Tudor Flamingo Blue: The Black Bay Chrono Guide

What Is the Tudor Flamingo Blue?

Tudor introduced the Black Bay Chrono Flamingo Blue in 2025 as a colour variant of its flagship chronograph. The reference is 79360N-0024, and the name “Flamingo Blue” comes from the vibrant turquoise dial colour — the same shade Tudor first used on the limited-edition Black Bay Fifty-Eight, which the community had already dubbed “flamingo.” Where that piece was a time-only diver, this one wraps the colour in a fully-featured chronograph package.

The Black Bay Chrono itself launched in 2017 as Tudor’s answer to the Rolex Daytona at a fraction of the price. Early versions used a modified Breitling B01 calibre, but since 2021 the entire line has run on Tudor’s own Manufacture Calibre MT5813, an in-house chronograph movement developed in collaboration with Kenissi, the movement manufacturer partly owned by Rolex and Tudor. The Flamingo Blue inherits every technical specification from the standard Black Bay Chrono; the only change is the dial and handset colour treatment.

In practical terms, this is a 41mm steel chronograph rated to 200 metres with a 70-hour power reserve and COSC certification — the same watch that has been winning comparisons against the best luxury sports watches in its price class, but now in a colour that stands out from every other chronograph on the market. For collectors who already own a panda or reverse-panda Black Bay Chrono, it is a difficult watch to ignore. For first-time buyers who want a conversation piece that is also a serious tool watch, it may be the version to get.

Full Specifications

The Flamingo Blue shares every dimension and technical specification with the rest of the Black Bay Chrono family. The only differences are the turquoise-blue dial, the contrasting black sub-counters, and the colour-matched seconds hand. Here is the full spec sheet for the 79360N-0024 reference.

In hand, the 14.2–14.4mm thickness is noticeable. This is a tall watch by any standard, though the case shape tapers and the lugs curve enough to keep it manageable on most wrists 7 inches and above. The five-link bracelet with T-fit clasp is one of Tudor’s strongest selling points — the micro-adjustment system lets you extend or shorten the bracelet by roughly 8mm in a second, without tools, which makes it genuinely comfortable across temperature changes and daily swelling.

The MT5813 Movement

The Manufacture Calibre MT5813 is the engine that makes the Black Bay Chrono worth taking seriously. It is an automatic chronograph movement built by Kenissi, the Swiss movement manufacturer in Le Locle that is co-owned by Tudor, Rolex, and Chanel. The MT5813 uses a column wheel to sequence the start, stop, and reset functions of the chronograph and a vertical clutch to engage the chronograph gear train without the “stutter” that lateral-clutch designs can produce when starting the seconds hand.

Column wheel and vertical clutch are the same design principles found in the Rolex Calibre 4130 that powers the Daytona, and the MT5813 shares its basic architecture with that movement. Tudor has never officially stated the extent of the shared DNA, but watchmakers who have serviced both note that the base plate layout, barrel, and gear train show unmistakable family resemblance. The key difference is finish: the MT5813 uses industrial-grade decoration rather than the hand-finishing that goes into a Daytona movement, which is one reason a Tudor Black Bay Chrono costs a third of a Daytona at retail.

The 70-hour power reserve is generous for a chronograph — most ETA or Valjoux-based chronographs deliver 42–48 hours. Combined with the COSC chronometer certification (which guarantees accuracy within −4/+6 seconds per day), the MT5813 sits comfortably in the top tier of sub-$10,000 chronograph movements, competing directly with Omega’s Co-Axial 9900 and Breitling’s B01. A full Tudor service costs roughly $500–$700, well below the $1,000+ that Omega and Rolex services typically command.

Pricing: Retail vs Market Reality

The gap between retail and secondary market is the single most important thing to understand about the Flamingo Blue right now. At an authorized dealer, this watch retails for around $5,875–$6,050 in the US (Tudor’s pricing varies slightly by region and by dealer). The problem is availability: most ADs have waiting lists, and walk-in availability is rare.

That secondary-market premium — roughly 50–90% above retail — is unusually high for a Tudor. Most Black Bay references trade at or slightly below retail once initial hype subsides. The question for prospective buyers is whether the Flamingo Blue will follow the same pattern as production catches up, or whether Tudor will keep supply deliberately constrained the way it has with certain Pelagos references. History suggests the premium will narrow over 12–18 months, but probably won’t collapse entirely as long as the colour remains popular.

Flamingo Blue vs Other Black Bay Chronos

Tudor currently produces five distinct Black Bay Chrono dial variants. All share the same 41mm steel case, MT5813 movement, and 200m water resistance. The difference is entirely aesthetic — but aesthetic differences drive significant price differences on the secondary market.

The takeaway is clear: the Flamingo Blue commands a substantial premium over every other Black Bay Chrono variant. Whether it keeps that premium depends on two things — Tudor’s production volume and the broader market appetite for coloured dials, which has been strong since the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Tiffany Blue started the trend in 2020. Among watches that hold their value, distinctive colour variants have generally outperformed neutral dials over the past five years.

How the Flamingo Blue Holds Value

It is too early to make definitive resale claims about a watch that has been in production for roughly 18 months. What we can say is that the early data is unusually strong for a Tudor. Most Tudor references settle at 85–95% of retail within their first two years on the secondary market. The Flamingo Blue, by contrast, is still trading well above retail — a pattern more commonly associated with Rolex sports models or Patek Philippe Nautilus references.

Three factors drive that premium. First, production volume: Tudor has kept the Flamingo Blue in relatively tight supply, which creates artificial scarcity even though it is not a numbered limited edition. Second, the colour trend: turquoise and blue-green dials have been the strongest performers in the secondary market for three consecutive years, across Rolex, Omega, and Patek alike. Third, the value proposition: the MT5813 is a genuinely excellent chronograph movement, and $6,000 retail for a COSC-certified, column-wheel, vertical-clutch chronograph on an integrated bracelet is difficult to beat.

The risk? If Tudor ramps up production significantly, the secondary-market premium could evaporate quickly. Tudor did this with the Black Bay Fifty-Eight, which initially traded above retail but now sits at or below. Buyers paying $10,000+ on the grey market should be aware that they are paying for current scarcity, not guaranteed future appreciation. If you can get one at retail from an AD, the downside risk is minimal — you are unlikely to lose money on this watch in the medium term.

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