Tudor released the new Black Bay Chrono 39, and it’s follows the market’s tendency : smaller watches. It’s a 39mm chronograph, afraid to say a perfect size with a dial you’ll spot from across the street. Maybe further.
The “Daring Watches” family already had two 41mm chronographs, the Pink and the Flamingo Blue. The Bumblebee come to bring a vivid color to the family .
The Case
39mm stainless steel, polished and satin finishes, 20mm lug width, 13.1mm thick. The material hasn’t changed, still the same well-finished steel as the rest of the Chrono family. What changed is the size and, more importantly, the thickness. Down from 14.4mm to 13.1mm.
That might sound like nothing on paper. It isn’t. The MT5813 is a genuinely big movement, so shaving height off a case built around it is a harder engineering job than it looks. It’s the difference between a watch that sits on your wrist and one that sits up off it.
Lug-to-lug tells the same story. The 41mm Chrono measures 49.9mm lug-to-lug. The Bumblebee brings that down to 47mm. Almost 3mm shorter, and on a watch like this, that’s the difference between a case that overhangs a smaller wrist and that sits flush.
Another small but telling change: the crown now carries the Tudor shield instead of the rose, in line with the rest of the family.
The Dial
I’ll be honest about my first reaction. Yellow? Why would they do that? But the more time I spent looking at photos of this watch while researching it, the more it won me over. It’s a fun colour. It’s sporty. The same thing might happen to you.
And that reaction is kind of the point. Next to the Pink and the Flamingo Blue, the Bumblebee is the boldest of the three, and bold in a way that leans more motorsport heritage than just loud. It’s also, in practice, the most recognisable Tudor on the market right now. From across the street, people will know it’s a Tudor.
The Movement
Here’s why the MT5813 matters. It brings column-wheel, vertical-clutch architecture, the kind of thing usually reserved for much pricier movements, into Tudor’s chronograph lineup. A column wheel is the traditional, harder-to-machine way of controlling the chronograph’s ,start, stop and reset, and it’s what gives high-end chronographs that crisp, precise pusher feel. The vertical clutch kills the seconds-hand jitter you get on cheaper cam-and-lever movements.
On top of that you get a 70-hour power reserve and a silicon hairspring, so it’s not bothered by magnets either. Yes, it’s built on Breitling’s B01 base, Tudor’s open about that. But the regulator, balance and finishing are theirs. At the end of the day it’s not about in-house bragging rights. It’s a properly good chronograph movement doing the job under the caseback.
The Price
Retail price in Australia is AU$9,480, straight from Tudor’s website. Tudor says it’s not a limited edition, but try telling that to the market. I emailed a few Tudor retail partners here in Sydney to check stock, and availability is already tight.
Check Chrono24 and you’ll find Bumblebees trading between AU$16,000 and AU$18,000. In our opinion, that price does fell bit too much but if you really want it go for it .
Our Opinion
If you like vivid colour, this Tudor deserves a spot in your collection. Compare it to the other big chronographs in this price bracket, the Omega Speedmaster and the TAG Heuer Carrera, both sitting around AU$12,000, and what sets the Tudor apart is simple. From across the street, everyone will see that dial, and everyone will know it’s a Tudor.
The Specs
Model: Black Bay Chrono 39 “Bumblebee” (Ref:Â 79310N)
Diameter:Â 39mm
Thickness:Â 13.1mm
Lug to lug:Â 47mm
Case Material:Â Steel
Dial Color: Yellow, black subdials
Indexes:Â Applied
Lume:Â Yes, markers and hands
Water Resistance:Â 200m (660ft)
Strap/Bracelet:Â Steel three-link bracelet with T-Fit
