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I got hands on with Tudor’s hyped Black Bay Chronos, and now I have a lot of thoughts

I got hands on with Tudor’s hyped Black Bay Chronos, and now I have a lot of thoughts

Russell Sheldrake

Unless you’ve been living under a rock recently, you’ll have seen the watch world go a little crazy over the new Tudor Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue. Upon releasing this watch, Tudor siphoned off its older sibling, the Black Bay Chrono Pink (as well as the Formula 1-connected Black Bay Ceramic “Blue”) into their own collection that they’ve dubbed “Daring Watches”. This silo of timepieces from Tudor is separated from the main catalogue because of their limited production runs, their loud aesthetics, and only being available in the brand’s boutiques. They are bright and in your face, so I wanted to get hands-on with these two colourful Black Bay Chronos that seem to go against the grain of the brand that presents itself as all about tool watches.

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I was able to handle both of these watches at the same time, getting the very first Flamingo Blue to arrive in London mere hours after leaving Switzerland. What struck me first was how the colours of both of these dials change so drastically depending on what light you’re in, and how Tudor decided to go for a much more vibrant shade of blue in comparison to the pink, which is a bit understated. This clearly shows how Tudor is getting more and more comfortable with pushing the boat out with this new collection as it gathers momentum and proves to be popular.

Having a newly released watch being hard to get hold of is nothing new. In fact, it feels like it should be expected at this point, especially with a brand as popular as Tudor. However, Tudor has had a policy for the last few years of making its new releases available immediately. So, to have a watch from Tudor be so hard to find this long after it has been officially announced feels odd. I even went into a boutique in London recently to try and see if they had one, or find out when they would have one – and not only did they not have a piece in stock, they had no clue when or if they would be getting one. So it’s clear these Daring Collection watches are not going to be easy to come by.

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While they seem to fly in the face of what Tudor has stood for over the last few years, it feels like they are following in the footsteps of both its big brother Rolex and its rival brand Omega. It seems to be following Rolex by adding these bright colours to an already popular model to help create a sense of hype and distinction around it, just as we saw with the Oyster Perpetual line back in 2020. I would also argue Tudor is following Omega’s example in how it handles the release of these watches: having them appear on the wrist of brand ambassadors before they are officially released or communicated. This leaves the watch world guessing and speculating for a short time, building up the hype, before they announce it globally and start the race to the boutique to buy one.

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The fact that these watches are labelled as limited editions, but aren’t numbered, and by Tudor’s own admission, will have short production runs every year, I think shows that the brand doesn’t want these brash colours to take over what they are known for, while simultaneously creating even more buzz around them. I’m glad that these bright colours exist, but I’m equally glad that they do not dominate the catalogue, as I love Tudor for what it is today, not what it could be if it was covered in lurid tones.

However, there is a part of me, perhaps the more cynical part, that suspects that these watches are a bit of a distraction tactic. Back in 2023, we were introduced to a unique piece made for the Only Watch auction that was the first Big Block chronograph from Tudor in years, and it featured the brand’s first fully in-house developed chronograph movement. Unfortunately, that watch was removed from the auction after it was postponed and has not been seen since. But the fact that Tudor has developed this movement but not yet rolled it out in the main catalogue has me wondering if these watches are being launched to tide us over until the new Big Block is ready to go.

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As I mentioned above, Tudor has tried to always make watches available to buy as soon as they are announced, so it could be the case that they are simply making sure they have the stock levels for a global rollout. And if that is true I won’t be mad at Tudor at all, but having these watches come out now feels like we are being given something to keep us all happy, and to keep the Black Bay Chrono in the conversation, prior to a bigger, more significant launch. Seeing as Watches and Wonders is only a couple of months away, one can only hope.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue and Pink pricing and availability

The Tudor Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue and Pink are available in a select number of Tudor boutiques. Price: US$5,875

Brand Tudor
Model Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue and Pink
Case Dimensions 41mm (D) x 14.2mm (T) x 49.9mm (LTL)
Case Material Stainless steel
Water Resistance 200 metres, screw-down crown
Crystal Domed sapphire crystal
Dial Turquoise or pink with black counters
Bracelet Jubilee-style steel bracelet, T-fit rapid adjustment clasp
Movement MT5813, Kenissi-made, automatic, COSC
Power Reserve 70 hours
Functions Hours, minutes, small seconds, date, chronograph
Availability Tudor boutique exclusive
Price US$5,875