Inside the Black Bay Chrono is the self-winding movement MT5813, which TUDOR has named its in-house chronograph movement. But it was actually developed and manufactured for TUDOR by Breitling. TUDOR was very transparent about this fact at the time of its launch. the MT5813 uses Breitling’s main chronograph movement, the caliber B01 – available for the Navitimer, Chronomat, etc. – as its base. This means a column-wheel chronograph mechanism with a vertical clutch. And a silicon balance spring.
But this is not a pure Breitling movement exact replica watch. It uses a balance wheel with adjustable moments of inertia, proprietary to TUDOR. And a surface treatment. It is also chronometer-certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Institute. It’s worth noting that the Chronomat with a similar movement retails for slightly more than $8k. The Tudor, on the other hand, is more competitively priced.
This is undoubtedly one of the reasons why the Black Bay Chrono is proving so popular. So much so that TUDOR has released two new and improved versions of the Panda for 2021. Now let’s take a quick look at them. 
This is the new Black Bay Chrono Ref 79360N. There are two versions to choose from. One with a panda dial (white with black sub-dials). The other is a reverse panda dial (black with white sub-dials). They replace the original all-steel model, which is no longer in the collection. But there’s more going on here than simply a change in dial color scheme.
First of all, the clever redesign of the case makes these Black Bay chronographs the thinnest versions to date. At 14.2 mm thick, it still isn’t anywhere near as thin mind you. But compared to the previous case thickness of 14.9 mm, this is a big improvement. And it’s an acceptable range for a sporty chronograph like this one. It also looks slimmer thanks to the use of an arched sapphire crystal. The case diameter remains unchanged at 41 mm. This means that the Black Bay Chrono is still a fairly tall copy watch on the wrist. But it’s also what you’d expect from a rugged chronograph. Especially one that can also be used as a dive watch – in a sense.
As mentioned earlier, there are two new dial configurations to choose from. Both use contrast to help improve readability over the original version. Tudor has already introduced contrasting sub-dials on the S&G models, so they know they are a winner. Plus, the panda (and reverse panda) dials look cool. Just ask any Paul Newman fan.
Of course, the dial isn’t perfect and there are some criticisms. One is that the white hands can be very lost on a white dial, and in some cases can be more difficult to read. Another is the continuation of the original model. That is that the snowflake-shaped hour hand blocks the 45 minutes counter between 1:30 and 4:30. I say blocking, but it would be more accurate to say that it “partially obscures”. Neither is a big deal in my opinion but to each his own.
Another welcome change is the new matte black anodized aluminum bezel insert. It comes with a silver tachymeter scale. This is a big improvement over the original, which if you recall, had a matching brushed steel bezel. This not only made it harder to read, but it also made the case look larger than it was. Now you can get a nice frame effect, especially on the Panda dial version. Though undeniably, it also now looks more like a vintage Rolex Daytona. especially with the red lettering on the depth rating. No doubt this is intentional, not that there’s anything wrong with it.
As a Tudor, the Black Bay Chrono offers good versatility in terms of bracelet/strap options. There is a stainless steel bracelet. Inspired by the folding studded straps made by Tudor in the 1950s and 1960s. There is black jacquard woven strap. Finally, there is an aged black leather bundle strap with lavender stitching and a folding clasp. Very much in the spirit of “1970s racing”. I’m not sure I could pull it off, but it does look cool.
Inside is the Manufacture chronograph Movement MT5813. This is the same movement that was developed in collaboration with Breitling as discussed above. And it debuted in the original 2017 version. Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that. The movement has proven itself to be a reliable and powerful workhorse. Not to mention accurate, as its chronometer certification attests. And a 70-hour power reserve is hard to beat in a watch at this price point.
