t was back in 2016 that Swiss Tudor first released the Replica Tudor Black Bay Bronze watch . This was not only the first bronze-cased watch from Tudor but also a larger-sized Black Bay model (which now comes in a series of sizes) at 43mm-wide. Tudor has since released a small assortment of Black Bay Bronze watches, mainly for special retailers. That includes the pictured Tudor Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue reference M79250BB-0001 that you see here.
The watch is part of the larger “Bucherer Blue” family of watches, produced by various important luxury brands to be sold exclusively through the Bucherer authorized watch dealers. There are a number of “Bucherer Blue” models that adopt a royal blue color palette to a number of popular high-end timepiece collections. Bucherer stores are mainly in Europe, but the Lucerne-based company (which also owns the watch brand Carl F. Bucherer) has since branched out. A few years ago, Bucherer acquired the formerly American Tourneau family of watch stores. The stores are slowly being modified, and at least some of them will eventually be rebranded as Bucherer shops, from what I can tell. More important for watch lovers is that at least some Bucherer Blue edition watches are now available at Tourneau stores, including this Tudor Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue replica timepiece . The differences between the Bucherer Blue and other versions of the Black Bay Bronze are mostly related to the blue color tone for the dial and fabric strap. There are also “Bucherer 1888” markings etched into the watch’s caseback. Even though the Black Bay Bronze isn’t a brand-new model, it holds up extremely well and continues to be a stand-out Tudor watch for a lot of enthusiasts who might not find something else for them in the Black Bay collection.
Tudor produces some of the most beautiful tool watches today. The brand’s trick is to combine ultra-modern construction with lovingly refined designs that evoke an authentic retro sports watch vibe. At 43mm-wide, the Black Bay Bronze is 2mm larger than the next largest Black Bay, which is 41mm-wide. The relatively thick (but comfortable) case has 200 meters of water resistance and a vintage-esque box-style sapphire crystal. The dial is entirely symmetrical with no date window to take away from its purist form. One of the most interesting dial details, in my opinion, is how the applied hour markers are actually in a rose-gold tone, while the hands are in a more yellow-gold tone (which better matches the case color). This offers an interesting depth effect and isn’t something I think most designers would assume (two similar but different gold tones) could work well (but it does). Bronze is a material that I like in small doses, but I do think it has become a bit too trendy over the last few years. That said, there are certainly watches that make sense in bronze, and others that seem to have bronze cases “just because.” Bronze, as a material, has zero benefits over steel (which is a far superior alloy from a utilitarian standpoint), but it does have a nice warm color to it. Think of bronze as a “poor man’s gold” — certainly more satisfying than steel, which is colored to look like something else. Tudor has one of the best bronze cases on the market, in my opinion. This is due to two factors. First is the use of a “stable” bronze-aluminum alloy. This means that, unlike many bronze watches out there, the Black Bay Bronze’s case will not discolor unevenly (more even discoloration as opposed to blotching). While there are some watches that look cool as bronze ages and “patinas,” and greens… I think most people prefer the look of bronze without blotchy discoloration. For those people, the Tudor Black Bay Bronze is perfect. The second reason I like Tudor’s bronze case is just how nicely it is machined and finished. Tudor is part of the Rolex brand family, so it gets a lot of shared access to know-how and production equipment. The polishing, brushing, and edging on the cases is top-notch. I’ve never quite seen a bronze case that’s been more precisely polished and cut. While steel or even ceramic would be a great choice for a 43mm-wide Black Bay, bronze just works, as it helps this watch distinguish itself from Tudor’s many other Black Bay models (even if the dial design and case size are a bit different, too).
Around the dial is a uni-directional rotating diver’s style bezel that operates with 60 satisfying (but not too loud) clicks. Over the bezel is an aluminum insert. Inside the watch is the in-house-made Tudor caliber MT5601 automatic, which operates at 4Hz with about 70 hours of power reserve. The movement is also COSC Chronometer-certified. Attached to the watch is an included blue fabric strap as well as a vintage-style (aged look) warm brown leather strap. Exposed holes in the lugs allow for relatively quick strap changes (with a tool), allowing you to switch between straps. The blue fabric strap is very comfortable (though thin), and it fits “NATO-style” under the watch as one piece. Unlike most NATO-style straps, the strap on the Black Bay Bronze is not too long — which means you don’t need to “tuck the strap” (a good thing).
The more I get to know the Tudor Black Bay Bronze, the more I grow to like it. Its size and playfulness separate it somewhat from other Tudor watches that I find tend to be a bit more serious. What I really see as the value of the Black Bay Bronze is a sort of more accessible Panerai-style watch, but with as much technical cred as more expensive Panerai watches. An equivalent Panerai watch with a bronze case is several times more money, but it’s not necessarily several times more watch. The Black Bay Bronze is also an excellent choice for anyone who is curious about the color and wearing experience of bronze but who doesn’t want a watch that will blacken or turn green over time.
