It’s safe to say that the Black Bay collection is Tudor’s single most important model range. And the fact of the matter is that the Black Bay is to a very large degree responsible for Tudor’s success in modern times since the brand’s relaunch in around 2009.

At the end of the 1990s and early 2000s, Tudor was struggling. The company had left most markets and didn’t release a lot of new models. Despite its strong heritage and history, Tudor was, by many, forgotten and neglected. But in around 2009 and the years to come, Tudor underwent a major relaunch to completely update its collection of watches and to rebuild the brand again.

And the Black Bay would come to prove to be the single most important launch in Tudor’s rebranding strategy and continues to be Tudor’s single most important collection 11 years later.

The Black Bay began with one watch and has now grown to more than 14 models and more than 110 variations in terms of sizes, dial colors, and iterations. With that said, the Black Bay has grown to become Tudor’s single most important model, both in terms of the total number of models but also in sales.

In this article, we have created a timeline that goes into detail about when each Black Bay model was released, from the launch in 2012 up until now.

Explaining the Black Bay Collection

Tudor has divided its watches into 5 different categories which are as follows:

• BLACK BAY
• SPORT WATCHES
• CLASSIC WATCHES
• WOMEN’S WATCHES
• DIVING WATCHES

In turn, each of these categories contains multiple different models, and in turn, several different references and versions. For example, the Black Bay GMT 79830RB is part of the Black Bay series but it is in turn also part of the Black Bay GMT collection.

When the first Black Bay was released in 2012, Tudor had a few different categories of watches, one of which was the ”Heritage” collection. This collection included watches that were inspired by Tudor’s heritage and one of those was the Heritage Black Bay. With the launch of the in-house version of Black Bay 41 in 2016, Tudor removed the ”Heritage” from the name and began calling the collection ”Black Bay”.

Originally, it was just one model, the reference 79220B, but now, there are more Black Bay models than you can count in different styles, sizes, iterations, and metals. The Black Bay has gone from being a professional dive watch to now being available in versions that are suitable as dress watches, everyday watches, and everything in between. At the same time, Tudor has managed to retain the signature DNA of the Black Bay across all models to some extent.

In other words, regardless of the model you’re looking at, you’ll always be able to tell that it is a Black Bay. Design elements like the big crown, the iconic snowflake hands, and the case design are three of the most important features that make the Black Bay stand out – and have also helped it build an almost iconic status.

Without further ado, let’s look closer at the timeline of the different Black Bay models.

Tudor Black Bay Timeline

2012

In many ways, 2012 is the single most important year for Black Bay. This was the year that the Black Bay model was born and saw the light of day. This launch was a major part of Tudor’s relaunch since it was the first dive watch that Tudor released. And because dive watches are an extremely important part of Tudor’s history, it would naturally be so also in modern times.

Heritage Black Bay 79220R

The very first Black Bay model ever created was the Heritage Black Bay 79220R. This model is not a ”re-issue” of a specific vintage dive watch, but what the company did was look at all of the vintage Tudor dive watches and pick the very best features and elements and combine that into one watch. The result was a 41mm dive watch with a stainless steel case, a big crown without crown guards, a matte red bezel insert, and a lovely textured black dial with gilt markers and print, ”smiley” text on the dial, and Tudor’s rose logo.

Black Bay models released in 2012

• Heritage Black Bay 79220r

2014

Heritage Black Bay 79220B

The first launch of the Black Bay 79220R proved to be a huge success so in 2014, Tudor wanted to build upon this. And they did so by adding another watch to the Black Bay family, the 79220B. At its core, this is the exact same model as the 79220R with the difference that it has a blue bezel and crown tube instead of red. Moreover, it has white/silver print on the dial and white metal markers instead of gilt.

Black Bay models released in 2014

• Heritage Black Bay 79220B

2015

Heritage Black Bay 79220N

In 2015, Tudor added yet another color variation to the Heritage Black Bay family. This time, it was a black version which perhaps stays the truest to vintage Tudor watches (since most of them are black, and that’s how most people envision dive watches). The 79220N has a black bezel, black crown tube, a red line of text on the dial, and a gilt print.

The 79220N became the shortest-produced Black Bay ever as it was discontinued only about 6 months after its release.

Black Bay models released in 2015

• Heritage Black Bay 79220N

2016

2016 was an important year for the Black Bay as Tudor really doubled down on the model by presenting several new and exciting variants of the Black Bay.

Black Bay 79230R, 79230N, 79230B

In 2016, Tudor completely updated the Heritage Black Bay model line of the three variants and replaced them with three new ones. The key reason for this was to change from ETA movements to in-house movements. To denote an upgraded model, Tudor changed the reference number from 79220 to 79230. Replacing the three variations, the new references were 79230N, 79230B, and 79230R.

Apart from the change of the movement, Tudor also equipped the 79230 with a new rivet-style bracelet, inspired by the rivet bracelets of early dive watches. Moreover, Tudor made some slight differences to the dial design, including removing the iconic ”smiley” dial print as well as changing the logo from the Tudor rose to the Tudor Shield.

Black Bay 79250BM

2016 also saw the launch of the very first variant of the Black Bay outside of the traditional 41mm design. Tudor launched the Black Bay 79250BM, a 43mm watch built on the Black Bay design, completely made in bronze.

This is the first bronze watch that Tudor has ever released and it is the first watch to have a different size than 41mm.

Black Bay 79230DK

Another addition to the Black Bay collection in 2016 was the 79230DK. This is an all-black DLC-coated version of the Black Bay 79230, equipped with an in-house movement. More or less everything about this watch is the same as the 79230 with the exception that it didn’t have a rivet bracelet, was DLC coated and has a slightly reworked dial design.

Black Bay 36 79500

In 2016, Tudor also launched the Black Bay 36 reference 79500. This is the first Black Bay that is not built as a professional dive watch. It is much thinner and does not have a unidirectional bezel. Equipped with a non-in-house movement, this watch was meant as an entry-level everyday watch that is versatile yet elegant enough to wear through all of life’s events.

Moreover, the 36mm size meant that more people – even those with smaller wrists – now could enjoy the DNA of the Black Bay.

With the launch of the Black Bay 36, Tudor took an important step to broaden the Black Bay family to not only include professional dive watches but rather to present alternatives that can be worn on all kinds of different occasions.

Black Bay models released in 2016

• Black Bay 79250BM
• Black Bay 79230DK
• Black Bay 79230N
• Black Bay 79230B
• Black Bay 79230R
• Black Bay 36 79500

2017

If 2016 was an important year for Tudor, 2017 almost topped it in regard to the number of new Black Bay models that were released. Tudor released several new Black Bay models and greatly broadened the Black Bay family.

Black Bay Chronograph 79350

First up is the Black Bay Chronograph reference 79350. This was an important milestone for Tudor as it is the first Black Bay to have a different function than only timekeeping. It is also the first Black Bay chronograph to be released. 

Black Bay steel 79730

2017 was the year that Tudor released the first Black Bay to feature a date function. At its core, the Black Bay steel is the same model as the 79230 only with slight visual changes and the addition of a date function. This now gave people the option to choose between a date and a no-date version depending on their needs and wants in a dive watch.

Black Bay Date S&G 79733N

2017 was also the year that Tudor released the very first Black Bay in steel and gold. This was the same model as the Black Bay steel reference 79733N. It is the same watch as the 79730 only equipped with a black bezel, gilt dial, and gold and steel accent. The addition of gold enhanced the exclusivity of this Black Bay, allowing Tudor to take the first step to building a more luxurious and exclusive brand.

Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue 79250BB

2017 saw the release of the very first ”special edition” Black Bay. And Tudor didn’t satisfy with just one. Instead, they released two. The first one is the Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue reference 79250BB. This watch is based on the 79250BM launched in 2016 but with a blue bezel and dial to match the signature color of Bucherer. The 79250BB is exclusively sold in Bucherer stores – one of the most well-known and prestigious watch retail chains in the world – and also the largest in Switzerland. 

Black Bay Harrods 79230G

The second special edition watch that Tudor presented in 2017 was the Black Bay Harrods special edition reference 79230G. This model is based on the 79230 but is designed with green accents such as a green bezel and a green-tipped seconds hand to match the signature color of the iconic and world-renowned department store in London, England. This watch is exclusively sold at Harrods and each watch is numbered. It is, however, just like the butcherer, not a limited edition

Black Bay models released in 2017

• Black Bay Steel 79730
• Black Bay Bronze Bucherer 79250BB
• Black Bay Harrods 79230G
• Black Bay Date S&G 79733N

2018

In many ways, 2018 is the most important year for the Black Bay – apart from 2012 when the Black Bay was born. The reason for this is that it is the first year that Rolex released models that became so popular that there were waiting lists at official Tudor retailers just to be able to buy them. And the interesting thing about scarcity is that it leads to FOMO (fear of missing out), which makes us want something even more.

This situation greatly boosted the prestige of the Tudor brand, originally going from making watches that few people wanted, to making watches that everyone wanted. So, which models did Tudor release in 2018?

Black Bay GMT 79830RB

2018 saw the release of Tudor’s first Black Bay with a GMT function, the Black Bay GMT 7983RB with a ”Pepsi” bezel. At its core, the watch shared the design and components of the classic Black Bay 41, but with a bidirectional GMT bezel in blue and red, a GMT movement, and an additional GMT hand. Partially because of the similarity to the bigger brother Rolex’s highly sought-after GMT-Master II 126710BLRO, this watch became a huge success.

Black Bay Fifty-Eight 79030N

The second extremely popular launch from Tudor – definitely one of Tudor’s most popular watches ever made – was the Black Bay Fifty-Eight reference 79030N.

Ever since the launch of the Black Bay 41 79230, a lot of people had complained about the 41mm. Whilst it is a relatively ”standard” size for a professional sports watch, a lot of people found it too big. Moreover, a lot of people thought that making a vintage-inspired watch and then not staying true to the sizes that were used at the time was a mistake. After all, the watches that the Black Bay was inspired by were between 38 and 40mm. In order to make a vintage-inspired dive watch that stays true to its heritage, it needed to have a smaller case size.

Thankfully, Tudor listened and launched a 39mm version of the Black Bay in 2018. This model became wildly successful and, just like the GMT, had waiting lists at Tudor-authorized dealers.

As the name suggests, this watch is inspired by a specific dive watch that Tudor made in 1958 and strives to look very similar to the original. At the same time, it retains many of the signature Black Bay design features.

Black Bay 36 with blue dial

The Black Bay 36 79500 was launched in 2016 but in 2018, Tudor added a blue dial to this model, now making it available with both a blue and a black dial.

