Why this watch
Following the introduction of the first bronze model in 2016, a Black Bay with a chocolate brown dial, TUDOR continues to explore this rare bronze material with its characteristic patina. A new colour scheme based on slate grey now embellishes the dial and bezel of this imposing divers’ watch, whose aesthetics change over time and whose naval inspiration can be found in every detail. The impressive Black Bay Bronze also offers high technical performance thanks to its Manufacture Calibre MT5601.
Key Points
1. Satin-brushed 43-mm bronze case whose colour will change according to the habits of the wearer.
2. Shaded slate-grey dial with applied hour markers and Arabic numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock.
3. Manufacture Calibre MT5601, COSC-certified with silicon balance spring and 70-hour power reserve.
4. “Snowflake” hands, a signature of TUDOR divers’ watches, introduced in 1969.
A case that “changes”
The central feature of the Black Bay Bronze model is its 43-millimetre bronze case, an aesthetic reference to the brass used in old ships and other diving equipment. This “living” metal, a high-performance aluminium-copper alloy used particularly in naval engineering for submerged parts that need to be highly resistant to corrosion, will produce a subtle, unique patina on every watch case, based on the wearer’s habits. In addition to a highly functional appearance, in line with the world to which it pays tribute, the Black Bay Bronze presents entirely satin-brushed finishes that guarantee homogeneous development of the patina.
The combination of a slate grey dial, shaded from the exterior to the centre, and a bezel coupled with gold accents found on the hands and hour markers completes the model’s aesthetics. The overall visual effect is that of a rich, patinated object that might have sailed the globe on its wearer’s wrist for years at a time, looking like it was “made” for the wearer and their lifestyle.
The Manufacture Calibre MT5601 that drives the Black Bay Bronze model measures 33.8 millimetres, the widest diameter of all TUDOR’s calibres. It displays the hours, minutes and seconds functions, and its appearance and finishes are typical of TUDOR Manufacture calibres. Its openwork rotor is satin-brushed with sand-blasted details, and its bridges and plate have alternating polished sand-blasted surfaces and laser decorations.
Its build has been designed to ensure robustness, longevity and reliability, as has its variable inertia balance, which is maintained by a sturdy traversing bridge with a two-point fixation. Thanks to these qualities, together with its non-magnetic silicon balance spring, the calibre is certified as a chronometer by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). Finally, with a 70-hour power reserve, a wearer can take off the watch on Friday evening and put it back on again on Monday morning without having to re-set and wind it.
A historic strap
In an aesthetic tribute to the brand’s naval heritage, TUDOR has identified the historic uses of its watches and reinterpreted them in its latest models. For example, the French Navy had TUDOR watches delivered without bracelets and then fitted them with their own straps, handmade or otherwise. One of them, found on a period divers’ watch kept in the brand’s archives, is made of elastic recovered from French rescue parachutes. This ultra-functional relic, recognisable by its gold-coloured thread, is the reference behind the slate grey woven jacquard strap available for the Black Bay Bronze. A second option is an aged slate-grey leather strap whose straight cut accentuates the rustic effect.
Reference 79250BA
Case
43 mm bronze case
with satin finish
Bronze-coloured PVD-treated steel case back
Bezel
Unidirectional rotatable bezel in bronze
with 60-minute graduated
disc in matt slate grey anodised aluminium
Winding crown
Bronze screw-down winding crown,
with an engraved TUDOR rose
Dial
Slate grey, domed
Crystal
Domed sapphire crystal
Waterproffness
Waterproof to 200 m (660 ft)
Bracelet
Rounded black nubuck leather or slate grey fabric strap
with bronze buckle
Movement
Manufacture Calibre MT5601 (COSC)
Self-winding mechanical movement
with bidirectional motor system
Power reserve
Approximately 70 hours
Precision
Swiss chronometer
officially certified by the COSC
(Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute)
Functions
Central hour, minute and second hands
Stop seconds for precise time setting
Oscillator
Variable inertia balance, micro-adjustment by screw
Non-magnetic silicon balance spring
Frequency: 28,800 beats/hour (4Hz)
Total diameter
33.8 mm
Thickness
6.5 mm
Jewels
25 jewels
