Thinking about buying a Tudor Black Bay Harrods edition?

Since its inception in 1946, Tudor has produced high-end watches with the wow factor, making them an instant hit. The Heritage Black Bay was one such model in 2012, bringing back the spirit of past Tudor watches, but with a new twist.

It was responsible for revitalising Tudor and launching the brand into the spotlight again. Adding the company's in-house movement to its Black Bay line in 2016 made fans even happier. The new COSC-certified MT5602 had enough power reserve to leave it untouched from Friday evening until Monday morning and still find it ticking.

With the available colours including red with gilt, blue bezel without gilt and the black bezel red triangle model, there was a good choice of design. The ETA versions, featuring the signature rose on the dial, became especially popular. Tudor gained more power on the market as a result.

Read our review of this highly collectable timepiece and learn why so many people have clamoured to buy one since its inception four years ago.

Should you buy a Tudor Black Bay Harrods?

If you like the watch, then yes, by all means, but there could be other reasons. You may consider this an investment watch, a collectors' item.

The green Tudor Black Bay Harrods first went on sale in 2017. It was limited in production and was sold only through London's famous luxury department store. Tudor fans went crazy for it from the outset.

Getting hold of one was difficult, because it was obtainable only at Harrods' Fine Watch Room, at a cost of around £2,840. This sent the fans wild and there was demand from all over the world.

The Tudor Black Bay Harrods edition features an olive green bezel, matching the trademark colour of the retailer's brand, while the tip of the second hand is also green. On the back of the watch, there is some special engraving. On the dial, the British aspect of the watch is reflected by the fact the feet read first, rather than metres.

Is there a waiting list for a Tudor Black Bay Harrods edition?

Yes, there is - and it could be a lengthy one - but you can always buy this watch via the pre-owned market. At the time of writing this article, you can put your name down at Harrods to buy one, but you may find yourself waiting at least 12 months before you're at the front of the queue.

The value of the pre-owned Harrods Tudor Black Bay increased considerably in 2020 and it began trending at almost twice the retail price. It suddenly became highly collectable. If you really want one, you're better off buying one now, before they become officially unavailable, which could cause the price to sky-rocket further.

The Tudor Black Bay Harrods is stunning and pretty different from anything else on the market. Is it worth two or three times its original retail price? If you really want one, the answer is yes. It will be interesting to see what happens with the Harrods Black Bay in the future and whether Tudor has any other collaborations in mind.

What are the specifications of the Tudor Black Bay Harrods edition?

The first Heritage Black Bay models had the reference number 79220, with a letter to represent the colour of the bezel. The three colours at the launch - blue, red and black - were represented by the letters B, R and N (Noir).

Initially, the Black Bay had a Tudor modified ETA movement. Then, in 2016, Tudor introduced a new reference, the 79230 range, after discontinuing the 79220 reference. The major change was the model's new in-house movement, replacing the earlier ETA movement.

Today, the Tudor Black Bay Harrod watch is powered by the in-house, calibre MT5602, COSC-certified, automatic winding movement. The main reason for this was to add value to the watch. Dive watches with an in-house movement in this price range are relatively few.

The case, bezel and dial remained almost the same, except for the printing on the dial. This was altered to reflect the fact the watch now had an in-house movement. In addition, the Tudor rose logo was changed to the more modern shield instead.

Although the case remained the same, the watch’s thickness increased slightly to make room for the movement. The Harrod edition also has a rivet bracelet with faux rivets, inspired by the bracelets of the vintage Tudor dive watches.

The case, made of 316L stainless steel, is 41mm in diameter, contrasting polished with brushed surfaces. It has a large crown, with no crown guards. It is equipped with a domed sapphire crystal. The special edition Harrods Black Bay reference is 79230G.

It has a gilt dial, with gold hands and markers and luminous cream-coloured luminous material. Because it is a Harrods edition, it makes sense that Tudor uses the department store's iconic green colour.

The other change is the depth rating being in feet first and not metres. The unidirectional, rotatable bezel has a matte finish and is also a striking green colour.

The watch has the famous "snowflake" hands that Tudor’s diving watches are known for. The back of the case has been engraved with a unique number, representing the individual watch's production number. Interestingly, nobody knows how many will be made and how high the numbers will go.

The finely brushed steel bracelet with faux rivets has further enhanced the Harrods edition's vintage appearance. However, it also comes with a dark fabric strap that has a green hue, matching the watch's theme.

The COSC-certified movement is regulated by a variable inertia oscillator with a silicon balance spring, beating at a frequency of 28,800 beats per hour, or 4Hz.

The increasing price could put the Tudor Black Bay Harrods edition out of your previous watch budget, so it may be worth selling a few pieces to add it to your collection if you love the watch.

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