Most people usually discuss the Rolex pricing since its professional line of watches is the most coveted. What about Rolex Group‘s sister brand, Tudor, instead?
Like its premium sibling, Tudor keeps growing in awareness, and its price point does too accordingly, especially regarding its best-selling collection, the Tudor Black Bay.
However, Tudor managers have added additional value to the brand’s proposition by extending their warranty to five years, something you won’t expect to find across competing brands’ complete offerings.
In our guide to the Tudor Black Bay, however, we’d like to begin with the most debated and trending topic. How much does a Tudor Black Bay cost? Despite the average price increase over the years, the Black Bay still is a hard-to-dismiss value proposition well under the 5,000 Euros threshold, where the brand’s offering is hard to beat in quality-to-price ratio and resale value, too.
Regarding the Tudor Black Bay 58, we decided the latter deserves a specific chapter. The Fifty-Eight is so sought-after that you’ll find a Guide to the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight anytime soon.
The Tudor Black Bay: options and price list
The current Black Bay collection is, as said, Tudor‘s mainstream collection and is incredibly broad. It offers a few complications and comes with different case sizes and material options: you can opt for the time only (either in steel or bronze), the GMT, or the chronograph; last but not least, is available as a steel and gold variant too.
Here is the list of sub-collections belonging to the Black Bay:
- Black Bay
- Black Bay Fifty-Eight
- Black Bay Bronze
- Black Bay Chrono
- Black Bay GMT
- Black Bay Pro
- Black Bay P01
We’ll here analyse the diving Black Bay product range, Black Bay Fifty-Eight excluded; we’ll discuss the 58 in a separate article instead.
Here is the price list breakdown:
- Black Bay (17 models)
- Black Bay Ceramic reference M79210CNU-0001 – price: 4.610 Euro (leather and rubber strap)
- Black Bay 41 mm steel black bezel
- Black Bay reference M79230N-0009 – price: 3.710 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay mm reference M79230N-0008 – price: 3.410 Euro (leather strap)
- Black Bay mm reference M79230N-0005 – price: 3.410 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay 41 mm steel blue bezel
- Black Bay mm reference M79230B-0008 – price: 3.710 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay mm reference M79230B-0007 – price: 3.410 Euro (leather strap)
- Black Bay mm reference M79230B-0006 – price: 3.410 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay 41 mm steel red bezel
- Black Bay mm reference M79230R-0012 – price: 3.710 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay mm reference M79230R-0011 – price: 3.410 Euro (aged leather strap)
- Black Bay mm reference M79230R-0009 – price: 3.410 Euro (red fabric strap)
- Black Bay mm reference M79230R-0010 – price: 3.410 Euro (black fabric strap)
- Black Bay 41 mm steel and gold black dial
- Black Bay 41 mm reference M79733N-0008 – price: 5.160 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay 41 mm reference M79733N-0007 – price: 3.960 Euro (aged leather strap)
- Black Bay 41 mm reference M79733N-0005 – price: 3.960 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay 41 mm steel and gold champaign dial
- Black Bay 41 mm reference M79733N-0004 – price: 5.160 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay 41 mm reference M79733N-0003 – price: 3.960 Euro (aged leather strap)
- Black Bay 41 mm reference M79733N-0006 – price: 3.960 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay Bronze 43 mm
- Black Bay Bronze 43 mm reference M79250BA-0001 – price: 4.060 Euro
- Black Bay Bronze 43 mm reference M79250BA-0002 – price: 4.060 Euro
- Black Bay GMT 41 mm
- Black Bay GMT 41 mm reference M79830RB-0001 – price: 3.960 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay GMT 41 mm reference M79830RB-0002 – price: 3.660 Euro (leather strap)
- Black Bay GMT 41 mm reference M79830RB-0003 – price: 3.660 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay GMT 41 mm Steel and Gold
- Black Bay GMT 41 mm reference M79833MN-0001 – price: 5.310 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay GMT 41 mm reference M79833MN-0003 – price: 4.110 Euro (leather strap)
- Black Bay GMT 41 mm reference M79833MN-0004 – price: 4.110 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay Pro 39 mm
- Black Bay Pro 39 mm reference M79470-0001 – price: 3.810 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay Pro 39 mm reference M79470-0003 – price: 3.510 Euro (leather and rubber strap)
- Black Bay Pro 39 mm reference M79470-0002 – price: 3.510 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay P01 42 mm