Black Bay 41 79570

Tudor continued to build upon the Black Bay 36 collection by adding a 41mm size. The Black Bay is designed as an everyday watch as the dive bezel has been omitted and the case made slimmer and more elegant. But 36mm is too small for a lot of men which is why Tudor added the 41mm option in 2018.

Black Bay 32 79580

At the same time, 36mm is too big for women so Tudor also added a 32mm version of the Black Bay 36, making it available in 32, 36, and 41mm. The watch was made available with either a black or a blue dial.

Black Bay S&G champagne dial 79733N

Last but not least, Tudor added a Champagne dial option to the Black Bay S&G that was launched in 2017. The model was now available with a black dial and a champagne dial.

Black Bay models released in 2018

• Black Bay GMT 79830RB
• Black Bay Fifty-Eight 79030N
• Black Bay 79500 with blue dial
• Black Bay S&G with champagne dial
• Black Bay 32 79580
• Black Bay 41 79570

2019

2019 saw the addition of several new and exciting Black Bay models from Tudor. Tudor released both completely new models but also continued to build upon the existing Black Bay models.

Black Bay Chronograph S&G 79363N

In 2019, Tudor released the Black Bay Chronograph S&G reference 79363N. Tudor released the first chronograph in 2017 but added to the collection by adding a steel and gold version. Moreover, this was not just a gold and steel version of the existing chronograph but rather a reworked and redesigned watch. One of the most notable changes was the changing from a fixed tachymeter bezel to a traditional bezel insert design which gave the watch a new look. Of course, being an S&G watch, the watch was made in gold and steel for a luxurious and elegant look.

Black Bay 32, 36, 41 in steel & gold

In 2019, Tudor built upon the Black Bay 32, 36, and 41 but launched them in gold and steel. This is an important step from Tudor as launching more and more watches in gold and steel indicates in which direction Tudor is looking to go – working to make its watches more exclusive and build a brand that is regarded as a luxury watch brand.

Black Bay Bronze 79250BA

Tudor also discontinued the 79250BM which was launched in 2016 and replaced it with a taupe version. Instead of featuring a brown dial and bezel, the watch was now designed with a taupe bezel and dial. Apart from that, the watch remained exactly the same.

Black Bay P01 70150

Probably the most surprising and shocking release from Tudor in 2019 was the launch of the Black Bay P01 reference 70150. This watch was launched by Tudor as a way to stop speculations about a watch that had come up at auction a while back that people believed was fake. It was a unique dive watch with a locking mechanism for the bezel around which there was a lot of debate and discussion of whether or not it had actually existed.

So Tudor made a watch inspired by this watch in 2019 to prove that it had in fact existed. The interesting part is that whilst it is part of the Black Bay collection, its design is very different from the Black Bay in many ways. It does, however, feature the iconic snowflake hands.

Black Bay Chronograph Dark 79350DK

Last but not least, Tudor released a special edition version of the Black Bay Chronograph reference 79350. Tudor made it in an all-black design by DLC-coating it and dubbing it the ”79350DK” as in ”dark”.

The watch was developed for the rugby team ”all blacks” which Tudor is an official sponsor of. This watch is made in a highly limited number, as many watches as there have been players in the team. And every time there is a new team member, Tudor produces a new watch. These watches are available to purchase at official Tudor retailers, but due to the highly limited production number, they are very rare. 

Black Bay models released in 2019

• Black Bay Chronograph S&G 79363N
• Black Bay 32, 36, 41 in steel & gold
• Black Bay Bronze 79250BA
• Black Bay P01 70150
• Black Bay Chronograph Dark 79350DK

2020

In 2020, Tudor decided to play things cool and not release a lot of watches. In fact, Tudor only released one new Black Bay.

Black Bay Fifty-Eight Blue 79030B

The Black Bay that Tudor released in 2020 was a blue version of the highly successful Black Bay Fifty-eight that had been launched in 2018. Due to the enormous success the 79030N had, it made sense that Tudor wanted to continue to build upon this success by releasing a new version. And Tudor did so by releasing the 79030B.

Apart from changing the dial and the bezel to blue, the watch is exactly the same.

Black Bay models released in 2020

• Black Bay 58 Navy Blue 79030B

2021

In 2021, Tudor went all in and released several new and exciting Black Bay models.

Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K 79018V

In 2021, Tudor launched its first-ever solid gold watch. Tudor had released several gold and steel watches prior but launching a full gold watch is certainly a big step considering the hefty price tag that they come with. This is yet again the reflection of Tudor’s vision of where they want to be and how they want to build the brand. Making solid gold watches definitely means that you’re a luxury watch brand.

The watch that Tudor launched is a full gold version of the highly popular Black Bay Fifty-Eight. The reference is 79018V and it is presented with a green dial and bezel.

Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 silver 79010SG

Another first for Tudor – and the Black Bay collection was the addition of a Black Bay Fifty-Eight made in 925 silver. This was a very interesting release from Tudor as very few watch brands make watches in silver. It proved that Tudor dares to go its own way and try new and unique things. After all, Tudor’s slogan is ”Born to dare”.

Black Bay Chronograph 79360N

In 2021, Tudor completely revised the Black Bay chronograph by discontinuing the 79350 and replacing it with the 79360N. The watch is at its core identical to the S&G chronograph the company released in 2019 only that it is made of steel and has a different dial. The watch was presented with two dials, white and black.

Black Bay Ceramic 79210CNU

Another major Black Bay release from Tudor in 2021 was the launch of the Black Bay 79210CNU. This is the first Black Bay to be made in ceramic. It has a see-through case back and an in-house movement that is both COSC and METAS certified.

Black Bay 32, 36, 41 silver dial

Tudor continued to expand the Black Bay 32, 36, and 41 by adding a silver dial option to the already existing options of black and blue.

Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze 79012m

Last but not least, Tudor released another Fifty-Eight version in 2021, namely the Fifty-Eight Bronze reference 79010M. This is the first Black Bay 58 to be made in bronze and it is the first Tudor watch to feature a bracelet made in bronze as well. This watch was released as a ”boutique only” watch and is therefore only available to purchase from Tudor’s own boutiques.

Black Bay models released in 2021

• Black Bay Bay Fifty-Eight 18K 79018V
• Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 silver 79010SG
• Black Bay Chronograph 79360N
• Black Bay Ceramic 79210CNU
• Black Bay 32, 36, 41 silver dial
• Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze 79012M

2022

In 2022, Tudor launched several new and exciting Black Bay models.

Black Bay Pro 79470

The most exciting launch of 2022 was the Black Bay Pro reference 79470. This is made as an explorer/tool watch that is highly inspired by Rolex’s Explorer, particularly the first Explorer II that Rolex made, reference 1655. The watch has a fixed steel bee with 24-hour markings and is equipped with a GMT movement. Apart from the Black Bay 58 bronze, it is the first Black Bay to have Tudor’s new adjustable T-Fit clasp.

Black Bay GMT S&G 79833MN

Tudor expanded the GMT collection which had only had one watch thus far (79830RB) by presenting a gold and steel version, reference 79833MN. You could say that this watch is inspired by Rolex’s iconic ”Root beer” GMT as it is made with brown accents. But at its core, it remains the same as the 79830RB, with the difference being that it is made in gold and steel and has a different colorway for the design.

Black Bay Chrono S&G 79363N champagne dial

In 2022, Tudor also expanded the 79363N model by adding the option of a champagne dial.

Black Bay models released in 2021

• Black Bay Pro 79470
• Black Bay GMT S&G 79833MN
• Black Bay Chrono S&G 79363N with champagne dial

2023

To be revealed March 2023…

The post Ultimate Guide to the Tudor Black Bay Collection [All Models & Timeline] appeared first on Millenary Watches.

It’s safe to say that the Black Bay is Tudor’s single most important model. It’s a model line that has grown substantially over the years and gone from just one model in 2012 to now including more than 10 different references and more than 50 variations in different sizes and versions.

In fact, we would even argue – and Tudor would likely agree with us – that the Black Bay is the single most important watch for helping put Tudor back on the map after being off-market for several decades.

In 2007, Tudor underwent a rebranding. Tudor had left many markets prior to this and in many ways struggled to establish a unique and fresh identity – separate from its bigger brother Rolex – that would allow it to stand on its own legs.

Prior to 2007, it’s safe to say that Tudor released several quite gaudy watch designs. It was evident that Tudor didn’t really know what to do or at least in which direction they were going to take. But in 2007, it was time for a complete refresh and relaunch for Tudor, investing lots of resources into marketing, research, development, and launching new watches to finally put itself back on the map at a time when a lot of people thought that Tudor was done and many had even forgotten it existed. Whilst the exact year that can be called the official year of the launch of debate, we would say that Tudor’s plans for the relaunch began in 2007 and the real relaunch took place in 2009.

To understand what brought Tudor to where it is today, we need to understand Tudor’s history.

Tudor was founded by Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex as a sister brand to Tudor. He quickly saw that people were requesting a watch with the same quality and reliability as Rolex, but at a more affordable price point and therefore started Tudor.

When starting Tudor, Hans Wilsdorf said:

”For some years now I have been considering the idea of making a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches, and yet one that could attain the standards of dependability for which Rolex is famous, I decided to form a separate company, with the object of making and marketing this new watch. It is called the Tudor Watch Company.”

Instead of releasing budget watches under the Rolex brand, he formed Tudor as a way to avoid damaging the status and reputation of Rolex watches which was certainly a wise mode. The brand ”The Tudor” was registered in 1926 by the house of “Veuve de Philippe Hüther” on Wilsdorf’s behalf. 

In 1936, Wilsdorf took over the brand completely and he later formed ”Montres TUDOR S.A” in 1946. At this time, he doubled down and began focusing more on shaping an identity for Tudor.

The whole idea of Tudor was to use Rolex parts but equip them with third-party movements in order to keep costs down. In that way, Tudor was able to achieve a similar quality and reliability as Rolex watches, but at a more affordable price tag. Since Tudor, especially in the beginning, using the same watch parts that Rolex did, such as bracelets, watch cases, and so on, Tudor shared models with Rolex. Tudor created the Submariner, Prince, and Oyster parallel to Rolex.

The issue was that Tudor always had the label of being a ”poor man’s Rolex”, which further accelerated towards the turn of the century. Whilst relying on the bigger brother Rolex to vouch for the quality of Tudor watches had worked prior, Tudor now needed a new identity and proof that it was strong enough to stand on its own legs. But as no major step was taken, sales began to decline. In around 2004, Tudor had left most markets and was not very active with marketing nor developing new watches.

The good news is that around this time, plans were already in the making of reviving the Tudor brand, giving it its very own unique identity, and creating distinct and unique watch designs that didn’t have to rely on Rolex. The plan was to allow the brands to co-exist, taking different markets (Rolex focusing on luxury and Tudor focusing on the entry-level luxury segment). That way, Tudor would be able to break free from its label as a poor man’s Rolex and instead produce watches that were great and that spoke for themselves.

