Today i thought I’d finally share with you my take on the new Tudor Heritage Black Bay “Blue” from Baselworld 2014. But because the Tudor Heritage Black Bay “Blue” isn’t an entirely new watch, I thought it would be interesting to compare it with the original Black Bay from 2012.

And while the differences are purely cosmetic, the two have entirely different characters. Now I’m not going to try and push one or the other, I’ve already expressed how I feel about the original Tudor Black Bay, and it just so happens that my review of the one I actually picked it is by far the most viewed post (here) thus far on The Horophile.

Like the original Tudor Black Bay, the blue version takes inspiration from past Tudor Submariner models without being a remake of any one past reference. For example, you have the midnight blue bezel and snowflake hand from the 94110 and the round and baton hour markers from the 7928. But where the original burgundy bezel Black Bay tried really hard to look like a watch I might’ve found in a box along with my father’s long-forgotten belongings, the Black Bay “Blue” has a certain air of modernism.

The blue on the anodized bezel and crown ring is a deep midnight blue, far subtler than the burgundy bezel of the original Black Bay. I’m not sure whether it’s inspired by vintage Tudor Submariners that came with blue bezels, or black bezels that aged to blue, but the execution is fantastic. In spite of its metallic finish, it’s not as reflective a surface as you might think.

The dial on the Black Bay “Blue” is the same domed and matte-black dial as the original version, though if you look closely you’ll notice that the black on the blue version is a colder, blacker hue than that of the burgundy bezel version, which looks more faded with hints of dark brown and khaki when direct light hits it.

Instead of the gilt text, markers and hands from the original Black Bay, the blue version has silvery-white embellishments that give the dial a colder color temperature and more contemporary look.

And rather than the “faux aged tritium” creamy luminous paint on the original Black Bay, the blue version has a more natural white Super-Luminova that glows a slightly brighter bluish green.

And last but not least, let’s take a look at the strap. In my review of the original Black Bay, my only real complaint was against the leather strap. While the distressed look came out great in the photos I had seen prior to buying the watch, in real I was disheartened when I actually handled it. It wasn’t distressed at all, just painted to give that impression. Even though the blue strap on this version has the exact same treatment, it somehow looks way better. There’s something about the way the lighter blue crackles add a more vibrant touch of color, making the blue accents throughout the watch stand out that much more.

Again, I think the blue Black Bay Blue is a totally different watch from the original. It’s a lot less eye-catching with its darker and subtler tones, and is definitely a great alternative for those who like the retro styling of the original Black Bay but prefer something a bit more modern and discreet.

The Tudor Black Bay Blue will be priced exactly like its burgundy sister, that’s $3’100 on the strap and $3’425 for the metal bracelet option. Both come with an additional blue NATO strap.

So, which one would you go for?

More information on www.tudorwatch.com

Special thanks to my friends at Watchonista for making this post possible.