- Black Bay P01 42 mm reference M70150-0001 – price: 3.910 Euro (leather strap)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mmopaline dial
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79360N-0002 – price: 5.060 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79360N-0006 – price: 4.760 Euro (Bund leather strap)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79360N-0008 – price: 4.760 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm black dial
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79360N-0001 – price: 5.060 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79360N-0005 – price: 4.760 Euro (Bund leather strap)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79360N-0007 – price: 4.760 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm Steel and Goldblack dial
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79363N-0001 – price: 6.900 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79363N-0002 – price: 5.700 Euro (Bund leather strap)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79363N-0003 – price: 5.700 Euro (fabric strap)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm Steel and Goldchampaign dial
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79363N-0007 – price: 6.900 Euro (bracelet)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79363N-0008 – price: 5.700 Euro (Bund leather strap)
- Black Bay Chrono 41 mm reference M79363N-0006 – price: 5.700 Euro (fabric strap)
The Tudor Black Bay: the origins
The Black Bay is rooted in the brand’s history and is the top-selling collection. It represents Tudor‘s legacy in making professional diving watches. The Swiss brand began producing the first diving watches in 1954, by introducing the Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner reference 7922, up to 100 meters water-resistant timepiece.
In 1958, the reference 7924 came out, raising water resistance to 200 meters. Between them, Tudor released the reference 7923, hence the only Tudor Submariner ever powered by a hand-wound movement, the ETA 1188 caliber.
Reference 7924 is nicknamed “Big Crown,” given its grown crown’s size, a more robust case along with plexiglass, whose thickness increased to withstand greater depths. Reference 7924 came with the Rolex–signed Oyster bracelet reference 7206.
In 1959, Tudor introduced reference 7928 featuring crown protectors and increased case thickness. The so-called Oyster Prince Submariner “Square Crown Guards,” has grown to 39mm, across, from the original 37mm.
The Tudor Black Bay
The 41mm Black Bay is available in three combinations of bezel and dial and countless product variations as listed above. The Black Bay‘s rotating comes in black, red, or blue.
The Tudor Black Bay in steel reference M79230B–0009, M79230R–0012, and M79230B–0008 cost, each, Euros 3610. They are all pictured below:
Both options with leather or NATO strap in fabric and personalized pin buckle cost Euros 3.310. Below are grouped all the variants sporting a leather strap:
In the following photo, instead, please find grouped the four versions featuring a fabric strap:
As you will notice, the red bezel Black Bay comes with two fabric options.
The product
Introduced in 2014, the Black Bay 41 began housing manufactured calibre MT5602 in 2016. The MT kicked off an array of new in-house movements throughout the entire offering, the pinnacle being the most recent certified Master Chronometer, which equips the Black Bay Ceramic.
Since then, it has represented a massive improvement, allowing the movement to run for at least 70 hours when fully wound. As a result, you might store the watch in a drawer on Friday evening and pick it up – still running – on Monday morning.
This significant upgrade came with design touches: for example, the “Tudor rose” has disappeared, and vintage brown tones pay homage to models like the 1955 Tudor Oyster Submariner.
The new calibre is certified as a Chronometer by the COSC and complements several design options like a riveted bracelet, a leather strap or the fabric one.
Showcasing a case waterproof to up to 200 meters, the 41 mm Tudor Black Bay is a go-anywhere-do-anything watch ticking all the boxes if you’re looking for a single-collection watch. Offered at an affordable price point, in the benchmark.
The Tudor Black Bay GMT
At Baselworld 2018, alongside the unveiling of the GMT Master 2 Pepsi, Tudor introduced the Black Bay GMT, which draws inspiration by the very first Rolex GMT, the iconic reference 6542, in our opinion, especially when it comes to tones and font adopted on the blue and red bezel.
The Black Bay GMT is equipped with the Tudor MT5652 manufacture movement, ensuring a 70 hours power reserve and COSC certification.
