ON THE WRIST: Tudor Black Bay Chrono
MONDAY OCTOBER 21, 2024
Nothing groundbreaking here, just the colour blue being splashed onto its dial and bezel while the sub dials are now in silver. The sunburst finish dial has been tastefully done where things are not over the top, these subtle updates keep things sophisticated without being flashy. Retaining the traits of the Black Bay Chrono are a touch of red at the 6 o’clock mark and some more red on the end of the longer seconds hand adding a dash of visual interest.
PRO
Design, execution
Bang for buck
Clasp micro adjustment
CON
Weight
Sound of bracelet
SPECIFICATION
41 mm Diameter
14.4 mm Thickness
200m Water Resistance
70 hours Power Reserve
49.88 mm Lug to Lug
A$ 8,370
I hate watches with a date window as they often disrupt the dial's symmetry but here it looks right at home. The dial looks balanced and it cannot be mistaken for something else other than a Black Bay Chrono. Unlike many chronographs trying to look like a Rolex Daytona, this design is distinctly its own.
As usual, Tudor provides exceptional value and here we have a heart from Breitling for substantially less. If you pay close enough attention, the rotor spinning about can be heard behind its closed case back. For those who like some personalisation, Tudor now offers engraving at their service centres where its warranty will not be void. I would recommend leaving the case back alone unless you've something truly clever in mind.
The mix of polished and brushed finishes gives the Chrono Blue a dressier edge, but not overly so. The aluminum bezel radiates a warmer tone compared to the more commonly used ceramic, which adds a classic touch. This bracelet jangles like the Rolex of old which can be perceived as inferior or simply the nature of 316L stainless-steel. With no rivets in sight, there’s one less thing for critics to nitpick. The overall industrial finishing ensures the Black Bay Chrono is still very much a Tudor retaining its field-watch DNA.
The 5-link bracelet is a standout, providing better comfort and fitting a wider range of wrist sizes compared to the black or white’s rivet steel bracelet. Anyone with a wrist down to 14cm (but no smaller) can wear it comfortably. This blue model also benefits from an upgraded clasp with micro-adjustment, making it easy to get the perfect fit as your wrist expands or contracts throughout the day.
The screw-down pushers feel solid and robust, with a rewarding tactile action when pressed. They require a bit of force, but it feels satisfying like using a real stopwatch. Despite being a chronograph and having a date function, the watch impressively keeps time to within a second every 24 hours, outperforming many higher-priced time-only watches.
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​Luminescence is strong, not that it is something required in a lap timer but why not. The Tudor Black Bay Chrono is waterproofed to 200 meters, another non-necessity because no one is going to dive with this thing but it is good to know that it can.
To my biggest surprise, this is a big boy and when sized properly, it shrinks and wears well. It doesn’t constantly remind me that I’m wearing a watch and I just go about my day not remembering the Black Bay Chrono until I need to check the time.
As for the thickness, it’s not as cumbersome as I feared, thanks in part to the bracelet’s design. While I generally avoid watches thicker than 13mm, this one’s 14mm-plus profile is surprisingly manageable. The weight, however, is a different story. At 160 grams, you will be feeling its presence at the end of the day, a Tudor logo stamp can be seen on my wrist. It is better suited to larger wrists but if you’re drawn to the design, don’t let that deter you.
Legibility, time telling can be an issue because the white hands land around the silvery chronograph bits. At least, I found it slightly challenging to read the time with a quick glance.
Tudor watches are always a lot of fun to be had. It often exceeds expectations by providing value over its competitors and the Black Bay Chrono is no exception. From all the fun that I am having distracted me from noticing its weight.