If you're a fan of chronographs, check out the Tudor Prince Oysterdate and Black Bay Chrono. Understanding the basics of both collections, along with the history of Tudor chronograph watches, will help you appreciate the appeal of Tudor chronographs even more.
The origin of the Tudor chronograph: the Prince Oysterdate
The origin of Tudor's automatic chronograph models was the Prince Oysterdate, also known as the Chronotime, which supported Tudor for a long time. Learn about the features and history of the Chronotime, which remains highly popular even after production has ended.
Tudor's first automatic chronograph
Tudor was originally founded to better promote Rolex, offering Rolex's superior technology at an affordable price, and many of its models use the exact same parts as Rolex, except for the movement.
The Chronotime was Tudor's first chronograph to feature an automatic movement. Many models use the same parts as the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona, so it's hard to tell the difference at first glance.
The evolution of Chronotime
The Chronotime has undergone two model changes. The first model, released in 1976, was nicknamed the "Big Block" due to its thick design that allowed it to house an automatic movement.
The second model that followed eliminated the colorful dial that was present in the initial model and replaced it with a simpler dial.
The third and final model of the Chronotime underwent a complete redesign, featuring a more luxurious feel and a wider variety of models than ever before. The Chronotime was produced until the mid-2000s, when it was discontinued.
The Black Bay Chrono, a legacy
The Black Bay Chrono is a chronograph model that was released some time after the production of the Chronotime was discontinued. We will explain its features, appeal, and differences between each model.
Classical design
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono is part of the Black Bay collection, which brings together and evolves the history of Tudor's diver's watches. The first model was released in 2017.
The Black Bay Chrono's distinctive feature is its classic design, inherited from Tudor watches of the past. Details such as the case, dial, crystal, crown, and hands retain the look of past models.
Particularly distinctive features include the thick case and unique snowflake hands, and the traditional design has been firmly retained even after the 2019 model change and 2021 update.
High water resistance and in-house movement
The Black Bay Chrono is often seen as having a retro and sporty design, but it is also a model that offers excellent functionality.
To ensure its practicality as a diver's watch, it is water resistant to 200m. The crown, engraved with the Tudor rose, one of the brand's motifs, was inspired by the model that was first made by Tudor to be water resistant to 200m.
All current Black Bay Chrono models are equipped with in-house movements, which are COSC-certified, offer a power reserve of approximately 70 hours, and are anti-magnetic.
Differences between the first and second models
The first Black Bay Chrono model was released in 2017, followed by a second model in 2019. The biggest difference between the two is the dial design.
While the first model has a single dial color, the second model has a different color for the dial and inset dial.
The updated version of the second model, released in 2021, is a two-tone black and white model. If the dial is white with black subdials, it is called a "Panda," and if the colors are reversed, it is called a "Reverse Panda."
