Brand
Tudor Black Bay Ref. 79220R 'Smiley'
Was there a more popular new watch collection introduced in the 2010s than the Tudor Black Bay? This vintage-inspired dive watch helped relaunch the Swiss brand in the United States and many other international markets, in which it had been absent for years. It has ended up on countless wrists ever since its debut for its unbeatable combination of good looks, easy wearability, and accessible pricing.
Introduced in 2012 before being updated with an in-house movement in 2015, this Black Bay is both the first and last of its kind. It's the first of the Black Bay family, and the last of Tudor's long-running series of ETA-powered dive watches, which dates back to the 1950s with the original Tudor Submariner.
The Black Bay is vintage inspired, yes, but it isn't a direct reissue of any specific watch from Tudor's archive. Instead, it draws on aesthetic characteristics of vintage Tudor Submariners like the "big crown" and absence of crown guards seen on the ref. 7922 in 1954, and the "snowflake" handset of the 1967 ref. 7021. Tudor called on these elements, plus the use of the vintage Tudor Rose logo, and built on them with touches like the chocolate black-brown dial with gilt accents and modern dimensions of 41mm x 13mm.
If you've enjoyed any Tudor watches over the past decade, they likely owe some sort of debt to the success of the original Tudor Black Bay.
Here we have an original Tudor Black Bay from the collection's first generation, as indicated by the automatic ETA movement inside, the rose logo on the dial at 12 o'clock, the curved "SELF-WINDING" text at six o'clock, and the burgundy aluminum bezel insert.
This Tudor Black Bay is in overall excellent pre-owned condition, which indicates that there are signs of very light wear, possibly some small scratches on the case or bracelet. There are a few slight marks on the side case. The caseback has a few faint scratches and the back of the lugs show scratches from strap and/or bracelet removal. The case has been professionally refinished. During our quality control check, any necessary adjustments are made to ensure the watch is functioning as intended. The case is marked with the reference number "79220" and the serial number "J910XXX" on the rear case.
The dial, crown, case, movement, strap, and strap keeper are signed by Tudor. The papers are dated September 19, 2014 and match the serial number on the watch.
Hans Wilsdorf, the mastermind behind the Rolex brand, founded Tudor in 1946 with the mission to create watches with the same Rolex quality at a more attainable price. Throughout the remainder of the 20th century, Tudor worked to carve its own place in the industry, independent from its parent brand. In that time, Tudor built a reputation among military forces and began establishing some of its own signature design elements. In the new millenium, Tudor further exerted its position as one of the most prominent watch brands in the world with the debut of its first in-house movement in 2015. Since then, Tudor has remained a force to be reckoned with in the watch community and our culture.
