This Test Drive is brought to you by me, and this week we will be looking at the new Black Bay 39. Tudor really brought some good ones for the recent Watches & Wonders, and these are not the exception. You probably have encountered this line at the boutiques before, but the changes that Tudor brought to the table this time, make this watch very appealing. This variety of the Black Bay family, has everything going for them now. Great movement, great bracelet, great size and variety of sizes and dials.
Now, before we move on, I did not want to post this Test Drive. My approach is always to stay on the positive side of things. We have had enough negativity lately to keep adding wood to the fire. Well, without further comments, let’s get to it.
The Case
The case on the Black Bay Fixed Bezel (?) family, comes in four different sizes, 31, 36, 39 and 41. The one I am wearing here is the 39 version. Great size, and the sweet spot for a lot of people. Great combination of brushed and polished, make the watch standout quite a bit. Maybe a little too much for my taste. I know one complain that we might hear a lot from people is how the bezel is polished and not brushed. Well, it is what it is.
The Bracelet
The bracelet was comfortable for the few minutes I had it on. No hairs suffered while trying this watch on. One point against, is the polished surfaces. There are way to many polished surfaces on this watch. I really like the aesthetics of the bracelet, but again, the polished surfaces detract me from it.
The Dial
Plenty of dials to choose from, depending on your taste. Not as many choices as with an Omega Aquaterra but you can’t really complain here. The dial on this one, is a sunburst Silver, which pops a lot. Round hour markers and snowflake hour hand. Great visibility, no complains on that end for me. My complain is that it reminds me too much of a Dive watch. And maybe this is my biggest hesitation with this watch, the face tells me something that it isn’t.
The Movement
The movement is a piece of art. I mean, it is in-house, if you are into that. 70 hours of power reserve, automatic and Chronometer certified (COSC). The designation for the movement is MT5602. A variation of the MT5601 found in the Black Bay bronze. If you want more information about the movement, you can go to Tudor’s page HERE, or you can go to Caliber Corner HERE.
Final Thoughts
I like the watch, its presence is great, but the dive watch style hour markers and polished surfaces make this one, a no go for me. I saw this watch, literally, a few months back. I might be coming around to like it but not quickly enough. At least not quickly enough for me to love it. My closest comparison is the Fears Brunswick. I love the Fears Brunswick. The difference with the Brunswick is that it originally comes on a leather strap. Would I have loved it if it came on the bracelet, originally? Maybe not. Now, the shapes of the watches are obviously different, the whole package and each part, analyzed on this write up, are different. And maybe that’s why the Brunswick is more appealing, and it doesn’t make me doubt the polished surfaces.
I blamed it on the surfaces, the dial, and I can try to blame it on something else. But this one is not an option for me. Would I make a weird face if I see you with it, of course not. This is a great piece. The movement alone is a big deal. Is this watch for me though, not today, maybe I’ll change my mind in the future.
Thank you for stopping by,
DL