The Tudor Black Bay GMT reference M79830RB–0001 steel-on-steel retails for Euros 3860. The reference M79830RB–0002 on leather strap with folding clasp and Tudor logo retails for Euros 3560, as the reference M79830RB–0003 on fabric strap and pin buckle. Last year, the steel and gold model and a brand new GMT model, the Black Bay GMT Pro, were added.
The Tudor Black Bay P01
In 2019 the Swiss brand surprised everyone by launching a military-inspired three-hands watch that eventually paves the way to a whole new chapter for the Black Bay collection and the brand: the Tudor Black Bay P01.
The original P01 was the result of a project carried out by Tudor for the US Navy in 1960 and called “Project Commando“. Based on a prototype once developed for the US Navy, the Black Bay P01 has the crown placed at four o’clock and bidirectional rotating bezel, which can be locked in a chosen position through two hinged fasteners located at twelve and six, respectively, to avoid accidental shocks to cause the unwanted rotation of the bezel.
It was a tool watch equipped with a bi-directional rotating bezel (not a 60 minute graduated bezel, as the watch itself was not just conceived as a 100% divers’ watch) along with a patented device to lock the bezel in a chosen position, via a fixed and a hinged locker placed at six and twelve respectively.
It is exclusively available on a leather strap and folding clasp.
The Tudor Black Bay P01 watch: one of a kind.
The Tudor Black Bay P01 introduces esthetic details you might easily find on vintage Tudor watches: the triangular luminous index at twelve is long and narrow, all the indexes are filled with vintage looking cream-colored luminescent material but without any golden ring surrounding the central part like on a traditional Black Bay.
The original P01 comes with “Mercedes” like central hands, replaced on the current one by Tudor‘s snowflakes’. The P01 is a sturdy watch designed to withstand, on paper, intensive military use, a timepiece you’d expect to see wrapped around Ian Fleming‘s secret agent’s wrist, and this feat makes it very appealing.
Many were the harsh comments on the Internet following the unveiling of the watch. The truth is that the Tudor Black Bay P01 can’t be regarded to as a standard Tudor Black Bay, it is an entirely new proposal that nothing has to do with the brand’s hero product.
It instead is a new way of exploring the historical roots of Tudor sport watches. All in all, the case’s build quality is superb as is the finish, the bezel locking system is a bit hard to release, and the bezel’s ratcheting is not as smooth as a Black Bay Bronze‘s, while the strap and folding clasp quality are top notch.
The strap is crafted in leather and rubber, and the folding buckle locker has the Tudor logo embossed on it. The caliber that powers the P01 is familiar: it is the manufactured Tudor MT5612 caliber that guarantees 70 hours of power reserve.
Once on your wrist, it looks and feels way better than any professional photo can ever describe: no pictures do give justice to a timepiece that, once worn, is impressive yet comfortable, thicker than a standard Black Bay and with a charm of its own.
The Tudor Black Bay Steel and Gold
The Black Bay Steel and Gold or S&G, as Tudor names it, is the steel and gold version of the 41mm diameter Black Bay. Launched in 2017, it has been the main topic of a specific in–depth article.
There are currently two options, one with standard black dial and a new one with a champaign dial instead:
Again, Tudor offers three product variants, the reference M79733N–0004 with steel and gold bracelet retails for Euros 4960, the reference M79733N–0003 with a leather strap for Euros 3810 as much as the one offering fabric strap and pin buckle.
Regarding the options showcasing a black dial, the reference M79733N–0008 comes with steel and gold bracelet, the reference M79733N–0003 with a leather strap, and, finally, the reference M79733N–0006 with fabric strap. Prices are unchanged compared to the three options with champaign dial.
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono Steel and Gold
At Baselworld 2019, Tudor introduced the steel and gold version of the Black Bay chronograph. This collection includes the most expensive Black Bay so far. In the steel and gold Black Bay chronograph, bezel, crown, and pushers are in yellow gold.
The option with the bracelet is the reference M79363N–0001 and retails for Euros 6650. The leather strap option offers an unexpected Bund leather strap, whose lower part can be easily removed. It is the reference M79363N–0002 and retails for Euros 5500 as reference M79363N–0003 with fabric strap.
