Introducing The Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 "Bumblebee"

There's a new Tudor chronograph in town, and guess what, it's smaller. After kicking off the format in 41mm back in 2017, Tudor has now downsized the brand's dive/drive chronograph design to a new 39mm case width. The new Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 "Bumblebee" sports a bright and vivid yellow dial with black counters, giving the new reference (79310N) a link to the preceding Pink and Flamingo Blue versions of the Black Bay Chronograph. 

We can get to the dial in a moment, but for a smaller take on any Tudor, let's start with millimetres. The new Black Bay Chronograph 39 measures 39mm wide, 13.1mm thick, and 47mm lug-to-lug. Compare that to 41 x 14.4 x 49.9 of the current 41mm model, be it white, black, blue, black & gold, pink, or flamingo. Water resistance remains at 200m with screw-down crowns for the chronograph controls, and that bright yellow dial is framed by a fixed tachymeter scale rendered in black aluminium. 

On to the dial, which is coloured a bright and punchy yellow as a nod to the brand's "Tiger" chronographs of the 1990s. The markers and hands have black surrounds, and the water resistance is shown in red (as it is on the Black Bay Chrono 39's larger counterparts). Tudor also notes that the snowflake hands have been redesigned to aid in chronograph legibility. While I have yet to measure more accurately, if you compare the reach of the hour hand toward the 60 marker on the running seconds subdial, it appears shorter than in the 41mm models. 

Ticking inside, we find the Tudor MT5813, a column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph movement derived from Breitling's Calibre B01, with Tudor's own regulating organ, silicon balance spring, and exclusive finishing. Automatic and COSC-certified, this is the same movement we've seen used in past versions of the Black Bay Chrono.

Delivered on a new three-link stainless steel bracelet with smooth sides and Tudor's T-fit tool-free adjustment clasp (offering 8mm of extension), the Black Bay Chronograph 39 "Bumblebee" is available now via Tudor retailers and carries a list price of A$9,480.  

If there was a watch in the Tudor lineup that seemed to receive more feedback about a couple of millimetres in sizing, it may well have been the Black Bay Chrono. Well, ask, and you shall receive. I sure hope you like yellow. What a confident and unexpected way to launch a watch that represents something people have been asking for. No black, no blue, no white. Just a single, very yellow option.  

I happen to really like yellow dials. I've owned a Doxa 200T Divingstar, and while it can be a very difficult colour to get right (some brands go too shiny, or too green/brown in the mix), this looks like a good yellow (judging only from the images). To my eyes, it rather suits the format with the black subdials and the black bezel. However, I can't help but shake my head as I type this—why not a couple more SKUs? 

Colouring totally aside, this is a great extension of Tudor's Black Bay Chronograph line, and one has to imagine we'll see more colourways in the coming months and years. In terms of pricing, A$9,480 puts the 39 just under the going rate for the 41mm versions, which start at A$9,850. To set the stage for that pricing, cross-shoppable comparables (to the price point, not really to the format) include some recognisable names like the Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch Professional (42mm, bracelet, hesalite, A$12,350), the TAG Heuer Carrera Glassbox (39mm, bracelet, A$11,350), and the IWC Pilots Chronograph 41 (41mm, leather, A$12,200). 

We can go deeper into competition and value for the eventual hands-on story, but the new Black Bay Chronograph 39 is hitting the market at a predictable price point and represents a very desirable evolution of the Black Bay Chronograph's proportions. With Tudor, and certainly with this new yellow chronograph, it feels like we will always be talking about colour when it comes to our personalised take on any given new option, arguing the merits of colour, gilt, etc. I, for one, cannot wait to try the new 39mm case on my wrist and see the yellow dial in daylight. 

Brand: Tudor
Model: Black Bay Chrono 39 "Bumblebee"
Reference Number: 79310N

Diameter: 39mm
Thickness: 13.1mm
Lug to lug: 47mm
Case Material: Steel
Dial Colour: Yellow, black accents
Indexes: Applied
Lume: Yes, markers and hands
Water Resistance: 200m (660ft)
Strap/Bracelet: Steel three-link bracelet with T-Fit 

Caliber: MT5813
Functions: Hours, minutes, small seconds, 45-minute chronograph counter, and central chronograph seconds
Diameter: 30.4mm
Thickness: 7.23mm
Power Reserve: 70 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 vph
Jewels: 41
Chronometer Certified: COSC
Additional Details: Silicon balance spring, column-wheel, and vertical clutch

Price: A$9,480
Limited Edition: No

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