The relaunch of Tudor

So in 2009, Tudor began relaunching its brand. The first step was to find and establish a clear identity with its watches. Tudor staked out a path by launching several new models. And the company split its watches into two categories – contemporary and Heritage collections. Some of the models that Tudor launched included the Tudor Glamour and the Heritage Chrono in 2010, a Heritage model inspired by the Tudor “Montecarlo” from the 1970s.

The most important launch, however, is the watch that this whole article revolves around – the Heritage Black Bay. Part of the Heritage collection, meaning watches that are inspired by Tudor’s past, Tudor released the Heritage Black Bay in 2012. This was a vintage-inspired dive watch with a 41mm case, inspired by Tudor’s vintage dive watches from the 1950s to the 1970s. The Heritage Black Bay became an instant success and once again, Tudor was a brand that had people’s attention.

Following this, Tudor continued to add new models to its collection, including different versions of the Heritage Black Bay. The success of Tudor’s relaunch eventually became a fact as sales soared and the Heritage Black Bay can be attributed to a lot of that.

Today, the Black Bay is unarguably Tudor’s most important model line and as a result of its success and popularity, the collection has grown considerably over the years. So without further ado, let’s dig into the most interesting facts about the Black Bay to learn more about this extremely important model for Tudor.

Top interesting facts about Tudor Black Bay

1. The first Black Bay was launched in 2012

By now, we’re all familiar with the Tudor Black Bay. It is one of the most popular models in this price range and it is Tudor’s most popular collection.

The very first Black Bay to be released was the Heritage Black Bay reference 79220R. Two years later, Tudor launched a blue version of the same watch, reference 79220B. And two years after that, Tudor released a black version of the same, reference 79220N.

The first Black Bay was not intended as a ”reissue” model in the sense that it didn’t try to imitate a single watch from Tudor’s past. Instead, the design team looked at all of the dive watches that Tudor had made in the past and took the best design features and made that into one.

The result is a vintage-inspired watch with modern build quality.

2. The Tudor Black Bay saved Tudor

With all of the things mentioned above, it’s safe to say that the launch of the Black Bay saved Tudor. Or perhaps more correctly, it is the single most important thing that helped put Tudor back on the map. Tudor’s sales had already declined many years later and Tudor had left most markets. Backed by Rolex, it is not like Tudor was on the verge of bankruptcy, but Tudor was, by a lot of people, forgotten and neglected. But the Heritage Black Bay came to change everything. Without this model, we’re not sure Tudor would have been where it is today.

3. Why is it called Tudor Black Bay?

You’re probably wondering, where does the name Black Bay come from?

According to Tudor, the name black Bay derives from “a fictitious hidden cove, which holds secrets that can only be discovered over time, step by step”.

In other words, the name is mostly fictional but there’s a lot to the description that fits into the Black Bay and which certainly can be applied to what the Black Bay stands for and Tudor’s vision for this model moving forward.

The part that states ”which holds secrets that can only be discovered over time, step by step” can be applied to the Black Bay in the sense that Tudor has continuously released new versions and iterations of the Black bay – step by step, over time. The company began with the Heritage Black Bay 79220R and has since then released countless different iterations. With that said, that was likely Tudor’s plan all along, to continue to create new versions of the Black Bay.

4. The first Black Bay with an in-house movement was launched in 2016

The first Black Bay, reference 79220R, and the two other versions of the same reference (79220B and 79220n) did not have in-house movements. It wasn’t until the first-generation Black Bays were discontinued and replaced by the new-generation 79230 that they were blessed with in-house movements.

The first generation Black Bay was powered by the ETA caliber 2824 which had been modified by Tudor. For Tudor to use off-the-shelf movements early on in its relaunch makes perfect sense for many reasons. Firstly, it requires a lot of resources to develop an in-house movement. Secondly, the whole purpose of the Tudor brand from the beginning – and the vision of the founder Hans Wilsdorf – was to use off-the-shelf movements in the Tudor watches.

So, in a sense, it makes sense from a historical standpoint that Tudor opted for an ETA movement in its first Black Bay.

But to truly prove that Tudor was able to stand on its own legs, it needed to prove that it was capable of developing in-house movements. So with the help of Rolex’s know-how, Tudor released the first Black Bay with an in-house movement, caliber MT5602.

Since then, Tudor has gone on to create numerous other in-house movements which proves the direction that Tudor is moving in. It also proves that Tudor is very mindful and determined in building a name for itself. And with the know-how and information-sharing from its bigger brother Rolex, Tudor’s in-house movements have also proven to be extremely reliable and durable.

5. The first full gold Black Bay was released in 2021

2021 was quite a shock to a lot of Tudor enthusiasts in the sense that Tudor released a watch that few people saw coming – a Black Bay made in full gold.

The main reason why people were so surprised about this is the naturally high price tag that comes with a full gold watch. Tudor is generally regarded as an entry-level to mid-level luxury watch brand but the launch of the gold version took the watch to the luxury territory. Ever since Tudor’s relaunch, their watches have been regarded as affordable entry-level luxury watches. But the full-gold Black Bay costs more than double all of Tudor’s other watches. It can therefore be difficult for a brand that focuses on the segment Tudor does to pull off a gold watch, which is the main reason why most people were surprised.

At the same time, it shows in which direction Tudor is heading. Tudor has successfully managed to strengthen its brand and establish itself more and more as a luxury watch brand. Tudor has consistently increased its prices and made its watches more exclusive. The belief is that Rolex (the mother company) wants Tudor to take Rolex’s place and Rolex wants to take Patek Philippe’s place in terms of luxuriousness and exclusivity. And if that is indeed Tudor’s strategy (which it certainly seems like), then launching a full-gold watch was only a matter of time, and makes perfect sense to further strengthen people’s perception of Tudor as a luxury watch brand.

6. The first Black Bay in bronze was released in 2016

Over the years, Tudor has experimented a lot with different materials for the Black Bay. The very first material experiment, outside of the standard stainless steel, was with Tudor’s launch of the Black Bay Bronze in 2016.

The first material that Tudor explored for the Black Bay was therefore bronze for the 79250BM. Bronze is a material that has been used in the watch industry for quite a long time but it is not very common and relatively few manufacturers actually use it. But it certainly makes sense to use in a dive watch due to the properties of bronze. Bronze was used a lot historically for things like diving helmets and other objects related to diving due to its anti-corroding properties. Instead of rusting, bronze oxidizes and gets a unique green oxidation layer which is known as patina. Some people dislike the fact that a bronze watch will oxidize and the surface of the watch will change over time but others love the fact that the watch ages together with the wearer and change its look to look more rustic and tool-like.

At the same time, the use of bronze for a dive watch certainly has a historic connection, as discussed.

7. The first Black Bay in 39mm was launched in 2018

The first Black Bay was presented in 41mm. Standard size for a men’s sports watch. But a lot of people prefer smaller watches and have a hard time wearing watches above 40mm. In addition, and more importantly, people complained about the fact that the Tudor Black Bay did not stay true to Tudor’s original dive watches. Whilst it sought inspiration from vintage Tudor watches in terms of design, it did not in terms of size. In the 1950s when dive watches came about, virtually no dive watch was 40mm. It would have been considered huge at the time. Instead, most watches averaged between 37 to 39mm.

Therefore, with this in mind, Tudor decided to make a watch that is more true to Tudor’s vintage dive watches, both in terms of design but also in size – and caters to true watch enthusiasts as well as those who have smaller wrists.

As such, Tudor presented the first Black Bay to feature a case size of 39mm.

It was not the first Black Bay to feature a different case size than 41mm since the Black Bay Bronze was launched in 2016 with a case size of 43mm.

The watch that Tudor launched was the Black Bay Fifty-Eight, reference 79030N, inspired by a specific watch that Tudor launched in 1958, thereby the name.

The 79030N immediately became a huge success. In fact, it became the single most popular watch that Tudor had ever made. Due to the huge popularity, there were even waiting lists at authorized Tudor retailers just to buy one – a first for any Tudor brand. This alone proves just how well Tudor succeeded since its relaunch.

7. The first Black Bay with DLC coating was released in 2016

Continuing to experiment with different materials and designs, Tudor added the first DLC-coated Black Bay to its collection in 2016, reference 79230DK. The watch was identical to the standard 79230 in steel, only that the bracelet and case were DLC-coated.

The DLC coating gives the watch an all-black look which adds boldness and a coolness factor to the watch, making it appear much more sporty.

8. The Black Bay is inspired by vintage Tudor dive watches 

The very first Black Bay launched in 2012 was called ”Heritage Black Bay”. Whilst Tudor now just calls the model ”Black Bay”, the original name still explains what the idea behind the Black Bay model was.

The Black Bay is inspired by Tudor’s vintage dive watches from its past, from the 1950s, all the way up to the 1970s, 1980s, and even 1990s. In designing the Black bay, Tudor had a lot of inspiration from its archives by looking at the dive watches the company had produced prior. In doing so, Tudor was able to take the very best parts from its history and implement that into a new dive watch. And this is probably also the reason why the Black Bay is so popular and timeless. The models from which it takes its inspiration are already several decades old and are more popular now than ever. This proves that Tudor’s vintage dive watches are truly timeless in design, which is a key to making appealing designs.

9. Tudor entered a partnership with Breitling to use their chronograph movement

In 2017, Tudor entered a partnership with Breitling to use the company’s legendary and highly praised B01 chronograph movement. 2017 was the year that Tudor launched the Black Bay Chronograph 79350 – its first Black Bay Chronograph. But Tudor needed a new chronograph movement for this model.

Sure, Tudor was already producing the Heritage Chronograph 70330B and 70330N but for a brand new release, Tudor needed a brand new movement that wasn’t an ETA movement. At this time, Tudor was beyond the point of using ETA movements and wanted a movement with a little more prestige and better performance.

So instead of developing its very own chronograph movement from scratch, Tudor turned to a brand that is famous and respected for its chronographs – Breitling. Tudor presented the MT5813 which, with the MT designation (which stands for Manufacture Tudor) suggests that it is an entirely in-house movement whilst, in fact, it’s not. The MT5813 is actually based on the Breitling caliber B01 but with a few adjustments and modifications. The movement has been modified with Tudor’s own regulator, silicon hairspring, and a new rotor. Overall, Tudor’s chronograph movement is decorated differently from Breitling’s

There has been a lot of debate about whether or not using a Breitling movement is a wise move, and we leave that up to you to decide. But there’s no question that the B01 is a superb chronograph movement. In addition, developing a chronograph movement from scratch requires a lot of resources, which perhaps Tudor had a hard time justifying.

