Over the past few years Tudor have steadily been expanding their range of colourful, summer ready watches. In fact, there are now so many that they’ve given the series the official subcollection name ‘Daring Watches’. That includes 2024’s Chrono Pink, 2025’s Chrono Blue Flamingo, the Black Bay Chrono Carbon 26 and also the Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue. The latest model to join the series is the Black Bay Chrono 39 “Bumblebee”, which not only introduces a new dial colour but also a brand-new case sizing for the BB Chrono.
Let’s jump straight to the dial, which is the most visually sticking aspect of the watch. It features a bright, bright yellow base with bicompax chronograph subdials in black. Conceptually, it falls into the same style of colourway as the iconic panda chronograph, where the base is white and the subdials are also black. Where the panda looks like the face of the bear, the bumblebee looks like the head of a bumblebee with their large, black eyes. Beyond the colours it retains the usual Black Bay Chrono markings with lumed, circle hour markers, a peripheral chronograph seconds scale and a date window at 6 o’clock.
While the yellow will be what everyone latches onto at first, the most meaningful change presented in the new watch is actually the size. The existing Black Bay Chronograph collection is entirely 41mm in diameter with a 14.4mm thickness but the Black Bay Chrono 39mm reduces that to 39mm x 13.1mm. That’s a pretty substantial reduction in size, making the watch feel truly unisex while also keeping up with the current popularity of smaller sizes. I also like that it’s a more subtle connection to the Bumblebee nickname because it’s small, like a bumblebee.
Inside the watch is the calibre MT5813, which is the same movement used in the larger model as well. It uses automatic winding with a 70-hour power reserve and is COSC chronometer certified, providing good reliability. We’re still waiting for a METAS master chronometer in the chronograph line but given Tudor’s rate of development recently, I would be surprised if we see one in the next few years.
A side effect of the smaller dimensions is that the five-link bracelet used on the Chrono Pink and Chrono Blue Flamingo doesn’t fit. As such, it’s fitted with a new three-link steel bracelet that suits the sporty vibe of the collection really well. There are a few other small updates in a similar vein across the watch as well – the snowflake hands have been tweaked for legibility, and the knurling of the chronograph pushers has been updated for improved grip.
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 “Bumblebee” is priced at £5,270. That’s £190 less than its 41mm counterparts at £5,460. That feels like a token difference in price that acknowledges that they’re practically the same watch and in theory could be the same price but also it feels bad as a customer when smaller watches have the same price as bigger watches. It’s also not so great a difference in price that it will stop you from choosing whichever colour or size you personally prefer. So, the question for you is are you choosing the Pink, Blue Flamingo or 39 Bumblebee?
Price and Specs:
More details at Tudor.
