A sister brand to the incomparable luxury watch brand Rolex, Tudor has been keeping the watch world busy for years. The company presents a thoroughly appealing range of high-quality watches, including the Tudor Black Bay Chrono. A watch that immediately comes to mind for many watch fans when talking about Tudor. The question for us is: is the Tudor Black Bay Chrono model a watch that is suitable as a value investment? What distinguishes the hyped timepiece and how is its price likely to develop? We will address this issue in the following article and also provide information about which other Tudor watches stand out due to their stable value.
Important information about the Tudor Black Bay Chrono
Before we take a detailed look at the value of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono watch, we would first like to introduce the model of the Swiss watch brand in more detail. It is a stylish timepiece with "Black Bay" typical diver's watch impact in the design. Available with stainless steel case and bracelet and incredibly elegant gold accents on the strap, crown, pushers and bezel, among others, the noble watches measure 41 mm in diameter and come standard with the manufacture caliber MT5813 with 70-hour power reserve.
Water resistant to 200 meters and equipped with a safety folding clasp, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono gives you the feeling of "pure luxury" at first sight. The watch is available with a dial in matte black, discreet white or extravagant gold, has indices in silver and is equipped with a tachymeter scale. Behind the domed sapphire crystal, the hands and hour markers are coated with luminous material, which makes it easy to read the time even in adverse lighting conditions.
Like all models in the Tudor Black Bay line, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono is characterized by precision that can stand comparison with Rolex, the highest quality and meticulous workmanship of top materials. Incidentally, its similarity to the iconic Rolex Daytona quickly earned Tudor's Black Bay Chrono the nickname "Baytona" among fans.
Is it worth investing in a Tudor Black Bay Chrono?
Among the brands known for their value stability and for almost exorbitant price increases on the secondary market, Rolex is at the forefront. Those who invested in a popular Rolex watch model years ago - such as a Rolex Daytona - can now, in many cases, enjoy an exceedingly rich return on their investment. But what about Tudor in this regard? After years of being overshadowed by its "big sister" Rolex and having to listen to its watches being referred to as "poor man's Rolex," the Swiss brand has now managed to establish itself independently in the market and gain a certain popularity.
In the eyes of many watch lovers, Tudor today stands for innovative novelties, bold designs and a colorful assortment that caters to many tastes. Of course: in a direct comparison with Rolex, Tudor still lands in second place. But it is not the brand's ambition to outstrip the big name Rolex. Rather, Tudor is increasingly targeting a younger audience, which it knows how to convince with a successful mix of top quality and an almost unbeatable price-performance ratio.
The question of whether it is worth investing in a Tudor Black Bay Chrono must be answered with an unsatisfactory "yes". Some connoisseurs of the watch scene suspect that the Tudor Black Bay Chrono could become one of the brand's most sought-after watches in the coming years and thus increase in value. Others believe that the model's potential for value growth is very limited at best and advise against investing in it. Realistically, it can be stated that Tudor watches - somewhat different from the significantly more expensive Rolex timepieces - are not necessarily intended as an investment object to be admired in the display case, but as a utility item to be worn in everyday life. And on the occasion of its outstanding functionality, the Tudor Black Bay Chrono is actually also much too good to be only admired and not used.
In short, an investment in the Tudor Black Bay Chrono may turn out to be worthwhile in a few years, but enormous price jumps are not to be expected for this exquisite chronograph as things stand.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono price development
In order to be able to assess the potential of an increase in value of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono models a little better, we now take a closer look at the price development.
Current price
The prices of watches - especially if they are very popular products - must always be considered from two sides. On the one hand, there is the cost point according to the list, i.e. the price that the manufacturers set for the watches. This is what you pay if you buy a model directly from the manufacturer. However, depending on demand and availability, a purchase from the manufacturer may be associated with long waiting lists, so you may need time and patience. If a watch is not immediately available from the manufacturer, you can also turn to the secondary market instead. However, you have to expect significantly higher prices there. After all, poor availability at the manufacturer already indicates that the demand for the watch exceeds the current supply on the market.