In exchange for using Breitling’s B01 movement, Breitling began using Tudor’s three-hand caliber MT5612 and modifying it to call it the B20 for some of the Superocean Heritage models.

10. The first Black Bay made in ceramic was released in 2021

In 2021, Tudor, once again, experimented with new materials and launched the very first Black Bay in all-ceramic, the 79210CNU. Ceramic had already been around in the industry for a long time before Tudor decided to begin using this material but the watch instantly became a huge success.

Measuring 41mm in diameter, it is powered by the MT5602-1U which is both COSC and METAS certified.

11. Tudor’s two-tone Black Bays are gold-capped

Tudor makes several two-tone watches (in gold and steel) across its collections. In the Black Bay collection, Tudor has multiple two-tone watches, including the Black Bay Chronograph 79363N, the Black Bay 79833MN, and more.

The interesting part about these watches is that the gold parts are not completely made in gold. Some of the parts are made in solid gold, like the bezel and the crown, but the gold parts of the bracelets are actually gold-capped. This means that the links of the bracelets have a thick layer of gold on them. The reason for not using solid gold is of course the fact that doing so would make them too expensive. Sure, Tudor has already proven that it is willing to make solid gold pieces with hefty price tags. But with such a price tag, you’re certainly removing a large group of potential buyers. As such, Tudor likely deemed it wiser to make them gold-capped to keep the price down.

12. The 79210CNU is the first METAS-certified Tudor watch

The Tudor Black Bay Ceramic, reference 79210CNU launched in 2021 is Tudor’s first METAS-certified watch. Most people probably associate METAS with Omega as Omega certifies many of its watches this way. But unlike what many think, METAS is not proprietary to Omega and any watch brand can submit their watches for testing there. It’s just that most watch brands who decide to have their watch tested by an external organization usually do so at COSC (The Contrôle officiel suisse des Chronomètres) which is more famous than METAS.

METAS, also known as the Federal institute of metrology has strict tests to ensure the performance and reliability of watch movements.

But Tudor didn’t stop there. In addition to being METAS certified, the 79210CNU is also COSC certified.

13. Tudor’s Black Bay movement uses a Rolex patent

It’s no secret that a lot of expertise and knowledge is shared between Rolex and its sister company Tudor, for obvious reasons. The close relationships these two companies have (seeing that they are owned by the same foundation) have been extremely valuable for Tudor’s research and development.

So much so that Tudor uses Rolex patents in its watches. For example, Tudor has equipped watch movements with a variable inertia balance fixed by a sturdy bridge and a non-magnetic silicon balance spring which is a Rolex patent. The fact that Tudor has access to Rolex patents allows it to implement design features, functions, and innovations that have required tons of research and development, thus allowing Tudor to greatly improve the quality and performance of its products.

14. The fabric straps for the Black Bays are made by a traditional passementerie company

The fabric straps made by Tudor have become a signature design element of many Tudor watches. They’re unlike any traditional NATO strap and they have superb quality. Tudor began using fabric straps for its watches at the time of its relaunch and the first watch to use a fabric strap was the Fastbinder, followed by the Heritage Chrono launched in 2013. In the following years, all Tudor Black Bays were accompanied by a complementary fabric strap. In 2016, when Tudor released the in-house Black Bay 79230, Tudor changed its strategy with the straps and instead gave customers the option to choose between a bracelet, leather strap, and fabric strap. As such, Tudor stopped giving a complementary fabric strap with the Black Bay. 

One theory as to why Tudor stopped giving complimentary fabric straps is that its watches became so popular that the manufacturer of the straps did not have the capacity to produce enough straps, but this is purely speculation and has not been confirmed by Tudor.

So, what’s the deal with the fabric straps?

Well, Tudor uses a very old passementerie company, which is one of the very few remaining in France that still practices the technique of “Jacquard” weaving, to make its fabric straps. The company manufactures the straps according to an over-century-old artistic craft. 

The manufacturing of the straps requires hand-made skills and holds exceptionally high quality. The benefit of the ”Jacquard” weaving is that it results in a high thread count which results in sturdiness, flexibility, and very high quality.

15. The first Black Bay GMT was launched in 2018

Tudor doesn’t only experiment with new designs and materials for its Black Bay collection. Over the years, Tudor has also grown the BlackBay collection to include watches with new functions and features. One of the most exciting releases in the early days of the Black Bay Collection in terms of new functions is the Black Bay GMT reference 79830RB, launched in 2018.

This was Tudor’s first Black Bay with a GMT and it became wildly successful to the point where there were waiting lists at the authorized Tudor retailers just to buy one.

16. The Black Bay GMT had a lot of issues in the beginning

The journey hasn’t always been straight, however. In the first few years, more and more reports from owners regarding the new Black Bay GMT started to appear. It turned out that many of the Black Bay GMTs had the so-called ”Date wheel issue” which caused the date wheel to get stuck and often stop in the middle of a date change. This caused a lot of issues as many customers sent their watches back to Tudor for repair. The interesting and perhaps disappointing part is that Tudor never publicly commented on this issue although it was proven that the issue was relatively widespread and certainly not uncommon.

Tudor did some tweaks to the GMT movements by trying new oils and lubricants etc. and it seems like the date wheel issue has gotten less common in recent years, so hopefully, Tudor has resolved it completely by now.

17. Not all Black Bay watches use in-house movements

The debate of in-house vs non-in-house is a big deal in the watch industry. In general, customers expect a luxury watch brand to use in-house movements for its watches. It goes to show that the company is one to count on and that it has great expertise and know-how regarding watchmaking.

But if we look historically, the idea and concept behind Tudor were to solely use off-the-shelf, non-in-house movements. This is because in-house vs non-in-house wasn’t a very big deal back then. But things have changed and people expect a brand like Tudor to have their own movements. And so that is the direction that Tudor has been heading.

When Tudor launched the Black Bay, it did not have an in-house movement. But since then, the company has released a long list of new in-house movements.

With that said, not all Black Bays are powered by in-house movements. For example, the Black Bay 36 and Black Bay 41 are still powered by Sellita movements. This is because these are intended as entry-level watches and using third-party movements helps keep costs down. But chances are, Tudor will – like its bigger brother Rolex – move to only use in-house movements for its watches in the future. When this happens remains to be seen.

18. In 2018, the first watches to have ”waiting lists” were released

As discussed briefly earlier, 2018 saw the release of both the Black Bay 39 79030N and the Black Bay GMT 79830RB. Both of these watches became wildly successful – in fact, the most popular watches Tudor had ever released in modern times. The result is that these models became so popular that the demand exceeded the supply. This naturally led to waiting lists at authorized retailers and the watches selling above the recommended retail prices.

This is the first time that Tudor got a taste of what it’s like to be Rolex when your watches are constantly sold out. The frustration amongst customers also lead to a further strengthening of the Tudor brand and an increased demand for their watches (as people always want what they cannot have).

19. Tudor has a boutique-only Black Bay made in bronze

In the middle of 2021, Tudor released a Black Bay Fifty-Eight in full bronze (the first ever Tudor To feature a bracelet made of bronze), reference 79012m.

This model also had a completely new approach from Tudor in the sense that it is a so-called ”boutique only”. This means that the model is sold exclusively in Tudor stores and not by official Tudor retailers.

Over the last couple of years, Tudor has worked more and more to open Tudor-dedicated stores that only sell Tudor watches. And releasing ”boutique only” watches is a way to attract people to their stores.

20. Tudor released the first-ever Black Bay in silver in 2021

In 2021, Tudor, once again, experimented with another material for the Black Bay. This time, a material that very few watch brands used. And the company did so by releasing its very own alloy of 925 silver. Whilst silver was a very common material during the age of the pocket watch, it is a very uncommon material for wristwatches.

So when Tudor released the Tudor Black Bay 58 in 925 silver, reference 79010SG, it’s safe to say that people were surprised. The “issue” with silver is that it oxidizes over time – it depends on whether you see it as an issue or not. But when Tudor released the watch, they stated that thanks to their newly invented alloy, it would not stain or tarnish ”in a million years”. This proved to be false and many of the silver Black Bays actually proved to oxidize and tarnish over time. But regardless, it is interesting to see that Tudor is willing to experiment and try new things that virtually no one else in the industry does.

21. Tudor created a one-of-one Black Bay for the Only Watch auction in 2015

Only watch auction is a biennial charity auction founded in 2005 by Lux Pettavino. It is organized by the Monegasque Association Against Muscular Dystrophy (MAAMD) under Prince Albert II of Monaco.

As the name suggests, the idea of the auction is that various watch brands create an ”only watch”, a one-of-one watch that is then to be auctioned for charity. Every year, many watch brands participate and it is always a great time to see some pretty exciting creations.

In 2015, Tudor participated in the Only Watch auction (and has done so several times since) and created a one-of-one Black Bay that certainly gained a lot of interest and hype. The reason was that Tudor created the Black Bay One, a watch inspired by the design of Tudor’s first big crown dive watch. It had all of the design features that collectors love about vintage Tudor and Rolex dive watches including pencil hands and a lollypop second hand.

22. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight on the ”Challenge” Prize at the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève

Last but not least, Tudor has won countless awards since the brand was relaunched. One of the most notable is when the Fifty-Eight won the ”Challenge” prize at the 2020 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève. This is a true testament to Tudor’s success, going from a brand that was almost forgotten, to winning over some of the biggest and most powerful brands in the world. All over the course of less than 20 years. That is seriously impressive.

The post Top 22 Facts About Tudor Black Bay [List & Guide] appeared first on Millenary Watches.

just like most luxury watches, Tudor watches are equipped with a serial number. The serial numbers aren’t there because of a coincidence or just randomly added there, but instead, they have a few very important functions.

Tudor serial numbers can be used to date the watch and the year of which it was manufactured.

You’re probably aware of the fact that the founder of Rolex Hans Wilsdorf founded Tudor as a cheaper alternative to Rolex, and thus they have a lot in common and share much throughout its history, however, when it comes to Tudor watches, the serial numbers of Tudor watches are more complicated to date than the serial numbers of Rolex. Of course, this cannot be said about the modern Rolexes which have random serial numbers, but when talking about older Rolexes, that is the case.

The reason why it is more difficult to date Tudor watches through their serial numbers have to do with the simple fact that there is less information available about Tudor. Of course, this doesn’t really come as a surprise since Rolex is considerably more established and much more famous than its little brother/sister.

But the fact that it is more difficult to date Tudor watches is the exact reason why we decided to create this article. Since Tudor is one of the brands we are especially specialized in, we saw it as our duty to create the most extensive and in-depth database and resource of Tudor serial numbers available to date, to help guide Tudor lovers, devoted fans, and collectors, like yourself to easier date different Tudor watches and to help you get a better understanding of the watch that you’re dealing with.

