Tudor has been on a roll this year with new additions to the Black Bay Chronograph collection. Just a few weeks ago, they dropped a new addition to its Black Bay Chronograph lineup: the Blue Boutique Edition. Since I recently picked up the pink dial variant, naturally I wanted to get my hands on the blue and see how it stacks up against my current favorite. Both models bring something unique to the table, but should you go out of your way to pick up either? Let me see if I can encourage some of ya’ll to come to the dark side with me!

Starting with the classic (and widely available) Black Bay Chronograph, I had a chance to wear the white panda version a few months ago, and while I appreciated its solid build and good looks, something about it wasn’t quite right. I’ll be the first to admit that I am attracted to the Black Bay Chrono because of its similarities to its “big sister” chronograph, the Rolex Daytona. Since I’m not willing to pay gray market prices and getting one at retail is a grail move in itself, I’ve always considered the BB Chrono a solid alternative. 

I was super excited Tudor lent me the white panda as I had never gone hands on with one for more than 5 minutes. Upon putting it on my wrist I was totally down with the look of the thicker chronograph but something just wasn’t sitting right (literally). The oyster bracelet just felt too heavy for my taste and bulky in nature. I also found the lack of on-the-fly adjustability frustrating in the summer heat. I decided to switch it up by putting the watch on an Everest Rubber Strap, and wow, what a difference! It transformed the watch completely, making it much more wearable for daily use. This gave me hope that should I get one, I would likely go for that new 5-link bracelet with the T-fit claps from Tudor and this would be perfect. But sadly, Tudor AD’s weren’t really open to selling the bracelet separately in this case. 

Then, came my journey to acquiring the limited production pink dialed Tudor Black Bay Chrono. Nothing had really changed from the previous generation other than the new dial color and it came on a new bracelet, both features I immediately fell in love with. I knew this was going to be an instant hit and it sure was. It truly seemed for several weeks that this watch was potentially going to be harder to get than a Rolex Daytona [gulp]. 

Prices were already soaring on the gray market and I had only really known one other person who immediately was able to get one, my friend Vu. While Vu insisted I would absolutely love it,  I still refrained from putting my name down as I really wanted to go hands-on with one before making that call. Right after my time with the white panda version, I started to call my list of dealers and while it did take some time —think multiple dealer lists and a six-hour round trip drive to Indiana— I finally got one. I’ve been completely over the moon with it and yes… the pink is a bit “Pepto” in color but I find it beautiful and surprisingly versatile with my outfits. I haven’t wanted to take it off. While being 14.4mm thick and weighing 165 grams, it’s not a super light watch by any means, but I’ve found this isn’t an issue on my 6.5 inch wrist on the 5-link bracelet. It wears like any other sports watch in my collection if I’m being honest. I also found it refreshing to have a chronograph that offers a softer, more feminine option while still being a tough sports watch, something that I still think is hard for many brands to grasp. 

Now, let’s talk about the star of the show: the Blue Boutique Edition. This new release features a stunning sunburst blue dial that Tudor absolutely nailed. It shares the same great specs as my pink version, including the five-link bracelet, but with a more universally loved dial color. This version is listed as limited to Tudor Boutiques (of which I counted 11 in the US). No word on how available these will be. If it’s anything like the pink version, I have a feeling you ought to get your name down for one early if you’re interested as it could be a while. I think the blue is equally as cool as the pink and like previously mentioned, maybe more versatile in color. I will point out that I found that the silver subdials could be a bit hard to read at a glance due to the lack of contrast from their polished hands. Despite this, the blue version has undeniable mass appeal and is bound to be popular.

In closing, I think both the blue and pink Tudor Chronographs are fantastic pieces, each with its own unique charm. If you’re lucky enough to find one, I highly encourage you to snag it—these editions are limited, and who knows how long they’ll be around. Personally, I’m thrilled to have at least one in my collection, and I don’t think you can go wrong with either. I’d really love to see Tudor offer the 5-link bracelet on the other models as I think it really changes the game with how they wear on the wrist.  Let me know in the comments which one you’d pick! Until next time, happy watch hunting!