Skeptical at First, Now Smitten: The Tudor Black Bay Chrono Carbon 25

Some watches immediately grab your attention and interest, while some never seem to catch your eye. Others might be a bait-and-switch: you love it at first, but when you get your hands on it, the love affair is short-lived. I’ve had it happen with a Hamilton Khaki Field Mechanical a while back. Loved it when it was released, bought one, only to sell it two months after. I just didn’t connect with it. It can also be the other way around, which was the case for one of Tudor‘s latest and most daring watches, the Black Bay Chrono Carbon 25. When the press release came in, I didn’t think much of it. “Just another Tudor Black Bay Chrono” was my initial thought. But when I got my hands on it, a few minutes at first and a couple of days later, things started to change rapidly! Allow me to explain…

Straight out of the gate, I have a thing for Tudor watches. One of my first big purchases in watch collecting was in fact a Black Bay 79220N, the one with the Smiley dial and ETA movement, with a black dial and bezel. And to this very day, I enjoy wearing that watch every second! While it is my only Tudor to date, it has permanently connected me to the brand, so I always have an above-average interest in what they are doing. But when this Black Bay Chrono Carbon 25 was released, I wasn’t convinced at first. In fact, I didn’t like it based on the press images! What was the issue, you ask? Simple: I have never been the biggest fan of co-branded and super-obvious themed watches, and to me, this ticked both boxes, in spite my love for Formula 1 as a sport. Sure, the branding of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls F1 team isn’t too in-your-face, but it’s there nonetheless. It’s the same reason I have never really liked watches tied to football teams, individual athletes and so on.

So what changed my mind with this one? Well, that’s a bit tougher to explain, but it comes down to a few things. First and foremost, the combination of black and white, mixed in with a touch of blue, simply works for me. The strong contrast between the colours is just cool, and it keeps the legibility and functionality of the Black Bay Chronograph right where they need to be. Then there’s the weight, or lack thereof, actually. Being made almost entirely of carbon fibre, it weighs next to nothing, for a chronograph at least. It’s a sizeable watch at 42mm across (1mm larger than a steel version) and 14.3mm in height, but it’s very wearable! For all the details and specs on this watch, I suggest checking out the initial write-up here.

Details such as the carbon fibre sub-dials and the carbon fibre date window might not immediately catch your eye, but upon closer inspection, it just works. It feels different from its steel siblings, and to me, that is a large part of the appeal. The colours, the weight, the textures, and the fact that this one has a very comfortable hybrid leather-rubber strap (with carbon end-links!) instead of a bracelet also help big time. With all other variations, you know exactly what you’re getting into. The collection has been around long enough for the vast majority of enthusiasts and collectors to have an idea what it’s like to own and wear. But this one… this one simply recalibrates your senses! And I like that, quite a lot actually!

A final note I want to share regards the price. On its own, the EUR 7,400 retail price seems quite steep. But compared to the EUR 5,930 sticker price of a regular stainless steel BB Chrono, things start to make sense. It’s still a good chunk of money (specifically when looking at the rest of the Tudor range), but you do get something extra in return: one of Tudor’s boldest and most daring watches to date! And that’s worth something in my book.

For more information, please visit www.tudorwatch.com.