Since Tudor hasn’t, just like most other luxury watch brands, created an official list and resource of their Tudor serial numbers, some serial numbers may not be 100% accurate, however, even if some of them may not be exact, they will give you a quite good estimate of the year of your Tudor watch.

About Tudor serial numbers and where to find it

An interesting thing to point out about Tudor serial numbers is that at the beginning of the Tudor brand, and a long time into its history, Tudor used Rolex cases for its watches. As such, the serial number of Tudor watches are found in the same place as they would be found on a Rolex watch. This means that they are engraved between the lugs at the 6 o’clock position and engraved into the case behind where the bracelet is attached.

At the 12 o’clock position, you will find the watch’s reference number. Note, however, that this is only the case for older watches.

Modern Tudor watches have the reference number and serial number placed on the undersides of the lugs. This is done for strategic reasons, as accessing the serial number of an older Tudor watch means you have to remove the bracelet.

Tudor reference number vs serial number

Do not confuse serial number with reference number, because these are two completely different things. You can think of Tudor serial numbers as a social security number – an individual number that each watch has that makes it easier to get information about it (such as year etc). The reference number, on the other hand, is just a model number, which tells you what model it is, and this is a number that all watches of that model use.

If you’re considering buying a Tudor watch, this list of Tudor serial numbers will be especially helpful since they will assist you in finding out whether or not the year of the watch, and if the Tudor you’re considering buying is displayed and described properly.

This list of Tudor serial numbers is a living resource that is consistently updated and improved to provide a better base for Tudor serial numbers.

For modern Tudor watch models, the H serial is produced in parallel with O and J serial. This means that the year 2007 should correspond to H7 serial as well as the J1 serial.

Please have a look at our Tudor serial number check below, and easily compare your Tudor watch’s serial numbers, in order to find an estimated date of the watch.

The most common vintage Tudor watch is the Tudor Oyster watch, and after having received countless requests and questions about the Tudor oyster watch serial numbers, we can confirm that yes, the serial numbers below also apply to the Tudor Oyster,

Tudor serial Number Year

• 40,000 – 140,000 1940 – 1956
• 240000 1956
• 170,000 1957
• 200,000 1958
• 280,000 1959
• 310,000 1960
• 340,000 1961
• 360,000 1962
• 390,000 1963
• 430,000 1964
• 460,000 1965
• 500,000 1966
• 570,000 1967
• 620,000 1968
• 680,000 1969
• 740,000 1970
• 750,000 1971
• 770,000 1972
• 790,000 1973
• 810,000 1974
• 830,000 1975
• 840,000 1976
• 860,000 1977
• 880,000 1978
• 900,000 1979
• 930,000 1980
• 950,000 1981
• 970,000 1982
• 980,000 1983
• 990,000 1984

Tudor began with serial numbers again in 1984 and restarted their serial numbers.

• 140000 1985
• 170000  1986
• 190000 1987
• 210000 1988
• 260000 1989
• B330000 1990
• B360000 1991
• B390000 1992
• B500000  1993
• B560000 1994
• B590000 1995
• B790000 1996
• B850000  1997
• B990000  1998
• H130000 1999
• H170000 2000
• H240000 2001
• H300000 2002

Modern Tudor serial numbers

As you can see on the Tudor serial number list, we have not listed any serial numbers after 2002, and this has to do with the fact that Tudor now uses “random serial numbers”. In other words, they follow no specific format which means that it is close to impossible to date them yourself.

How to date your Tudor watch with random serial numbers?

So how do you date your modern Tudor watch when you cannot use this Tudor serial number database?

Well, it gets a lot more difficult, that’s for sure.

The easiest and best way to date your modern Tudor watch is if you have the original certificate for your watch. If you do, the date on which the watch was purchased should be on the certificate. Simply confirm that the serial number on your Tudor watch matches the serial number that is engraved on your Tudor.

If you don’t have the original certificate for your watch, it gets a bit trickier. The good news is that Tudor has information about every single watch that has left the factory, which is registered through their individual serial numbers. The bad news is that this information can be difficult, if not impossible to access.

An idea for dating the year of your modern Tudor watch is to go to the official retailer from which the watch was purchased if you know where it was from. The official retailers normally keep records of each watch’s serial number they sell, and might be able to provide you with further information about the year of your watch.

The last method to estimate a year of your Tudor watch that isn’t very accurate is to look at the model you have, and the production time of it. It won’t give you detailed information about the year of your watch, but if you over what years Tuor produced a watch, you have an estimation of where your watch could be from.

How to spot a fake Tudor watch

Do you need help finding your Tudor Serial number or have any other questions about Tudor serial numbers? Consult one of our watch experts here!

See all our Tudor watches for sale!

The post Tudor Serial Numbers: A Complete Resource Guide appeared first on Millenary Watches.

Generally speaking, most things do not tend to hold their value very well. You buy a brand-new car, and it has lost a significant percentage after the first day. You buy a ring, and it loses a large chunk of its value immediately.

But how about Tudor watches?

It’s well known that some watches can in some cases prove to be good investments. While you certainly don’t make money from your watches most of the time, if you buy right, a wristwatch can be a place to put your money into, which still holds its value relatively well.

Now, most people are not buying a wristwatch as an investment. Instead, they just factor in the value retention into the equation when buying an expensive watch so that, shall something unforeseen happen, you always have the ability to cash in a somewhat reasonable amount that is not pennies on the dollar compared to what you bought your watch for.

Rolex is a brand that is notoriously known for being a watch brand whose products hold their value extremely well. In some cases, Rolex watches can even prove to be great investments that appreciate in value over time.

But what does Rolex have with Tudor to do? Well, Tudor is actually the daughter company of Rolex, owned by the same foundation – the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation. So with that said, you wonder if Tudor has the same value retention.

So now to the big question: Do Tudor watches hold value?

Do they depreciate 50% of their value from retail? 30%? 5%?

Do Tudor watches hold value?

Supply and demand

Let’s sort out a few things in order to understand what drives the secondhand market prices.

To begin with, there are recommended retail prices, which are followed by authorized Tudor retailers. And then there is the secondhand market price. On the secondhand market, it is the price that the market is willing to pay for a particular watch pre-owned that decides what its value is.

Authorized Tudor retailers need to follow the pricing list that Tudor has set, and it is from this pricelist our starting point is when talking about how Tudor watches hold their value. The closer its retail price something sells on the secondhand market, the better value retention it has.

With that said, there is a difference between the secondhand market and the prices at the official retailers. The official retailers do not pay attention to the secondhand market prices, just like the secondhand market does not pay attention to the retail price. The catch is that, if people do not find a watch to be a ”good deal” for its retail price, the official retailers tend to have that watch in stock for a long time.

With that said, the secondhand market prices are decided by just that, the market. The retail prices are instead decided by Tudor. If the market deems these retail prices inappropriate, these watches will eventually have to be discounted by the retailer in order for them to be sold, or, they will sit in their stock for a long time. The brand also plays an important role here, but naturally, Tudor does not have a brand that is as strong as Rolex.

Let’s start by saying this: not all Tudor watches are created equal.

The secondhand prices of Tudor watches are driven by supply and demand. As such, not all Tudor watches have the same demand, and thus they won’t hold their value as well as more popular models.

With that in mind, the Tudor watches that hold their value the best will be the watches that are the most popular. It goes without saying.

This also means that less popular models won’t hold their value as well.

Before the brand’s relaunch in 2009, the brand had a period of struggle. It didn’t produce a lot of models that appealed to the big market, and it struggled to really cut through the noise. Especially considering the brand was absent from several major markets. The models from this time, for example, go to show that it’s not just about the brand, it’s also very much about the demand for each and every model. Because if there is very little demand, then the price of them on the secondhand market will reflect that.

Which modern Tudor watches hold their value the best?

The easy way to answer that question is to ask yourself ”which modern Tudor watches are the most popular?”.

The answer is the Heritage Black Bay and Pelagos. These two watch ranges are by far the most popular from Tudor. Whilst the Pelagos range only includes a few models, the Heritage Black Bay range includes a large number of timepieces, and not all of them are created equal. Different Black Bay models will have a different amount of demand, and thus the secondhand prices will reflect that.

If you want a safe bet, go for the Heritage Black Bay reference 79230, Black Bay GMT 79830RB, or Black Bay Fifty-Eight 79030n (or any of the other Black Bay 58 versions). These are the most popular models from the range, and therefore, they will also hold their value the best.

These models will depreciate anything from 0% to 30% from the retail price, and if we look at the watch industry as a whole, this is quite a good value retention. Some watches from other manufacturers can depreciate as much as 50-60%. In some cases even more.

Vintage Tudor watches

Seeing that Tudor is a brand that has been around for quite some time, the brand has also produced many different watches that have now become vintage.

And the demand for vintage Tudor watches is actually quite big. In the last decade, the prices for vintage Tudor watches have actually proven to increase quite a lot. And this is an example where a Tudor watch can actually prove to be a great placement of funds. In fact, in the recent decade, there are several vintage Tudor models which have more than doubled in value.

The vintage models from Tudor which have proven to perform the best are the Submariner, older chronographs, such as the big block, Tiger, as well as a few other models. Collectors have really gotten their eyes open for these models, which is contributed by the brand’s close relationship with Rolex. And the thing with vintage watches is that they are getting harder and harder to find. Especially in good condition.

Buy pre-owned or from the secondhand market

For almost everything you buy in a store from a retailer, you can expect them to depreciate in value. However, with that said, if you buy a Tudor watch from the secondhand market immediately, someone else will have already taken most or all of the depreciation already. If you want to buy a Tudor watch, but don’t want to lose money, opting for a vintage Tudor watch can be a safe bet.

Plus, buying on the secondhand market – whether pre-owned or new, means you will not only avoid the big depreciation that happens when you buy something new.

So when it comes to Tudor watches, and most other watch brands for that matter, except for a few exceptions, it’s always a better idea from a financial point to buy it pre-owned from the secondhand market. Of course, some people want to buy only new watches, but the good thing is that you can also buy new, unworn Tudor watches on the secondhand market as well.

See all our Tudor watches for sale!

The post Do Tudor Watches Hold Value? Are Tudor Good Investments? appeared first on Millenary Watches.

The Tudor Submariner is one of the most popular models that Tudor has ever made, loved by collectors and enthusiasts.

Tudor’s Submariner collection is closely rooted in its relationship with Rolex, for obvious reasons. In its founder Hans Wilsdorf’s own words:

“For some years now I have been considering the idea of making a watch that our agents could sell at a more modest price than our Rolex watches, and yet one that could attain the standards of dependability for which Rolex is famous, I decided to form a separate company, with the object of making and marketing this new watch. It is called the Tudor Watch Company.”

