any further explanation as the concept itself became more like the symbol of the brand’s rebirth. This year, the brand preferred to continue to go through the Heritage Black Bay collection as well, attracting a lot of attention with its three-hands and bi-compax chronograph models, which were introduced in Baselworld 2017 with the stainless steel bezel and date display update. The other star of the newly introduced collection is the Heritage Black Bay Steel and Gold, which combines stainless steel and yellow gold.
The new version, which has the general features of the HBB model family, comes with a stainless steel case designed with a diameter of 41mm. The case sports a domed sapphire crystal on the front side and a solid stainless steel caseback at the rear side. Like the rest of the model family HBB Steel and Gold is water resistant to 200 meters.
The most important feature of the new model is the golden parts in the case and bracelet. The winding crown and the center links of the metal bracelet are Gold Capped. In fact, there are a lot of details about the application method and the amount of gold used, but in short, the gold filling has been used in the winding crown and center links of bracelet offers a much thicker gold value compared to techniques such as PVD or DLC. The parts that are prior to damage end links of the bracelet and the uni-rotational diver’s bezel are made of 18K solid gold.
The new dial shares the same platform used in the updated collection. The newly added date display is located at three o’clock position. I am a big fan of no-date dials as I believe the date window seriously corrupts the integrity of the dial. Unfortunately, the same applies to Tudor HBB Steel and Gold as well. iApart from this detail, the dial looks pretty cool with its gold accents over black background.
The metal bracelet of the model is inspired by the famous Rivet type bracelets of the 1950s. I find this bracelet style quite successful because it is in perfect harmony with the retro look of the model. However, it is not possible to mention the same for the folding clasp as it has a very modern design. Another detail that I find interesting is that the center links have matt finish instead of mirror polished. At first, I have found that a little un-matching as I am a loyal fan of 18K yellow gold / stainless steel Rolex Submariner. But after seeing the model in person, I changed my mind. Brushed gold center links look quite nice on the watch and fits with the other gold accents nicely.
The Tudor HBB Steel and Gold is powered with the in-house Caliber Ref. MT5612. Self-winding movement features a silicone balance spring and comes with the COSC certification.
The last but arguably the most important detail of the new model is its price. The metal bracelet version retails for CHF 4.700,00 while the leather strap version comes with a price tag of CHF 3,600.00. Remember that there is a NATO strap in the box set, no matter the version.
