Every once in a while, a watch will come along that will completely change my perspective on the current state of the industry. It’s especially interesting when that watch is something you wouldn’t expect at all, which is what happened in the case of the new Tudor Bumblebee. A Black Bay is one of the few watches that deserves the moniker of a modern icon, and with this commercial success, has spawned numerous variants that have been successful with both the mainstream and enthusiast communities. With steady improvements over the years, cases have slimmed and movements have gotten more accurate, but what it did mean is that we more or less learned what to expect with each release cycle. When I saw the Bumblebee for the first time, I thought “oh that’s a cool new colour”, and moved on. But when one landed on my wrist shortly after, I realised I had not given Tudor nearly enough credit, and that this was easily going to be a contender for watch of the year.
Changes that matter
Before I tell you what the differences amount to on-wrist, let’s first run through all the newness with the Bumblebee. 41mm is the original Black Bay size, but in many ways, it’s the 39mm variants that defined it, starting with the 58 that came out nearly a decade ago now. The Chrono is the last member of the Black Bay family to make the jump to this sports watch sweet spot, and history repeats itself. Just how the 58 resolved the issue of its hefty, slab-sided 41mm sibling, the Bumblebee drops down to 39mm across, 13.1mm thick (though it wears a lot slimmer than that), and 47mm lug-to-lug. Despite dropping 2mm in diameter and lug-to-lug, and more than a millimetre in thickness, it retains all of its chrono functionality as well as the screw-down pusher-secured 200 metres of water-resistance.
Not mentioning the word “yellow” this far into the write-up feels wrong, so let’s make up for it. Yes, the Black Bay Chrono Bumblebee is indeed very yellow, and I’ll immediately dispel any criticism people have had for it not being yet another boring blue or black – I love it, and wouldn’t have it any other way. Other than the fact that it’s a nod to the Prince Tiger chronographs from some three decades ago which gives it historical precedent, it’s an injection of fun that could genuinely be worn daily, unless your office prescribes a really rigorous dress code. There’s colour palette is well-considered, with black outlines serving as high-contrast highlights, namely for the raised indices and sub-dials, though I’d be interested to see a comparison with the hands outlined in black, too. Apart from the swathes of yellow, you get a line of red text for the depth rating – though here is once again where my only complaint lies with Tudor. Do we really need that much dial text?
Managing to drop a few millimetres all-round is especially impressive considering Tudor continues to use the Breitling B01-derived chrono calibre that powered all the other Black Bay Chronos. The MT5813 is a proven performer, with COSC chronometer certification, a free-sprung silicon balance, and vertical clutch with column wheel operation for the chronograph. Given its architecture and industrial finishing, it’s not going to win any pageants, but no matter, Tudor knew better than to display it through an open caseback.
Old look, new feel
Tudor took five years from the initial unveiling of the Black Bay to bring a chronograph variant to market, though the transition was so smooth that it seemed like the brand’s designers planned that trajectory long in advance. It’s not your most conventional chronograph in that it has dive watch roots and a tachymeter bezel, whereas some saw a dive-time bezel as more fitting, but Tudor has certainly made sure that the Black Bay Chrono is associated with watersports just as much as with land-based sporting activities. The Bumblebee has another trick up its lugs, and that’s the unapologetically yellow dial that continues the brand’s lineage of quirky chronograph designs. Just as the Monte Carlo easily stands out among other 1970s designs with its “mask”, so did the Fastrider Black Shield, and the Prince Tiger chronos that the Bumblebee is inspired by. Unlike all those other chronographs, however, the hero of our story somehow manages to wear even more subtly despite being just as brightly coloured.
Comparing it to my Black Bay 58, a watch that by all accounts fits many wrists very well, the refinements of the Bumblebee aren’t obvious, but they are there. The mid-case is slimmer, making the caseback sit slightly proud of its back plane, but it doesn’t translate to sitting off the wrist when worn. The bracelet links lose the long-debated-over faux rivets and go for a much cleaner, Oyster three-link that’s somehow even more comfortable than before, and that’s before we even mention the clasp.
I’ve had the pleasure of experiencing a myriad of on-the-fly clasp adjustment systems, from hundred dollar micros to six-figure indies, and everything in between, but I really do believe T-Fit belongs in the top three, if not as the sole champion. It’s impressively compact and so easy to use (I rue not having one on my BB58) that in the inescapable debate of T-Fit vs Glidelock, I’d pick Tudor’s challenger any day.
Conclusion: best in class
On the surface, a slightly smaller case and a new dial colour is very much along the evolution-over-revolution ethos usually associated with Tudor and Rolex, which is the reason why I’m usually not as excited to talk about an all-new colour variant. But the Bumblebee is more than that, and has proven to even the most stubborn folk (read: me) to give something a proper go before deciding how to feel about it.
Long gone are the days of sub-10k Speedmasters and mid-teen Daytona RRPs – but it has taken some longer to realise this than others, whether that’s because of pure spite for the incessant price hikes or otherwise. I’m not ashamed to admit that I held onto those beliefs for longer than I would’ve liked for those exact reasons, but this watch immediately snapped me out of it. Fearful thinking this makes me seem incredibly out of touch – let’s swiftly move on.
The reason I mention it at all is that I can’t look at the Bumblebee as anything other but a luxury chronograph benchmark. Where the time-only Black Bays beat out all competition at their respective price points a few years ago, steady price creeps have meant that they’re no longer as easy to off-handedly recommend as the default choice (thanks to watches like the new HydroConquest), even though they’ve only become more compelling on paper with constant improvements and spec upgrades.
Clearly, Tudor wasn’t happy entertaining the idea of anyone thinking like this, but chose the luxury chrono as the category to conquer instead. Your move, everyone else.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 “Bumblebee” pricing and full specifications
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 ref. M79310N-0001 is part of the brand’s “Daring Watches” line-up, meaning its availability is likely to be more limited, similarly to the Flamingo Blue and Pink Black Bay Chronos. Price: A$9,480