The concept of Tudor was to manufacture watches using Rolex parts and then use off-the-shelf, outsourced movements to achieve a lower price. As a result of this, early Tudor watches were very similar to Rolex’s models. As a matter of fact, Tudor used the same model names as Rolex in some cases, hence the name “Submariner”, which is a model that is most synonymous with Rolex.

Tudor produced 3 key model lines within the Submariner family, namely “Submariner”, “Lady-Sub”, and “Mini-Sub”. According to Tudor’s own data, most of these watches, despite being obvious Submariners, are categorized into the “Prince” and “Prince Date” family which is rather interesting.

“In total, from 1969 to 1999, more than 20 different references with numerous variations, all retaining the principal Tudor Submariner characteristics, would be produced.”

The first Tudor Submariner

Tudor released the first Submariner in 1954. The first Tudor watch to be a part of the Submariner collection was the TUDOR Oyster Prince Submariner reference 7922. The Tudor Submariner 7922 used Rolex parts and hence basically looks like a Rolex big-crown from the same era with only a few visual tweaks, most noteworthy the printing on the dial. 

Over the decades, Tudor revised, reiterated, redesigned, and upgraded the watches in the Submariner collection to “ever better meet the specific requirements of the many types of divers who were clients of the brand.” In 1958, a major improvement to the Tudor Submariner was made when Tudor released the 7924. This took the water resistance from 100m to 200m, making it a true diver’s watch.

In Tudor’s own words, “it was in the first half of the 1960s that the general lines and technical specifications that constituted the TUDOR Submariner were established.”

The only Tudor Submariner to feature a manual-wind movement is reference 7923. This model can be identified with a slimmer profile due to the elimination of the rotor, but also the text “SUBMARINER” and “SHOCK-RESISTING” on the dial. This model was powered by the manually-wound ETA Calibre 1182, beating at a frequency of 18,000 beats per hour.

Tudor Submariner crown guards

The early Tudor Submariners were so-called “big crowns”, meaning that they had no crown guards protecting the crown, just like on the Rolex counterpart. But in 1959, the first Tudor Submariner to feature crown guards was introduced. the purpose for this was of course that the crown guards protect the winding crown from shocks and bangs which may compromise the water resistance. The first version of the crown guard Submariner was reference 7928, featuring so-called “Square Crown Guards” due to their square shapes. As a result of the crown guards, the size of the crown was also reduced to 6mm.

The watch was powered by the self-winding Calibre 390, just like all the TUDOR Oyster Prince Submariners in the 7900 series.

The square crown guards were replaced by the “Ponted crown guards” in 1961, and because this change was relatively small, Tudor kept the reference 7928. Lastly, “It would find its ultimate line several years later, with a rounded shape that would not change until the last of the TUDOR Submariners”

This is why you can find reference 7928 both with square, pointy, and rounded crown guards. The rounded crown guards were introduced in 1964.

The second generation of the Tudor Submariner

In 1969, the second era of the Tudor Submariner history began an era that would last until 1999 which is the year that the Submariner would make its last appearance in the catalog.

For the second era of the Tudor Submariner, the Calibre 390 was replaced by ETA self-winding movements. The new generation would also introduce what is perhaps the most iconic element of Tudor watches ever made, namely the “Snowflake” hands which are characterized by dials with square hour markers and matching hands. The watch would remain in the catalog until 1981, and in 1976, Tudor also started to produce models with smaller case diameters specifically for women, namely the Lady Submariner and Mini-Sub.

Tudor started the new era of Submariners with two new references, 7016 and 7021. For the new era of Submariners, the rose logo on the dial was also replaced by the Tudor shield symbol, which is still used today. Instead of featuring domed crystals, Tudor also started to use flat crystals.

The key difference between the 7016 and 7021 was the fact that reference 7021 offered a calendar function at 3 o’clock with a Rolex-signature cyclops magnifying lens above the date window for easier reading. Naturally, the 7021 needed a new movement for the date function, which was the self-winding ETA caliber 2484.

Replacing the old reference

Tudor replaced the reference 7016 in 1975 with the reference 9401/0. The key upgrade was a higher-performance movement, which was the ETA calibre 2776. The new movement also introduced a stop-seconds function, allowing for more precise time-setting.

This new reference was available in four different versions with different combinations of dial and bezel. These included blue or black with “snowflakes” hands and hour markers and blue or black with characteristic Submariner hands and triangular and round hour markers. This means that Tudor produced the 9401/0 with either Tudor’s iconic snowflake hands or Rolex’s iconic “Mercedes” hands simultaneously.

Furthermore, Tudor also offered this reference with two different bracelets, either the Rolex Oyster reference 7836/0 with folded links and a classic folding clasp or the Rolex Oyster reference 9315/0 which is the same bracelet but with a “Fliplock” folding clasp and an extension link system.

According to Tudor, the brand replaced the 9401/0 with the reference 79090 in 1989. This is interesting because according to Rolex’s own internal documents, the 9401/0 is indicated as having been discontinued in 1980, so there is a discrepancy here.

The 79090 was available either in blue or black, with a matching bezel. This model had Mercedes-style hands and Tudor’s shield logo at 1 o’clock. Furthermore, the hour markers were no longer rectangular at 6 and 9 o’clock, but instead triangular.

Tudor presented the reference 79190 in 1995. This is the last Tudor Submariner reference to ever be produced. This reference was launched with a number of new changes and improvements, most notably a sapphire crystal with a Cyclops lens. The reference was available in blue or black versions. The bracelet was a three-link Oyster-type with the TUDOR logo. The 39 mm case diameter remained unchanged. 

Tudor Submariner models

• Tudor Submariner 9401/0: 1975-1980 (1989 according to Tudor)
• Tudor Submariner 94010: 1979-1986
• Tudor Submariner 9091: 1975-1977
• Tudor Submariner 79030: 1989-1994
• Tudor Mini-Sub 94401: 1981-1986
• Tudor Submariner 94400: 1979-1986
• Tudor Submariner 9440/0: 1979-1980
• Tudor Submariner 9411/0: 1973-1980
• Tudor Submariner 79190A: 1996-1996
• Tudor Submariner 79190: 1995-1996
• Tudor Submariner 79190N: 1995-1996
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96090A: 1991-2001
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96090B: 1991-2001
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96090N: 1991-2001
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96190A: 1998-2000
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96190B: 1998-2000
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96190N: 1998-2000
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96190R: 1998-2000
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96190V: 1998-2000
• Tudor Lady-Sub 96093: 1991-2001
• Tudor Submariner 75190N: 1995-2001
• Tudor Submariner 75190B: 1995-2001
• Tudor Submariner 75190A: 1995-2001
• Tudor Submariner 75090: 1989-1994
• Tudor Mini-Sub 73290V: 1998-2000
• Tudor Mini-Sub 73290R: 1998-2000
• Tudor Mini-Sub 73290N: 1998-2000
• Tudor Mini-Sub 73290B: 1998-2000
• Tudor Mini-Sub 73290A: 1998-2000
• Tudor Mini-Sub 79190N: 1995-2001
• Tudor Mini-Sub 79190B: 1995-2001
• Tudor Mini-Sub 79190A: 1995-2001
• Tudor Mini-Sub 73091: 1981-1994
• Tudor Mini-Sub 73090: 1989-1994
• Tudor Submariner 79090: 1989
• Tudor Submariner 7922: 1954
• Tudor Submariner 7923: 1955
• Tudor Submariner 7924: 1958
• Tudor Submariner 7928: 1959-1968
• Tudor Submariner 7016: 1969
• Tudor Submariner 7021: 1969
• Tudor Submariner 76100: 1979-1988
• Tudor Submariner 90910: 1977-1977
• Tudor Submariner 76000: 1987-1988

Cover photo courtesy of Tudor.

The post Tudor Submariner Models – Complete Reference List & Production Years appeared first on Millenary Watches.

In 2021, Tudor released a watch that, quite frankly, took the market by storm. And it did so because it was made in a material that is very rare and uncommon in today’s watch market. That material is 925 silver.

Making a watch in silver has multiple benefits. First and foremost, it’s unique and stands out from the crowd in a world where most watches are made of stainless steel. Furthermore, silver weighs more than stainless steel and therefore feels more exclusive and luxurious on the wrist. Moreover, silver has a warmer and brighter white color than steel which gives it a more striking and luxurious appearance. At the same time, if it tarnishes, it will lose its brighter white color.

Tudor has a motto which is “born to dare”. And one of the ways that they live up to this motto is by daring to experiment with new and unique materials for their watches. They have created bronze watches and they have created ceramic watches. Tudor took things one step further with the 925 79010SG and released a watch made in 925 silver, a material that barely any watch brand uses today.

When Tudor released the 79010SG, they stated in the release video the following: “It is also very stable so that when we brush it to make it matte, its aspect is final. It won’t let you down, ever. Nope, not in a million years.”

With this statement, people assumed that Tudor had created a silver alloy that was stable enough to never tarnish or change color, which is something that silver is known to do. But since Tudor created its own silver alloy for this watch, they didn’t want to disclose the exact composition of the metal.

Of course, if you would ask most people, they would be more surprised that silver wouldn’t tarnish or oxidize. But Tudor’s statement gave some hope that perhaps Tudor had solved the issue of tarnishing, thus making 925 more suitable for wristwatches. After all, tarnishing has been one of the main reasons why watchmakers have chosen not to use this material to a great extent in the last decades.

With this said, some people actually like the aged, tarnished look of the 925 as it tarnishes. After all, bronze watches from Tudor are very popular, and a lot of people buy them for the sole reason that they enjoy the fact that it changes over time and gets a more sporty, tool-like look. But the issue some people have is Tudor’s statement about the 925.

If Tudor would have released the watch and presented it as a watch made in silver, people would naturally have immediately assumed that it would tarnish, and expected that when buying it. But instead, Tudor said it would not tarnish, eventually being proven the opposite, thus causing disappointment amongst some customers.

Perhaps we as customers just had too high hopes for the 925 Black Bay. Even if Tudor created a new silver alloy, 92.5% of the metal is still silver and with that in mind, it is to be expected that it is going to show at least some levels of oxidization. However, we can still say that Tudor has succeeded with its alloy in a sense. Even if it doesn’t eliminate tarnishing completely, Tudor has succeeded in dramatically reducing the level of tarnishing with its new alloy.

Whilst regular 925 silver will show black oxidization on the surface, the vast majority of Tudor owners will not experience more than a bit of yellow hue to the surface.

One person expressed their thoughts about the watch in the following way:

“I originally loved the sound of a silver watch and read the Tudor saying that ‘it would not tarnish’ and seeing the tarnish of your watch, I would be incredibly disappointed in a tarnished watch that is far different than the original bright white silver color. Unfortunately, the tarnish on your watch will impact your ability to sell that watch and has severely devalued the watch. Knowing from your unfortunate experience, I would not buy a Tudor 925 and invest my money elsewhere. Perhaps you have a recourse with Tudor.”

