Introducing: The Tudor Black Bay Chrono Dark

September 14, 2019

Tudor has announced an all-black version of their Black Bay Chrono, produced as a limited edition in conjunction with the All Blacks (New Zealand's national rugby team) upcoming defense of their championship at the Rugby World Cup 2019. Following the naming scheme for Black Bay watches, this new model is called the Black Bay Chrono Dark. Tudor's not one to often dip into limited editions and for the Black Bay Chrono Dark, they've come up with an interesting change of pace C production will be limited to one unit for each player ever to have played for the All Blacks. As of this writing, that number sits at 1,181, with one watch added every time the team selects a new player.? Aside from the connection to the All Blacks and their sponsorship arrangement with Tudor, what you see here is the standard steel Black Bay Chrono, but rendered in a matte black PVD finish. While I've personally found it hard to warm up to most all-black watches, I think the Black Bay Chrono Black looks fantastic.? Initial Thoughts For those in need of a light refresher, the Black Bay Chrono was launched in 2017 as a sort of hybrid between a classic Tudor sports chrono, and a Black Bay diver. Measuring 41mm wide, the watch has a dive-style dial surrounding a two-register chronograph display, offering running seconds and a 45-minute totalizer. There is a date at six, luminous applied markers, and Tudor's well-known Snowflake hands (as we would expect from a Black Bay product).? Keeping the above format very much intact, the Black Bay Chrono Dark takes all of the brushed steel and coats it in a deep matte black PVD treatment. Just as with the other versions of the Black Bay Chrono, the Dark uses Tudor's manufacture caliber MT5813, a movement that they source via a partnership with Breitling. The movement is the in-house, column wheel-equipped Breitling B01; the MT5813 keeps the 70-hour power reserve, vertical clutch, and COSC certification, and adds a silicon hairspring as well.? The caseback will be engraved with the production number of the watch, and the closed steel case back is also finished in black PVD. With a sapphire crystal, and a dive-watch worthy 200 meters of water resistance, the Black Bay Chrono Dark feels monolithic in its presenc,e and the black finish has the effect of diminishing the sense of bulk you get from the case and the bracelet, on the wrist.? While some may question the use of PVD vs DLC (diamond-like carbon) for a watch at this price point, it's worth stressing that not all coatings (be it PVD or DLC) are alike and there are levels to which each can be executed. Speaking generally, Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD) uses vaporized metals as a coating while Diamond Like Carbon (DLC) uses carbon. While DLC is generally considered to be a harder-wearing finish, it all comes down to the quality of the actual coating. For the Black Bay Chrono Dark, the coating appears to be very high quality, with none of the Teflon texture or color-shifting sometimes exhibited by budget treatments. All told, only time on wrist will tell how well the treatment will hold up, but I figure a Black Bay looks just right with a few good scratches anyway.? While something we could have likely expected (following the version map for the Black Bay diver), the Tudor Black Bay Chrono Dark looks great, especially when matched with the matte black bracelet. Retail pricing is slated for $5,925, or about $265 more than a standard steel Black Bay Chrono. With a high contrast look and unmistakable Tudor styling, the limited edition Black Bay Chrono Dark expands the range for Tudor's distinctive and lovable dive chronograph.? The Basics Brand: Tudor Model: Black Bay Chrono DarkReference Number: 7936DKDiameter: 41mm Case Material: PVD coated steelDial Color: BlackIndexes: AppliedLume: YesWater Resistance: 200 metersStrap/Bracelet: Steel bracelet with black PVD finish The Movement Caliber: Tudor MT5813Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph, date, sub-secondsDiameter: 33.80mmPower Reserve: 70 hoursWinding: AutomaticFrequency: 4 Hz (28,800 vph)Jewels: 47Chronometer Certified: YesAdditional Details: Based on the Breitling B01 movement Pricing & Availability Price: $5,925Limited Edition: Limited production volume to match the number of players ever to have played for the All Blacks. At time of writing, 1,181 pieces.?For more information visit Tudor online.