Key Highlights
- 39mm case in 316L stainless steel, 13.1mm thick, 47mm lug to lug
- COSC-certified Manufacture Calibre MT5813 with column-wheel, vertical clutch and 70-hour power reserve
- Domed yellow dial with hollowed black sub-counters and redesigned Snowflake hands
- Fixed black anodised aluminium bezel insert with tachymetric scale
- New three-link steel bracelet with T-fit rapid adjustment clasp (8mm window, no tools required)
- Waterproof to 200 metres; five-year transferable guarantee without registration
- Swiss retail price: CHF 5,500 (VAT included)
Distinctive Traits
The “Bumblebee” sits within TUDOR’s Daring Watches collection, joining the “Pink” and “Flamingo Blue” Black Bay Chrono 39 references. The vivid yellow domed dial is the centrepiece, framed by two hollowed black sub-counters that create an immediate graphic contrast. This is not restraint — it is deliberate provocation in the best tradition of TUDOR‘s 1970 Oysterdate chronograph and the yellow “Tiger” of the 1990s.
Design & Mechanics
The 39mm case retains the signature Black Bay vocabulary: satin-brushed and polished surfaces, bevelled lugs, and a TUDOR shield-signed crown. At 13.1mm, the profile is noticeably slimmer than its 41mm predecessor. The pushers draw on second-generation TUDOR chronograph design, finished with a new knurling pattern that purists will register immediately.
The Snowflake hands, a brand hallmark since 1969, have been reworked specifically for this reference to improve legibility against the bright dial. Grade A Swiss Super-LumiNova covers each hand. The fixed bezel carries a tachymetric scale in a black anodised aluminium insert — functional, period-correct, and visually coherent with the dial palette. The Black Bay Chrono Carbon 26 takes a different material direction, but the Bumblebee makes the strongest chromatic statement in the chronograph family.
Movement & Materials
Inside sits Manufacture Calibre MT5813, derived from the Breitling Calibre B01 and developed in collaboration between the two brands, with a high-precision regulating organ and exclusive finishes by TUDOR. The movement is COSC-certified, but TUDOR applies a tighter in-house standard: the fully assembled watch must achieve -2/+4 seconds per day, against COSC’s allowance of -4/+6 seconds on an uncased movement.
The silicon balance spring, 41 jewels, 28,800 vph frequency, and approximately 70-hour power reserve are complemented by a tungsten monobloc openwork rotor with satin-brushed and sand-blasted details. Every watch is assembled at TUDOR’s Le Locle Manufacture, completed in 2021, and connected directly to the Kenissi movement production facility.
Who It Is For
The Bumblebee is a collector’s choice for those who want sports-watch credibility without tonal compromise. At 39mm it flatters a broader range of wrists than the previous generation, and the bold dial reads as confidently under the GCC sun as it does at a circuit. The new three-link bracelet, with ceramic ball-bearing clasp and a tool-free 8mm adjustment window, addresses everyday wearability without sacrificing finish quality.
Buyers who prefer quieter references will find their footing with the Black Bay Ceramic or the Black Bay 54 Tudor Blue. The Bumblebee is for a different temperament entirely. The five-year transferable guarantee, requiring neither registration nor periodic maintenance checks, extends the value proposition well beyond the CHF 5,500 entry point.
The Watch in Context
TUDOR’s chronograph lineage is over five decades old, beginning with the Oysterdate in 1970 and running through a continuous series of technical improvements. The Black Bay Chrono 39 Bumblebee does not discard that heritage — it wears it differently. Yellow has appeared before on TUDOR chronographs. This time, it arrives with a manufacture movement, a slimmer case, and a bracelet engineered to match the ambition of the dial.
The result is a sports chronograph that occupies a clear position: technically serious, visually uncompromising, and priced for genuine accessibility within the Swiss manufacture segment.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the case size and thickness of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 Bumblebee?
The Black Bay Chrono 39 Bumblebee measures 39mm in diameter, 13.1mm thick, with a 47mm lug-to-lug span. It is housed in 316L stainless steel with polished and satin-brushed finishes.
What movement powers the Black Bay Chrono 39 Bumblebee?
The watch runs on TUDOR's in-house Manufacture Calibre MT5813, a COSC-certified self-winding chronograph with a column-wheel construction, vertical clutch, silicon balance spring, and approximately 70 hours of power reserve. TUDOR holds this movement to a tighter standard than COSC requires, limiting variance to -2/+4 seconds per day on the fully cased watch.
What is the retail price of the Tudor Black Bay Chrono 39 Bumblebee?
TUDOR lists the Black Bay Chrono 39 Bumblebee at CHF 5,500 including VAT at Swiss retail.
Which collection does the Black Bay Chrono 39 Bumblebee belong to?
It sits within TUDOR's Daring Watches collection, alongside the "Pink" and "Flamingo Blue" Black Bay Chrono 39 references. The collection is defined by expressive dial colours paired with the established Black Bay architecture.
What makes the Bumblebee different from other Black Bay Chrono models?
The Bumblebee adopts a smaller 39mm case (thinner at 13.1mm), a vivid yellow domed dial with black sub-counters, redesigned Snowflake hands for improved sub-dial legibility, second-generation-inspired knurled pushers, and a new three-link steel bracelet with smooth link sides and the T-fit rapid adjustment clasp.