On the contrary, another person said:

“I personally love the tarnish look of the case and can understand that it isn’t for everyone. But I agree with you that the warm tarnish doesn’t really go well with the cool gray dial with bright white indices.”

This just goes to show how the question of Tudor Black Bay 925 silver tarnishing splits opinions.

As mentioned, the tarnishing is something that splits opinions and may have caused the initial hype and popularity of this model to decrease slightly since its release to some people. Whilst some people like it, others don’t like the look, or like the idea that the luxury watch they buy will eventually start to oxidize.

Tudor silver 925 silver tarnishing

Only a few weeks or months after the 925 silver was released, reports about the fact that owners’ 925 silver Black Bays had started to tarnish appeared.

The tarnishing was shown in the form of a yellow hue to the finish of the case, in particular on the backside of the lugs, an area where the constant contact with the wrist, humidity, and sweat causes faster oxidation. If the Tudor 925 would in fact prove to oxidize, it would be this area that would start oxidizing first. And that’s exactly what happened.

The YouTube channel Checkitoutvideos said the following:

“won’t let you down in a million years” they are right you know, cause it only took 1 month to tarnish.

It doesn’t come as a surprise that people in warmer and more humid climates experience faster tarnishing of their watch than those who live in colder and dry climates. Naturally, when people sweat more, it causes faster tarnishing than in dry climates where the watch isn’t subjected as much to oxidizing substances such as sweat.

How to remove and clean Tudor 925 silver tarnishing

The good news is that just as you can remove tarnishing on silverware and other silver objects, you’ll of course be able to remove the tarnishing from your Black Bay 925 silver. The same has also proven to be the case for the Black Bay Bronze.

Here is a detailed video of how you can clean and remove tarnishing from your Tudor 925 silver:

Fortunately, the process of cleaning the watch is both simple and quick. With this in mind, if you really like the Tudor 925 and are turned off by the idea that it tarnishes, we would still say buy it! After all, you can relatively easily, as seen in the video above, clean and remove the tarnishing. But don’t buy it and expect it not to tarnish. Because most likely, it will, at least to some degree.

The post Tudor Black Bay 925 79010SG Silver Tarnishing – Tudor Tarnishing Issues appeared first on Millenary Watches.

Tudor watches has proven to be a true competitor to Omega, both when it comes to technical aspects, but also with the amount of market share they have. Tudor watches are often associated with Rolex, as a more affordable alternative, and in today’s market, there are very few watches that beat the quality, technical advancements, or design that you get with the price tag of a Tudor watch. In this article, we’ll pick out the Top 5 Best Modern Tudor watches available to purchase in-store. 

Preface About Tudor As A Brand 

Tudor was originally founded in 1926 by the same man who founded Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf. His ambition was to make quality watches, that felt like a Rolex, but with a smaller price tag. In the 60s and all the way to the early era of the 2000s, Tudor manufactured a Submariner that looked very much like a Rolex Submariner.

These were not only affordable but also sought after, especially by the Italian and French markets. Unfortunately, the fame and glory days of Tudor also stops in this era as they started to walk away more and more from Rolex to become an independent brand, not relying on its bigger brother. In this era, own designs were tested and manufactured, but unfortunately, no model from this era left a big impact on the match market. In 2012, Tudor finally came up with a new model line,

The Heritage Black Bay with the reference 79220B. The 41mm Submariner was a nod to their early Submariners from the 50s era and quickly became a model that watch enthusiasts all over the world fell in love with. The reference 79220B became the start of a new decade of Tudor watches which almost all hit the market with huge success. 

Tudor 79030N 

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay Fifty-Eight reference 79030N was released at Basel world in 2018 and was perhaps the most talked-about watch during the convention. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight truly was a nod to the past, with smaller dimensions and a case measuring 39mm, which alone reminded a lot of the 6-digit Rolex/Tudor Submariners from the 80s to late 2000s era. The bracelet featured rivets, the dial had a vintage-inspired patina and was matte black, the bezel was in aluminum, and vintage elements such as a red triangle on the insert could be found. 

The Black Bay Fifty-Eight is the perfect all-around watch for your everyday lifestyle, with its slimmer proportions, but also makes up for the perfect sports watch ready for any adventure. The watch is water-resistant to 20 BAR/ 200M / 660FT with a screw-down crown. 

If you are not a fan of vintage-inspired patina on the dial, directly from the factory, the Fifty-Eight is also available with a blue dial and bezel insert, which features an all-white print on the dial. 

Tudor 79830RB 

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay GMT, reference 79830RB, was presented at the same Basel convention as the Tudor Fifty-Eight. The Tudor GMT featured an aluminum bezel with a blue and red configuration, commonly nicknamed “Pepsi”, The case measures 41mm, and compared to the Fifty-Eight, it is a much larger case, which also is a lot thicker than the Fifty-Eight. 

The release of the GMT in 2018 came as a surprise to many, as Rolex the same day launched their first modern GMT Master II in stainless steel with a Cerachrome “Pepsi” bezel. To many, the Tudor GMT was the perfect watch, at an affordable price range, which was quite easy to acquire from an Authorized Tudor Retailed, or on the second-hand market. 

The GMT is water-resistant to 20 BAR/ 200M / 660FT, with a screw-down crown. What quickly got around about the new GMT was however a date issue. New GMT owners could discover that the date on the GMT model jumped half a day, or 1,5 days, which made the date window display 2 dates, instead of 1 correct. If you are interested to learn more about this topic, we have covered an article regarding the issue which you can read here. 

Tudor 79210CNU 

The Tudor Black Bay 41 Ceramic was a big achievement for Tudor on its release in 2021. It is the first-ever all-ceramic Tudor ever made. The movement is also the first-ever Tudor to be METAS certified, and the first Tudor movement to be resistant to 15.000 gausses. What perhaps is most interesting about this model launch, is that it follows the exact same specifications as an Omega watch which was presented a year earlier, but at a price tag that is almost double the Tudor. 

It is clear, that Tudor competes with Omega and so far, at least in technical fields, offers equivalent watches, at a much more affordable price, but without compromising on quality. 

Tudor 79010SG 

Presented in 2021, the Tudor Black Bay Heritage Fifty-Eight in 925 sterling Silver was added to the Black Bay Family. 
Silver as a material is quite hard to work with, as silver naturally tarnishes. In the launch video of the Fifty-Eight Silver, Tudor claimed that the patented mix of silver, would not tarnish in a million years. Despite this, it is known that the Fifty-Eight silver over time can develop tarnished areas, which we have covered in an article here. 

Presenting a watch in silver is also a very modest move from Tudor, as it commonly not is used as a material in the watch industry. The model for the first time was equipped with an open case-back, which displayed the re-worked in-house movement MT5400 with a decorative rotor and visual movement parts. 

The taupe-colored dial and bezel lean more towards the grey color scheme, and the model is available both on a leather strap or a fabric strap from Tudor in a matching color. 

Tudor 28600 

The Tudor 28600 is the first modern Day-Date from Tudor, which is accessible on the global market. Previous to the launch in 2020, a Tudor with a day and date configuration was only available for the Asian market, reference 76200, which featured a vintage-inspired bracelet and case in 36mm. 

The new Day-Date from Tudor is 41mm and features an integrated bracelet, and the model design does definitely have DNA from the Rolex Oysterquartz. The model is available in different dial configurations, but also in a different case and bracelet materials such as steel and gold. 

The Tudor Day-Date reference 28600 is without a doubt one of the most affordable entry-level swiss watches and with Tudor as a brand behind the watch, the affordable list price is definitely a no-brainer if you are in the market for a Day-Date. 

Conclusion 

It is clear that Tudor is an impressive and modest brand, which does not continue to produce watches in an old-fashioned way, but instead challenges the watch industry with modest choices of materials such as ceramic and silver, which also comes at an affordable price tag whilst comparing against competitors such as Omega.

It is also clear, that Tudor definitely has found a successful style of the case which is appreciated, and created models around it, namely the Heritage Black Bay collection. Despite this, models such as the Day-Date have proven to be an appreciated style, and it’s safe to say that we can expect Tudor to make new launches, based on the design element. 

The post Top 5 Best Modern Tudor Watches [Review & List] appeared first on Millenary Watches.

Many watch owners are well aware that cleaning the watch should be done every once in a while. Both for the longevity of the watch, but also to maintain its original luster, and shine, and to prevent tarnishing. You do not need an ultrasonic washer for the bracelet, even if it is preferable. But instead, you can use a soft toothbrush, some soap, and hot water.

However, even though you get most of the dirt out from a watch using a toothbrush with soap and hot water, there still are more hidden and hard-to-access places where dirt may accumulate. Underneath the bezel is one such place.

In this article, we’ll cover how to remove the bezel from your Tudor Heritage Black Bay, as well as how to clean it underneath. You can also use this guide in order to swap the insert of your watch or just to simply give your Tudor watch the “Marlo Brando” look, meaning no bezel.

If you are using your Tudor watch while swimming in salt water it is always recommended, even on Tudors own behalf, to clean or wash it in tap water for a few minutes so that any salt residue that might have found its way under the bezel loosens up and doesn’t get stuck under the bezel.

Now, this is not a major issue if you forget as it can be done a long time afterward as well, but it is recommended to do it within a couple of hours to prevent the salt water from drying underneath the bezel. If the salt water would dry under the bezel you can instantly feel how much more resistance there is to rotate the bezel as the salt crystals create friction. This is why we want to get rid of the salt before it dries up.

Getting rid of salt underneath the bezel is always good, but just from daily use, when the watch is worn outside the water, small dust particles and other types of dirt gather underneath the bezel, and after a few months of wearing the watch, the bezel might be hard to rotate due to the dirt. Luckily, removing the bezel is not too complicated and you really do not need a lot of tools to do it yourself at home.

We recommend using these tools:

Watch Knife

Duct tape

Watch Tweezer

You will use the tools accordingly:

Tape: This will be used to tape around the watch knife so the watch doesn’t get scratched up from using the knife. Some people skip this step, but it can be a good idea in order to minimize the risk of scratches.

Watch Knife: The watch knife will be used to insert between the bezel and case and that way remove the bezel.

Watch Tweezer: This will be used to remove springs underneath the bezel as it can be rather difficult to remove using your hands since it is a very delicate job.

Toothbrush: This will be used to clean underneath the bezel together with water. We recommend using a soft toothbrush.

Prepare The Tools: 

As written above, you will need to protect the watch by using tape on the watch knife. This way, you can avoid steel on steel, which minimizes the risk of scratching the case. The watch tweezer is not something that will need to be taped up as it will be used once the bezel has been removed from the watch. Now, let’s see what needs to be done to remove the bezel from the case.

