The NEW Tudor Heritage Blue Black Bay Review

Well dear watch lovers another Tudor Heritage review at Bulang & Sons.This time we are looking at the Tudor Heritage Black Bay > Blue Bay.

You might think.. Tudor again. Why? Well simply because we love them. As a passionate vintage watch collector this line of watches just makes me tick.
They answer to my search for modern tool watches i can use every day, take with me to the beach, pool, diving and just enjoy without worries. But at the same time have that certain emotion on my wrist. That feeling of legacy and soul, i miss in 99% of the other modern watches these days.
Frankly they are the first series of modern watches to me that don’t feel as a compromise on my wrist.

I hope you will enjoy the review.
Bernhard Bulang

Vintage vs modern… vs Heritage…

As a vintage watch lover i am searching for that special feeling in a watch. That natural feeling when such watch is on your wrist. It feels not only comfortable but also as if it would belong to your story already. As if its a good friend and soulmate on your daily route of live. Sharing these special moments …

I missed that special feeling in modern watches for years. And each time when i cruised the modern AD’s and looking at the displays for me most of the watches just did not appeal to me. Sure that might be my ‚loss’ as so many people worldwide seem to like them. But for me the windows just looked lifeless.

Sure Rolex still creates some nice watches that show the timeless DNA i love so much. But for me the sapphire watches with wg indexes just did not do it. In these years i bought some 16800 or 16660 matte dial watches with some patina to still get some vintage emotion on my wrist and be able to use the watches for the beach, diving, etc.

The Rolex 114060 none date Submariner as you could see on my review on >>> 100percent Rolex Blog from 2 years ago.. i liked it. And the latest green dial sub is also nice. But still something is missing for me.

That is different with the Tudor Heritage watch collection. They have something special. It started with the grey Tudor Heritage Chronograph a couple of years ago. And i was lucky to get the first one delivered back then, worldwide as far as i know. And was the first review back then.

Also see my >>> 100percent Rolex Blog… for part 1 and 2 of the review.

The Heritage line back then really was a great happening. And i still remember, many collectors had been really excited abut the steps taken. That watch now belongs to my friend Ross Povey. You know as Mr. Tudor and member of the Bulang & Sons Team.

So what makes this Tudor Heritage line so special to me?

Quite frankly… they just have that special mojo. The soul and feeling related to the Heritage of great watches. But in a way where they sure embrace their legacy and iconic vintage timepieces, but at the same time translate them to a modern watch that feels just as relevant today. You feel the dedication and sincere passion for their heritage in each detail of these watches. We know, that the designers and team behind the modern Tudor watches really loves what they do and work hard and devoted to make it right. To take that extra step to get the details perfect. I hope you will see it in my pictures and when we go deeper into the watches. The camera just loves them. As with every zoom to detail i just discovered shear beauty.

For me these watches show the HONEST passion for their creations of the people behind them. You just feel its not just marketing and jumping on a re-edition train as we see in the market all over. Which i did not like so much in Basel this year.

The Tudor Heritage watches don’t just try to be a copy of some of the classic / iconic Tudor watches of the past like the 7928 Submariner, 7032 Homeplate Montecarlo Chronograph or vintage Ranger. They take the inspiration and iconic qualities from these pieces and translate them to a new product that suites our modern urban lifestyle. To do that you really need to know and understand what the Heritage is all about.

As said… and what we as Bulang & Sons also stand for… the Tudor Heritage Watches stand for pure and honest love for products that are created with great dedication and that relate to you. That become a part of your lifestyle and put an emotion and smile on your face.

The Tudor Heritage Black Bay, reference 79220 B

As said i am a vintage watch lover and the Rolex non date Submariner was always a big love of mine. The classic pureness of these watches, without any extra functions. Just pure toolwatch goodness is a big passion of mine. And over years i collected many versions of them. Rolex 5513’s, 5512’s… Milsubs and Comex watches. In all flavours.
But the early non crownguard version of these watches have been a weak spot of mine. Well even a Rolex 6536 4-liner non crownguard Submariner was my first real vintage Rolex.
That pureness, reduced to the max feeling was so special to me. The design looked still modern and at the same time the vintage feeling was all over it. My friend Philipp Stahl introduced me back then to the Big Crown Submariners.. and i was sold. Also these classic images of Sean Connery as James Bond wearing a vintage rolex Big Crown on a nato strap was for me the most icon image for my watch passion.

Not only symbol for a toolwatch in a mission environment but the image of that watch on a nato strap worn with a slick suite was such an influence for me. As i loved the contrast between the 2 worlds. And till today i so often use nato straps on these watches and on the dress watches like Datejust, Daydate etc. To undress them and give them the toolwatch feeling.
Till today the vintage Big Crowns are the coolest watches for me. A league of their own. And i was lucky to have owned some of them. Among these 2 great examples like this 6538 mint dial Submariner. And the rarer and so beautiful 5510 Submariner. With such warm and great patina. I still miss it so much.

Many of the Big Crowns have a professional background. Often military. As they where real tool watches back then.

(the first big crown was the Rolex reference 6200 with 3-6-9 dial early in the 60th, see also the classic beveled lugs)

(my former Rolex 6538 Big Crown)

(and my former Rolex 5510 Big Crown. Also next to an early Rolex 5512 Big Crown to show the difference in case)

(the Tudor Big Crowns, credits to Philipp from Rolex Passion Report)

So you can imagine i was excited when Tudor created the Heritage Black Bay watches. First of all the earlier edition with the creme patina dial and red bezel. And at first i loved the idea but personally i was not hooked right away. Maybe i was in a different fase and back then still owned the 5510 Big Crown.
But when i did get the chance to see it live during our Passion Meeting i was very positive surprised by the feel and details. But not hooked to get one.

That changed when i saw the first images coming out of Basel this year. Showing this NEW Tudor Heritage Black Bay with the blue bezel and silver print dial. It just appealed to me right away. That pure look, reduced to the max. The faded look of the bezel i have seen on so many great vintage watches i have owned over the years… the case shape, beveled lugs… and yes the so cool made fabric strap just added up.

(i guess you see the line… on promotion..)

Added up to be my modern Bond watch. The watch that will be with me during my holiday. On the beach… concert… diving… outdoor and urban survival as well. A watch that will look great with jeans and suite. My no worries watch for every situation, without the feeling i am wearing a lesser alternative to my vintage pieces.

What i really love about what Tudor did with this Blue Tudor Heritage Black Bay, is that they did not just copy a vintage Tudor 7928 Submariner Big Crown.

No they took details from several watches of their Heritage and created a new watch out of it.
The case shape of the 50th Big Crown, the super nice minute track dials with silver print from the early 60th. The snow flake hands of the late 60th /70th watches and blue of the bezel from these years (and later). And mixed it up to a design of its own. But feeling total natural.

So lets look at the watch in detail….

The iconic symbol of each Big Crown is of course the crown. The crown of the Heritage Black Bay is less dominant and bulky then on a vintage one. But first of all .. it just looks just great, shows some real nice details which add to the total feeling. And i guess as the watch is a bit bigger the the old one… if they would have used the same proportion as on the vintage big crown the watch would have become uncomfortable to wear. So for me its just great as it is now.

The case shows all these classic lines and the so loved beveled lugs we all search for in 50th and early/mid 60th Submariners.It just adds so much depth to the watch. As does the great matte finish on top of the lugs. Just tool watch goodness.