Compared to Rolex watches, Tudor models are quite available. Nevertheless, you may have to put up with a certain waiting period at Tudor as well. According to the list, a Black Bay Chrono costs around €5,000. The new Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G chronographs with the classy gold-heavy look are listed even more expensive at €6,100 to €7,450. Nevertheless, it is a fair price, especially considering the reliable movement, high-quality materials and timeless designs of the models.
On the free market, the prices are currently somewhat higher on average and you have to pay about 200 € to 500 € above list price for the watches. This is certainly due to the current popularity of the entire Black Bay collection. Surprisingly, some of the S&G watches can be bought for less than the list price - so bargain hunters have a chance here.
Price development in the coming years
Basically, it is always difficult to make general statements about the future price development of timepieces. Why is that? That is quickly explained: Numerous factors have an effect on the value attributed to a watch on the market. These include availability, demand and the development of design-related watch trends over the years. All factors that can change abruptly and are therefore difficult to assess. Nevertheless, there are points that can be looked at more closely to get a better idea of the situation and the likelihood of a watch increasing in value in the future.
There are indeed several aspects that speak for a price increase of the Tudor Black Bay Chronograph. A watch emblazoned with the Tudor logo should not be a bad investment in principle, given the growing popularity of the brand. With the classy bezels, the various tasteful color combinations and especially the high-quality movement, the models are quite timeless items that are unlikely to go "out of fashion" too quickly. Reviews also attest to a high level of customer satisfaction, while the good sales figures also speak for themselves. These are all points that suggest that the watches have the potential to increase in value.
On the other hand, we have repeatedly seen in the past how the hoped-for price increase for real investment favorites has failed to materialize or at least been a long time coming. Investing in a watch - even if it is a Rolex with an enormously stable value - is therefore ultimately always associated with a certain risk. One should be aware of this before buying a model from the Tudor Black Bay series as an investment.
What other Tudor watches are stable in value?
Tudor has a few more watches in its range that shine with value stability. Finally, we would like to talk about them briefly:
Black Bay GMT
The Black Bay GMT watch, which costs between €3,500 and €5,200, is sometimes compared to the GMT Master and is sometimes available in a chic bicolor variant with a two-tone bezel reminiscent of the Rolex "Pepsi". This particular watch was relaunched at the Watches & Wonders 2021 watch show and has been the talk of the town ever since. Inside the Tudor Black Bay GMT ticks a caliber MT5652, which knows how to impress with a 70-hour power reserve. Equipped with a stainless steel or robust textile strap, the Black Bay GMT makes a particularly sporty impression, which is additionally underlined by the straightforward, no-frills dial.
Black Bay Pro
Among the new additions to the Black Bay collection is the Black Bay Pro, which is listed to retail for between €3,700 and €4,100. The watch with black dial and luminous indices presents itself in a solid stainless steel case and is available with metal, textile or rubber-leather strap. Water resistant to 200 meters, the Black Bay Pro with screw-down crown is powered by a caliber MT5652 and also has 70 hours of power reserve.
Vintage watches from Tudor
If vintage watches are an option, it's worth taking a look at this selection from the Tudor product portfolio:
Tudor Chronograph
Precise, reliable, and charming, an older-age Tudor chronograph is one of the most value-stable Tudor timepieces and trades for an astoundingly high price on the secondary market - at least when the product is in good condition.
Tudor Submariner
The Tudor Submariner, which has been part of the watch brand's lineup for many decades, is a solid diver's watch that scores extremely well in the area of value stability. Reissued several times over the years, Tudor's Submariner is now available in a wide range of different models, with the older generations only available for purchase on the secondary market.
Conclusion
From the Black Bay Chronograph, to the Black Bay Pro and GMT versions, to the respective S&G variants, the Tudor Black Bay collection includes plenty of models that will make watch lovers go into raptures. There's no question about it: each model looks authentic and noble, scores with quality and reliability, and makes a top figure purely visually. Accordingly, there is much to suggest that investors who back one of the Chrono models can look forward to value stability and a possible price increase in the future. How the value of the coveted Tudor models will actually develop, however, remains to be seen. But one thing is already certain: thanks to the high quality, excellent workmanship, great functionality and elegant, timeless look, hardly any watch fan will regret buying a Tudor Black Bay.