Step 1

When the tools have been prepared, it is time for the first step which is to remove the bezel. For this step, you will need your taped-up watch knife. The bezel is not glued nor screwed down in any way but is attached to the watch via friction. With that said the bezel has been attached to the case by pressing the bezel on. Now, if we are going to reverse this process, we will need to create a gap between the bezel and the case in order for the friction to be less and thereby have the bezel to “pop off”.

Take your taped-up watch knife and place it between the bezel and the case at the 7 o’clock position. Then gently insert the watch knife in the gap and gently push until the gap becomes bigger and the bezel “pops off”. You might need to wiggle the watch knife gently or use a thicker watch knife if the bezel is not going off. However, be gentle and careful in this process as you can damage the bezel and have it uneven which might make it difficult or in some cases impossible to attach the bezel to the case afterward.

Step 2

Now the hardest part has been done which frightens most of the people who do this for the first time. When the bezel has been removed you will first see a steel plate. Gently remove this without losing the metal part which sticks out at 2 o’clock.

Step 3

When the steel plate has been removed, you will now see 3 springs at the 5, 7, and 11 o’clock positions. You will also see a metal object at the 2 o’clock position which has the function to “click” and only let the bezel rotate 1 way. Underneath this metal object, you will find the fourth spring. Gently remove all of these without damaging or losing them with your watch tweezer. Try to place these springs in a small box as it is very easy to lose these parts in the process.

Step 4

These are all the steps in order to disassemble the bezel. Now you can clean the springs and metal plate gently as these parts are quite fragile. Then take your toothbrush which is dipped in water and start scrubbing inside the bezel until all the dirt is removed.

Remove the insert

Shall you wish to remove the insert, it is not glued onto the metal bezel. Because of this, it can be pushed out using your fingers as it, just as the bezel, holds together by friction. Shall you wish to swap out the existing insert by replacing it with a new one, simply just push it back on the bezel and reverse the process of when you removed it.

Step 5

When you have cleaned the parts and the case with your toothbrush and water, it is time to put the bezel back onto the watch. Simply reverse the process of removing the bezel and you will have your watch back with a clean and fully functioning bezel.
Start by putting the springs back.

Remember to add the metal object (which prevents the bezel from being bi-directional) onto the spring at the 2 o’clock position. The steel plate does have a hole that is meant to be placed over the metal object. Then you press the bezel back onto the watch trying to apply pressure on as much of the bezel as possible, this way it will easier be put back.

Step 6

Now the bezel is put back onto the watch and it is time to try the bezel for the first time. You should feel that the bezel is turning smoother and more precise, which of course depends on the amount of dirt that affects the friction of the bezel.

Question!

How did it go for you? Was it as difficult as you thought?

The post How To Remove The Bezel On Tudor Black Bay (Step-By-Step) appeared first on Millenary Watches.

Those who start to dip their toes into the world of watches and horology will soon discover that it is indeed a whole world to discover. And what you will also discover is that the more digging you do, the greater the world of watches becomes.

There are countless manufacturers and even more models. But what is more interesting is that when going farther back in history, you’ll soon discover little-known references, models, and variants that, oftentimes, whose history and details are little-recorded and researched.

Thankfully, there are devoted watch enthusiasts who do the noble and valuable job of researching and finding information about these watches in order to add to the general knowledge about these timepieces and better record their history, details, and background. This time, we have the pleasure of sharing an article written by a fellow reader of ours, Chris Malcolm, who owns a very special and rare Tudor watch.

When Malcolm became the owner of this timepiece, he was determined to find out more about this model, but soon found out that information about this reference was poorly recorded, and big gaps in its history existed due to its highly limited production. He, therefore, took it upon himself, to find out more about this model by doing thorough research. This watch is the Tudor 14K reference 7004, which is an award watch made in very limited numbers.

Without further ado, let’s have a look at Chris Malcolm’s findings and his methodology of research.

The story of the Tudor 14K reference 7004 award watch – told by Chris Malcolm

My first contact with an “awards watch” was when a local guy who I occasionally buy watches from texted me.  He had a 14K Gold Tudor watch.  I called him.  He had a 14k, gold-cased Tudor Prince automatic.  He said “14K gold” about 5 times during our conversation.  He was eager to show me the watch, and I wanted to see it.

Upon arrival at his house, he greeted me, and we went onto the deck behind his house.  Masks on!  He handed me the watch.  I looked it over.  I had heard of award watches, and had seen a couple, but never a Tudor, or in a 14k case, and with a stamped ink logo. I suspected that this was an award watch.  The dial was in nice shape, as was the case.  I believe it had sat, unworn, for most of its’ life.   The outside case back was stamped “14K Gold”.  This looked original to the case back.  Opening the case, I saw a correct movement, and the inside case back was marked “Tudor”.  The watch had been serviced and was running nicely.  We settled on my trading some of my watches and some cash. I got the Tudor, and a nice 1960s Zenith Automatic.  A good deal for me.

When I got home, I began looking closely at the watch, and doing some online hunting.  I was starting to get worried about the authenticity of the watch due to the way it was marked.  I found the exact same model for sale on a website.  I subsequently found a couple of other watches very similar to mine.

I belong to a watch forum, and before I went to look at the watch, I posted some images and questions, asking for opinions. I received one reply, which was positive in nature, though non-committal (the most I could ask for at this point).

These are the differences that I found that distinguished this Tudor Prince from other “regular”  Tudor Prince watches.

1. The dial was different from other Tudor Prince’s that I had seen.  The shield was below the 12, and printed in black.  There was no metal shield.  Beneath the shield, TUDOR was spelled out.  That is all the writing there was, except for “swiss” at the edge of the dial under the 6.  The dial was a nice silver-pearl.  Gold indices and hands look correct, but I do not have confirmation of this, yet. 

2. The case back has “14K Gold” on the outside case   This was stamped at the top of the case back following its curve of the flattened area, above the inscription.

3. The inside case back differed from other Tudors.  There was “TUDOR, 14K Gold, 7004” stamped into the case, each on its’ own line.  There were no other manufacturers or makers marks anywhere on the case back.

4. A careful search of the case itself showed no other markings of any kind.

5. Opening the watch revealed an ETA 2776 movement with some slight modifications.  The rotor was marked “TUDOR”, and underneath, following the curve of the rotor,”25 RUBIES AUTO-PRINCE SWISS MADE”. The lettering was in-filled in yellow.  The cal. was stamped on the movement.  I have seen several Tudor award watch movements from this era, and there is some variation in the wording and level of finish.  Interestingly, this movement was also used in Submariners for a time.

6. The inscription was, “Presented to xxxx xxxxxxx, by Canada Steamship Lines, in appreciation of 25 years of loyal service, 1975” in a nice, cursive font.

Upon returning home, I looked over the watch more closely.  I took some pictures and added them to my original post.  I received several responses from members with far more experience and vast knowledge of watches.  In their opinion, this was indeed am “award watch”.  With this confirmed, my interest was piqued.  I began doing some online searching and contacted a couple of Tudor AD’s (authorized retailers).  I continued the conversation on the forum.  I contacted Canada Steamship lines, who are passing my request on to their archives section for any information about the Tudors of this era.

I contacted Tudor Canada and spoke with a customer service person, and a service technician.  The result of our conversation is the following:

• The case number 7004 means nothing to Tudor.  It may be a numbering system that CSL used for inventory/catalog purposes (Technician)
• Tudor did not make the gold case.  It would have been outsourced (CS)
• Tudor does not outsource dials or parts (Technician).  This would have been for award watches, specifically
• Tudor would not have the parts necessary to restore or replace any of the parts (on this watch (Technician)
• Tudor did not keep records from that time, for award watches (CS and Technician)

So, a bit of information to add to the story.

The Retirement/Award Watch

The idea of a company giving a gold watch, with a personal inscription on the back to an employee, has been around for several decades, and perhaps longer.  It was seen as a reward for the employee, who had often worked at the same company for their whole career.  This could mean 20-plus years of service.  Around the mid-century, gold was cheap, the war was over, and the American economy was booming.  A gold watch was seen as an expensive and desirable piece of jewelry.

The personal message inscribed on the back of the watch was a “thank you” for years of loyal service.  A cynic may feel that this is a small and impersonal tradition.  Perhaps the employee did not particularly enjoy their time with the company, and the watch was a reminder of that.  Or, the watch became a treasured item, which was passed on within the family.  The watch would often lose any emotional attachment once the original owner of the watch had passed away.  These watches were often sold.  Some were kept in the family, and become heirlooms.

Another type of award watch was an incentive for meeting a performance objective or sales goal.  These watches were customized, usually with a company logo on the dial, in colour.

Each of these watches tells a story.  They are a picture of a pastime.  

Gold watches are a rarity now (although they have not disappeared), and notwithstanding the price of gold, people want more personal gifts.  Usually, the company will find out what activities the retiring employee enjoys, and buy gifts that match those interests.

Update from Canada Steamship Lines. They cannot find any records related to the watch, or awards watches in general from 1975.  Too much time has gone by.  They will continue looking and will forward whatever is found to me, which I will, in turn, add to this article.

That is what I have discovered so far.  I have enjoyed doing this research into my watch.  Any errors or omissions are mine alone.

The post Tudor 14K Reference 7004 – The Story of a Rare Award Watch appeared first on Millenary Watches.

If you are considering buying a watch, it can be good to know the weight. The size is the most important factor that affects how a watch wears, but the weight is also something that can affect how a watch feels on the wrist.

Unfortunately, most watch manufacturers do not disclose information about how much their watches weigh, and therefore, the information about this is limited.

Therefore, we have created a list of the most common Tudor watches and their respective weights.

Note that there are a number of different factors that can affect the weight of a watch, but most importantly, it is dependent on how many links are on the bracelet. The scale on which a watch is weighed also plays an important role. Therefore, the weights presented below are approximate.

Tudor watches weight

• Tudor Pelagos 25500TN: 157 grams

• Tudor Pelagos 25500TB: 157 grams

• Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chronograph 79350: 190 grams

• Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79230N on bracelet:  174.8 grams

• Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79220 on fabric strap: 94 grams

• Tudor Heritage Black Bay ETA 79220 on bracelet: 172 grams

• Tudor Heritage Black Bay GMT 79830RB: 188 grams

• Tudor Pelagos LHD 25610TNL: 148 grams

• Tudor Heritage Black Bay 79030B Fifty-Eight on bracelet: 145 grams

• Tudor Heritage Black Bay Fifty-Eight 79030N on bracelet: 145 grams

• Tudor Black Bay 36 79500 on bracelet: 117 grams

The post Tudor Watches Weight – List of Common Models appeared first on Millenary Watches.