TUDOR Black Bay Chrono Dark – Limited edition in honour of “All Blacks”

TUDOR BLACK BAY CHRONO DARK 79360DK, ONE PLAYER, ONE WATCH

To celebrate the All Blacks legacy and mark the Rugby World Cup 2019 (RWC) as the team will defend its back-to-back champions title, TUDOR is launching the Black Bay Chrono Dark Ref. 79360DK, a new black version – matching the All Blacks’ famous jersey – of its chronograph, fitted with a Manufacture Calibre with column wheel and vertical clutch.

Unusually for TUDOR, the new model is a limited edition: a watch to pay tribute to every player who has been selected for New Zealand’s national rugby team from its creation in 1884 to the RWC 2019, or 1181 timepieces at the time of writing. The number will be adjusted according to the final composition of the World Cup team. The series will grow over the coming years as new players join the ranks of the All Blacks.

TUDOR is launching the Black Bay Chrono Dark Ref. 79360DK, a new limited black version of its chronograph, produced in 1181 timepieces at the time of writing.

BLACK COATING

The Black Bay Chrono Dark Ref. 79360DK features a characteristic satin-brushed steel bracelet for a matt effect, finished with a black PVD-treated coating. Directly derived from the thin-film technology originally developed by NASA for its various space programmes, PVD, or Physical Vapour Deposition, enables practically any inorganic material to be bonded with metals. Of course, the colour choice is a reference to the All Blacks team that TUDOR has been supporting since 2017, reinforced by the presence of a special engraving on the case back indicating the serial number of each timepiece.

The colour choice is a reference to the All Blacks team that TUDOR has been supporting since 2017, reinforced by the presence of a special engraving on the case back indicating the serial number of each timepiece.

MANUFACTURE CHRONOGRAPH CALIBRE MT5813 

Boasting a 70-hour power reserve, a silicon balance spring and a certification by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute, the Manufacture chronograph Calibre MT5813 that drives the Black Bay Chrono Dark Ref. 79360DK is a high-performance movement. It has been crafted in the purest watchmaking tradition, with column wheel mechanism and vertical clutch. In keeping with the TUDOR philosophy of quality, it presents extraordinary robustness and reliability, guaranteed by an array of extreme tests applied to all TUDOR products. Derived from the Manufacture chronograph Calibre Breitling 01, with a high-precision regulating organ developed by TUDOR and dedicated finishes, the movement is the result of a lasting collaboration between the two brands. They have chosen to pool their expertise in the design and production of certain mechanical movements so that both parties can benefit from their use.

Manufacture chronograph calibre MT5813 offers a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.

THE ESSENCE OF BLACK BAY

Like other models in the Black Bay line, the Black Bay Chrono Dark model features a dial inspired by the TUDOR divers’ watches produced in the 1950’s. It also adopts the characteristic angular hands known to collectors as “snowflake” that appeared in the brand’s 1969 catalogue. Finally, the large winding crown, characteristic of the first generation of TUDOR divers’ watches, is also adopted in this model.

The Black Bay line is the result of the subtle blend of traditional aesthetics and contemporary watchmaking. Far from simply being an identical re-release of a classic, it brings together over 60 years of TUDOR divers’ watches and yet remains firmly anchored in the present. Whilst it is neo-vintage in conception, its manufacturing techniques, reliability, robustness and the quality of its finish are consistent with today’s most rigorous requirements.