Switzerland based Bucherer has long held a reputation as one of Europe’s most respected retailers of watches and jewelry. With 36 locations, including their historic flagship in Lucerne and their Parisian outpost, which is the largest watch and jewelry store in the world, it’s been reported that they are the continent’s biggest seller of high-end timepieces.
To celebrate their 130th anniversary in 2018, they launched Bucherer Blue, a series of collaborations with luxury watchmakers and lifestyle brands centered around the signature hue.
While the initiative has resulted in some seriously drool-worthy pieces, they were only available in Europe — until now. As of 1 p.m. Friday, January 22, one of our absolute favorite watches from the collection, the Tudor Black Bay Bronze Bucherer Blue, will be available stateside exclusively at Tourneau.
The Tudor Black Bay is a watch that at this point needs no introduction. Originally launched in 2012 as a faithful homage to Tudor’s legendary vintage Submariners, it was the watch that not only put Tudor back on the map in a big way, but also arguably kickstarted the trend for vintage-inspired sport watches that’s still raging today. With its chunky 43mm case, domed bezel and in-house movement, the Black Bay has always offered a staggering amount of watch for the money. It has been the basis of numerous special editions, but the Bucherer Blue model is one that really stands out.
The idea of a bronze alloy case is not unique to the Bucherer Blue, as Tudor introduced the Heritage Black Bay Bronze in 2016. But while that case was in a proprietary alloy that gave the watch a unique dark patina — as opposed to the greenish tint taken on by most Bronze-cased divers — when used as intended, the default combo of a coppery brown bezel and dial never really “popped.” But the Bucherer Blue model lends their signature blue to the bezel and dial, creating a combination that is truly pleasing to the eye.
Adding to the appeal is Tudor’s storied history with blue tones in their watches, specifically the Oyster Prince Submariner ref. 7021 from 1969. This was the combo applied to the legendary milspec dive watches issued to France’s navy, the Marine National.
While the Black Bay Bucherer Blue also comes with a distressed brown leather strap, the cherry on top is the unique-to-this-model blue and beige woven jacquard strap; a copy of a strap found on an original naval submariner that a clever sailor had fashioned out of a French Military parachute. The Tudor Black Bay Bucherer Blue was a huge hit when it was released in Europe and will undoubtedly be met with the same enthusiasm here in the States.
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