Perrelet takes up a new challenge, a fusion of watchmaking know-how and design to present a unique model that combines the Turbine collection’s quintessential ten-blade titanium wheel with a skeleton movement. The brand’s cutting-edge engineering flair is showcased in the details of the movement apertures that outline each component to highlight its beauty and perfection. Turbine FIRST CLASS. Tax included. A new take on the brand’s great classic gives rise to the latest First Class model, a tribute to traditional timepieces enhanced with contemporary accents. With the First Class Double Rotor Skeleton watch, Perrelet combines the horological traditions embodied in its innovative Double Rotor created 20 years ago with its expertise in the art of skeleton working. When the Perrelet Turbine watch collection first came out more than 6 years ago, it was a hit. While there have been new models out each year, one of the most interesting new ones is this Perrelet Turbine Skeleton . The novel spinning dial themed on jet engine turbines and Perrelet’s own “double automatic rotor” movements hit a sweet spot with collectors looking for novel sport-style watches. I also believe credit is due to Perrelet for helping to develop a new era of watch dial elements which literally move, but don’t have a true practical function. Here, movement is an artistic and emotional element as opposed to something actually being indicated or a view to a part of the movement. Originally, Perrelet’s double automatic rotor watches worked with a rotor on the dial of the watch as well as on the bottom of the movement (as is the case with most automatic movements). The idea was not only to reference that Perrelet was arguably the inventor of the automatic watch (sources somewhat differ on this point), but also to increase winding efficiency. The double automatic rotor concept birthed the Perrelet Turbine which was designed by Sebastien Perret (originally, at least) for the Perrelet brand. Perrelet did what most companies with a hit product do, and that is simply produce a series of versions and limited edition models around the same theme. Perrelet sort of overdid it with Turbine models, and that combined with a poor economy took out a lot of the brand’s momentum. What is odd is that despite Perrelet’s decent backing from the Festina Group, they are very quiet from a marketing perspective. Why is that important? Well, money into marketing is a very important element of making any luxury brand successful today. It just isn’t enough to have watches in stores anymore. I wrote more about the history of the Perrelet Turbine in the article I linked to above, so let’s get on with this hands-on experience with the Perrelet Turbine Skeleton model. There are actually six versions of it, and this particular model in steel with the leather strap is known as the reference A1081/1A. The case is 44m wide, which makes it a sort of mid-range sized Perrelet Turbine model. You have many of the traditional elements such as the PVD black-coated bezel and little “claws” on the bezel as well. The case also has a sort of hidden crown at 3 o’clock. It isn’t so much hidden, actually, as inset into the side of the case. The crown has a small fold-out handle which you can use to manually wind the watch as well as pull out the crown to adjust the time. The smooth, graceful lines of the Perrelet Turbine case have always been nice, and I feel that this timepiece collection still represents an appealing and distinctive look. Of course, the main attraction is the dial, and what is special about the Perrelet Turbine Skeleton is the “skeleton” part. Essentially, the dial has been removed (well at least the part right over the movement) and the mechanism can been seen through the spinning turbine blades. When spinning quickly, the visual effect is to see the movement easily, and when moving more slowly, the wearer can see a hint of the movement operating between the other elements of the dial. Yes, the Perrelet Turbine Skeleton concept is simple, but it is actually rather satisfying as well. In addition to viewing the Perrelet caliber P-381 automatic movement through the spinning blades, you might notice that the movement is fact skeletonized. It may not have the precious decoration of a much higher-end movement (I believe the P-381 is still based on the Soprod A-10), but it does look rather cool and the effect is there. The good news is that while this is totally a luxury watch, the price is on the lower end of what you might guess given similar “novelty” sport watches out there. With that said, I always tend to feel that with brands like Perrelet, shaving even more off the price is an excellent way to galvanize consumers – which is something these brands need a lot of today. Despite the playful and busy nature of the Perrelet Turbine Skeleton dial, Perrelet continues to ensure that legibility is something high on their priority list. The hands have wide sections of luminant and the hour markers are incredibly bold given the overall theme of the dial. As you can see, the hour markers and hands exist on a plane over the spinning turbine blades, which is why legibility is so well maintained. The Perrelet Turbine Skeleton isn’t a watch everyone needs, but it should be a watch that at least some people want. There is a huge amount of competition out there, and while the Perrelet Turbine collection along with these Skeleton models have a tough fight, there is certainly room for them. In addition to this comfy leather strap there is, of course, a rubber strap option as well. Again, this particular Perrelet Turbine Skeleton
Thu Mar 18, 2021 9:39 am
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