Tudor Black Bay - 79230N

Tudor launched the Black Bay in 2012 as resurrection—heritage dive watch borrowing aesthetic cues from 1950s and 1960s Tudor Submariners whilst incorporating modern manufacturing and specifications. The brand had languished through the 1990s and 2000s producing competent but uninspiring watches wearing Rolex's shadow. The Black Bay changed trajectory. Vintage proportions, snowflake hands from 1969 French Navy commando models, domed crystal, unidirectional bezel—design elements resonating with collectors seeking alternative to Rolex's contemporary clinical precision. Initial models used ETA 2824-2 movements. Basel 2016 brought fundamental shift: Tudor introduced manufacture Calibre MT5602 across Black Bay line, adding rivet-style bracelet, increasing case thickness, replacing rose logo with shield.

Forty-one millimetres in brushed and polished stainless steel. The case uses mixed finishing: brushed surfaces across top and sides, polished bevels along edges creating light-catching definition. The forty-one millimetre diameter represents middle ground—larger than vintage Submariners' thirty-seven to thirty-nine millimetres, smaller than contemporary Rolex Submariner's forty-one millimetre case which wears larger due to maxi case proportions and broader lugs. Lug-to-lug measures fifty millimetres—wearable on most wrists without overhang. Case thickness fourteen point eight millimetres—substantially thicker than vintage references, two millimetres thicker than previous ETA-powered 79220N predecessor. The thickness accommodates MT5602 movement whilst maintaining vintage domed crystal aesthetic. No crown guards—design choice prioritising vintage appearance over modern protection standards.

Unidirectional rotating aluminium bezel with black anodised insert. Sixty-click action. Printed luminous dot at twelve o'clock position. The aluminium bezel represents vintage-correct material choice—modern ceramic offers superior scratch resistance but aluminium provides warmth and patina potential absent from contemporary materials. Domed sapphire crystal—modern scratch resistance with vintage silhouette mimicking acrylic crystals used on historical references. Screw-down crown at three o'clock with Tudor shield logo. Solid screw-down caseback. Two hundred metres water resistance—double vintage Submariner specifications, adequate for recreational diving, conservative rating suggesting greater actual depth capability.

The matte black dial features applied circular hour markers at three, six, and nine o'clock positions, triangular marker at twelve o'clock—all filled with cream-coloured luminous material creating faux-patina aesthetic evoking aged tritium from vintage watches. Painted minute track around perimeter. The signature snowflake hands in polished steel with cream luminous filling—design element borrowed from Tudor Submariners produced for French Navy in 1969, broader shovel-shaped hour hand improving luminous surface area over traditional Mercedes hands. Running seconds hand sweeps from centre. Date window at three o'clock with black surround matching dial—no cyclops magnifier maintaining clean dial surface. Tudor shield logo printed at twelve o'clock position above "Automatic" text. "Swiss Made" printed at six o'clock.

Inside sits Calibre MT5602—Tudor's manufacture automatic movement introduced 2015 representing significant milestone for brand historically reliant on ETA and Sellita base calibres. The MT5602 features silicon balance spring (paramagnetic, unaffected by magnetic fields, temperature stable), variable inertia balance with regulating screws allowing precise adjustment without index mechanism, seventy-hour power reserve (exceptional compared to ETA 2824's thirty-eight to forty-two hours). The movement beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour. Four hertz frequency. COSC chronometer certified requiring fifteen days of testing across five positions and three temperatures, maintaining -4/+6 seconds daily accuracy. Bidirectional automatic winding. The movement demonstrates finishing appropriate to price point: brushed surfaces, some bevelling, functional rather than decorative approach prioritising reliability over haute horlogerie embellishment.

The MT5602 shares fundamental architecture with Rolex Calibre 3130—Tudor and Rolex maintain technical collaboration despite separate branding and positioning. The seventy-hour power reserve matches modern Rolex movements. The non-quickset date represents cost-saving measure—adjusting date requires advancing hour hand through midnight repeatedly rather than independent date adjustment via intermediate crown position. Minor inconvenience offset by movement reliability and extended power reserve.

The watch comes on riveted stainless steel bracelet—design element introduced alongside MT5602 movement in 2016. The bracelet features semi-circular links connected by visible rivets creating texture and vintage aesthetic referencing 1950s and 1960s Rolex and Tudor bracelet construction. Three-link design with brushed outer links, polished centre links creating visual rhythm. The bracelet tapers from case to clasp. Folding clasp with Tudor shield logo and safety catch preventing accidental opening. No micro-adjustment holes, no tool-free adjustment system—sizing requires link removal by jeweller or watchmaker. Twenty-two millimetre lug width means extensive aftermarket strap compatibility—leather, NATO, rubber all readily available.

Good condition from 2019 means six years of visible wear—expect moderate scratching on polished bezel, case bevels, and bracelet centre links, dulling on brushed surfaces, possible light marks on crystal, general patina consistent with regular use but no deep gouging, no structural damage. Aluminium bezel insert may show scratches or light fading—characteristic of material, part of tool watch aesthetic. Movement should maintain COSC accuracy assuming regular wear keeping mainspring wound. Full set includes Tudor presentation box (current design with magnetic closure), outer packaging, warranty card dated 2019, instruction booklets, extra bracelet links if removed during sizing. Five-year warranty expired—Tudor extended warranty from two to five years in 2020, watches purchased 2019 received two-year coverage expiring 2021.

The 79230N represents transitional reference—manufacture movement elevating Tudor from ETA-powered value proposition into legitimate manufacture watchmaker, yet increased thickness and shield logo replacing beloved rose divided opinion among enthusiasts. The subsequent Black Bay Fifty-Eight launched 2018 addressing thickness criticism with thirty-nine millimetre case and slimmer profile, partially cannibalising forty-one millimetre Black Bay sales. Tudor discontinued the forty-one millimetre Black Bay Black in 2021, replaced by updated references with date-only complications and revised proportions. Secondary market values remain stable—the 79230N trades approximately thirty to forty per cent below original retail, respectable value retention for discontinued sports watch in competitive market.

Seven years of production from 2016 to 2023. Forty-one millimetres, MT5602 manufacture movement, seventy-hour power reserve, COSC certification. Good condition, full set, warranty expired.