The Tudor Chronograph: The Underrated Workhorse of the Black Bay Line

In the world of luxury sports watches, Tudor has successfully carved out its own benchmark, moving well past the historic "poor man's Rolex" label. The brand now stands for high-quality, dependable products that prioritize the enthusiast. And nowhere is this philosophy more perfectly realized than in the Tudor Black Bay Chronograph 79360N.

Since its 2021 release, this watch has quietly cemented its status as one of the most underrated chronographs in its entire price segment. We dive into the genesis of this timepiece, how it holds up against its Black Bay siblings, and why it represents such a compelling purchase in today’s market.

The Origin Story: Merging Dive & Drive Heritage

The Black Bay line first captured the market with its stunning dive watches—pieces defined by oversized crowns, "snowflake" hands, and deep water resistance. The challenge for Tudor was integrating the complication of a chronograph, which is traditionally associated with racing and timing, without losing the signature Black Bay DNA.

The Ref. 79360N achieves a successful blended heritage. It takes the robustness and water-ready design of a dive watch and fuses it with the functionality of a racing timer. This creates a true tool watch that’s prepared for almost any scenario, whether you're timing laps or diving into the sea.

Design DNA: A Tool Watch Masterclass

The Black Bay Chronograph differentiates itself from its pure dive-focused siblings by its specific geometry and material choices, yet maintains the collection's unmistakable character.

Bridging Aesthetics

The watch utilizes a robust 41mm stainless steel case with beautifully satin-brushed lugs. Instead of the rotating dive bezel found on the standard Black Bay models, the Chronograph employs a fixed steel bezel topped with a matte black anodized aluminum insert featuring a tachymeter scale.

The dial configuration is key to the watch's appeal. It is available in two classic styles: Opaline with Black counters ("Panda") or Black with Opaline/Silver counters ("Reverse Panda"). Both achieve a great balance between vintage character and modern readability.

Wearability and Robustness

While chronographs often face criticism for being overly thick, the Black Bay manages its 14.4mm thickness (including the domed sapphire crystal) well. The consensus is that this thickness is appropriate for a rugged tool watch and doesn't impede wearability.

Crucially, the watch boasts specifications usually reserved for dedicated divers: 200 meters of water resistance (660 ft), secured by a screw-down crown and screw-down pushers. This elevates it above most racing chronographs, which often only offer 100m of resistance. Finished on an "Uber comfy" stainless steel bracelet with polished flanks and a slight taper, it offers supreme all-day comfort.

The Engine: An Unbeatable Workhorse Movement

The true game-changer and the reason the Black Bay Chronograph is a compelling value proposition is its engine: the Manufacture Calibre MT5813.

This COSC-certified automatic movement, developed in collaboration with Breitling (it's essentially based on the highly respected Breitling B01 movement), is a solid workhorse. This partnership grants the Tudor access to premium features usually found in much more expensive chronographs:

Advanced Chronograph System: Utilizes a column wheel and vertical clutch. These features ensure the chronograph starts and stops smoothly with no hand jump, offering superior operation and reliability.
70-Hour Power Reserve: The impressive three-day power reserve means you can take the watch off on Friday evening and find it still running on Monday morning.
Reliability & Guarantee: Includes a Silicon balance spring to counter magnetism and temperature changes. It is backed by a five-year transferable guarantee.

This mechanical specification makes the watch a legitimate competitor to chronographs costing two or three times its price.

Why It’s a Compelling Purchase Today

Tudor has successfully elevated the Black Bay Chronograph to a benchmark in the sub-$6,000 sports watch category. It offers a level of fit, finish, and mechanical sophistication that is extremely hard to match.

The value proposition is clear: with an official retail price typically around $5,950 USD on the steel bracelet, the 79360N is frequently highlighted as a significant value alternative to the Rolex Daytona. It provides a high-performance, COSC-certified column-wheel chronograph movement for a fraction of the price. The competitive secondary market, with prices generally ranging from $3,300 to $3,800 USD, further reinforces its strong position as an accessible luxury piece.

For the modern collector, the Tudor Black Bay Chronograph is the ideal all-purpose daily wear piece. It gives you the history, design character, and technical features of a luxury sports watch without the exorbitant price or painful scarcity of its famous cousin. It’s not a "show pony," but a dependable workhorse that delivers quality and performance above its pay grade.

In short, if you are looking for a high-performance, aesthetically pleasing, and technically advanced chronograph that you can genuinely wear every day, the 79360N is the answer.