The Tudor Black Bay Bronze
The bronze-cased Black Bay currently listed is the last in a row of successful Tudor Black Bay Bronze watches, which also include some sought-after limited-edition options, like the one in blue crafted in partnership with the renowned Swiss boutique Bucherer.
Regarding the current one, instead, the reference M79250BA–0001 retails for Euros 3960 and comes with a black leather strap or a fabric strap.
The product
The Black Bay Bronze model has grown since the brand introduced it in 2016, the year this product review refers. Evolution without revolution, since the timepiece has barely changed, preserving a 43 mm case, the signature Black Bay no date dial and bold round applied indexes.
Tudor adopts a bronze and aluminium alloy to minimize oxidation and ensure a uniform patina taking the most out of bronze without that “too much” appearance.
The case houses the manufactured calibre MT5601, another take of the base movement, ensuring 70 hours of power reserve when fully wound.
It comes standard with a woven fabric strap whose design mimics the 1977 Tudor Marine Nationale reference 9401; a legendary timepiece once supplied to the French Navy.
Tudor has extended the warranty on all the new watches
Tudor has extended the warranty to five years on all new purchases, thus placing itself on par with Rolex and other premium luxury brands. By doing so, the Swiss brand sets itself apart from its competitors, from a value proposition point of view. Strangely, a few media have covered such a consumer-oriented topic.
In our opinion, this strategy adds value to new and current customers since the warranty extension also includes those Tudor watches purchased between July 2018 and July 2020, who will see their guarantee extend for additional 18 months. Yes, that’s right! If you bought a Pelagos in July 2018, for example, your international product warranty would not expire in July 2020, but in January 2022. As a consequence, it will ensure increased second-hand value to your Tudor watch.
Discontinued models
The Tudor Black Bay Steel
Introduced at Baselworld 2017, the Black Bay Steel is the full-steel Black Bay.
It houses the same in-house MT5612 mechanical movement, but comes with brushed graduated bezel insert, in replacement of the original aluminum inlay:
There are currently three variants, one sporting a steel bracelet, i.e., the reference M79730–0006 retailing at Euros 3.710, then the leather strap option reference M79730–0005, and finally the steel on fabric strap reference M79730–0004. The latter both retail at Euros 3.410.
The Tudor Black Bay Dark 2021
The Black Bay Dark is a Black Bay whose case and bracelet have been blackened, via a PVD treatment.
Tudor offers three options of the Dark: the reference M79230DK–0008 with bracelet priced at Euros 4.410, while the options with leather strap reference M79230DK–0007 and the reference M79230DK–0006 on fabric strap each cost Euros 4110.
In all its options, the Black Bay Dark costs more than 4000 Euros, thus retailing at a price which is higher than what you have to pay for a Black Bay GMT‘s entry price.
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono
Tudor introduced the Black Bay chronograph at Baselworld 2017. The brand sourced the chronograph movement from Breitling, whose manufactured movement is one of the most refined industrially produced chronograph ones in the business. Once customized by Tudor, capable of ensuring 70 hours of maximum power reserve, the Tudor MT5813 movement is COSC certified, features a column-wheel mechanism, and a vertical clutch.
The Black Bay Chrono comes in three options, with a full-steel architecture as that’s the case with the Black Bay Steel. It is a two-register chronograph with black dial and screwed-in Chrono buttons. Also, it is waterproof to 200m.
The reference M79350–0004 in full steel retails for Euros 4.960, while the reference M79350–0005 on a leather strap and the reference M79350–0003 on fabric strap each cost Euros 4.660.
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono PVD
Let’s complete the Black Bay‘s users’ guide and price list by talking the Tudor Black Bay Chrono PVD:
It is offered as a single option with a steel bracelet, as reference M79360DK–0001, retailed at Euros 5800. Please be informed the Tudor Black Bay Chrono PVD has been discontinued. You won’t find it listed in Tudor 2021‘s product catalog.
(Photo credit: Tudor, Horbiter®)
Giovanni Maria Di Biase @Horbiter®
