Hands-On: The Tudor Black Bay Bronze

The latest Tudor Black Bay, in bronze, is the first Black Bay to have Tudor's in-house movement; it's also a (slightly) larger version of the Black Bay, at 43 mm as opposed to 41 for other models. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin (brass, incidentally, is a copper alloy as well, but of copper and zinc) and Tudor's added aluminum to the mix as well in order to control the amount of patina that forms, and the rate at which it was formed. (I asked Tudor if I might ask what the percentage of aluminum was, and the reply was "you can ask" lest we forget that Tudor is a Rolex company.)

The first visual impression I had of the Black Bay Bronze was certainly of a larger watch but I'm not sure I really felt it was larger than any of the steel Black Bay models (well, except for the 36 mm, of course). It's substantial, but not oppressively so – certainly not visually. Though the case is nominally bronze, it actually looks less coppery to me than other bronze watches I've seen; it's got a slight creaminess which I suppose is owing to the amount of aluminum in the mix (weirdly enough it looks rather like Lange & Söhne's honey gold).

The addition of aluminum also might have something to do with the fact that the watch doesn't feel particularly heavy – certainly not heavier than a comparable steel watch, either in the hand or on the wrist. I looked up the density of 316L steel vs. various bronze alloys and while some bronze alloys – most notably, bronze and phosphorous – are indeed slightly denser, in general bronze alloys are in the same general ballpark of around 7-8 grams per cubic centimeter (316L steel is 8 gm/cc).

Aluminum bronzes, by the way, are of all bronze alloys the most favored for marine applications, especially saltwater use; but the fact that they are more corrosion resistant than most bronzes makes them suitable for use anywhere high corrosion resistances is wanted. (Aluminum bronze is also resistant to colonization by barnacles, in case you plan on being underwater long enough for that to be a potential problem).

The finishing on the case manages to be very industrial and utilitarian in feel, as well as almost elegant – I don't think you'd want actual elegance, with everything it implies, in a dive watch made from a marine-grade bronze alloy, but there's no doubt that the brushed finish is really handsome, in the way that a very well made tool is handsome. In combination with the characteristic golden coloration of aluminum bronze, the effect is very visual rich. You certainly don't get the visual impression you'd get from an actual gold watch but the warmth and tactility of a gold object is certainly there.

One of the places you can see the lighter coloration of aluminum bronze more clearly is in comparing the case back to the rest of the watch. Bronze reacts readily with perspiration and can stain human skin, so it's standard operating procedure these days to make the case back of titanium or stainless steel. Tudor's using stainless steel with a PVD applied bronze coating and as a result, the case back actually has more of the characteristic coloration of conventional bronze than the rest of the watch.

Between the unexpectedly comfortable weight, the unexpectedly refined finish, and the unexpectedly pleasing golden hue of aluminum bronze, this is an unexpectedly comfortable watch to have on the wrist. There are no bright primary colors to contend with here – the warm palette Tudor's used gives the whole watch the feel of a well-worn vintage watch, without going over the line into obviously ersatz nostalgia-baiting.  

The Black Bay Bronze is nominally a Black Bay but the more time I spent with it, the more it felt like a sort of family of one – it's a very different watch in visual appeal and general feel, in certain key respects, from the rest of the Black Bay family; I'd almost go so far as to say that the 36 mm Black Bay has more in common with the other BBs than the Bronze. It feels different to me not only from the other Black Bays, but also from other bronze watches, and I don't think you should let yourself be put off from trying it on by the specs. Yes, it's larger, and sure, it's bronze, but this is one of those watches where the difference between what you might think from the spec sheet, and what you feel when you see it in the metal and wear it, is even more marked than usual.

Read our previous launch coverage of the Black Bay Bronze here, and visit Tudor right here.

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