Bronze Watches.  Let’s get this out of the way…right away.  Bronze is a material that people SHOULD make watches from!! Bronze watches SHOULD NOT be a fad or something that fades away with time.  Why, you ask?  Bronze is the world’s first metal alloy. Early history is full of man using this important metal to further society, make advances in tools, and “shape” time.  Therefore the use of this metal in a watch is so appropriate as a nod to nostalgia and history.  Not to mention the obvious connections of a dive watch with the use of bronze in naval applications.  With all of that being said, let us consider horology’s greatest bronze watch, the Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze.  

Ok…maybe I tipped my hand a bit with that last sentence. There are a few other nice higher end watches that are bronze (Panerai, IWC, Oris) but seriously, this is the watch that any person who desires to own a bronze watch should be eyeing up.  For starters, the Tudor Black Bay Bronze has the look.  The face of the watch uses the popular design elements from the Black Bay Heritage line that have been widely popular (for good reason).  However, it takes the design up a little by adding “Exploreresque” 3-6-9 Arabic numerals.  The warm brown dial fluctuates between a deep chocolate and a golden honey in different lights.  The gilt hands, markers, and chapter ring add sophistication to this tool watch. The brown bezel has the most satisfying 60 crisp clicks that I have ever listened to on a watch.  The original brown leather strap comes with a personality and patina that develops quickly just like the watch itself.  The watch also wears extremely well with its included fabric strap. This jacquard strap is probably the best fabric strap out there. The factory that makes them in France makes cloth for the Pope, so if it is good enough for the Pope…right? 

Next up, the features.  This watch is fitted with the Tudor caliber MT5601 which is the second in-house movement from Tudor. It features a 70 hour power reserve and a silicon balance spring, both features which should make people in the know take notice and realize the value in this timepiece.  When I wear my watch consistently, I can go a week without losing a single second.  The lume on this watch is the best that I own and literally glows like a nightlight.  Add in the wonderful slightly domed sapphire crystal and this watch is clearly not a novelty, it deserves a cherished place in the watch world. 

Let’s get to the criticism. The watch is “big” at 43mm. It is “thick” at 15mm. It is “heavy” at 94grams.  If you want a toolish dive watch, these dimensions really shouldn’t be problems.  But for the very thin-wristed…maybe it is.  I was also concerned about all the talk about the scale of the BBB before I bought it.  I went and tried it on, and that was all it took to sell me.  The watch felt perfect for what it is, a dive watch inspired by history and made from an ancient metal.  Some will also criticize the way the watch case will patina.  Folks, I am sorry, that is the BEST part of this watch.  The way that the case darkens and changes over time is an absolute delight. It is made of a particular bronze that doesn’t do a whole lot of the “green” thing, but instead oxidizes into a beautiful, unique, and ever-changing lusterless metal.  

Do not shy away from the beauty of a bronze watch.  If you are looking for the best that bronze can offer, look no further than the original Tudor Heritage Black Bay Bronze. This, now discontinued watch, checks all the boxes for a soon-to-be-classic horological benchmark.