As I explained in my last piece, I am something of a Black Bay collector myself (picture the meme), having fallen for the 79220N Heritage Black Bay in 2015. Prior to this, however, I had already decided two years previously that I would buy a Rolex Submariner one day, somehow. Today, I want to focus on the 79220N Heritage Black Bay, the 79000N Black Bay 54 and the 124060 Submariner in my collection.
I found my way into watch collecting in 2014, with the ubiquitous SKX009J. I agonized over spending a “huge” £135 on that watch for days, after scouring the reviews and forums, before pulling the trigger from a certain Asian website. This was where it all began, and for a time, I was satisfied with this fan-favourite diver. 2014, coincidentally, was the year that Tudor came back to the UK, after its global hiatus and slow return to other markets from 2010. I remember seeing the 79220R Burgundy Black Bay for the first time and thinking – “Eww”. It was a gaudy colour, and the hour hand was a stupid shape! Some forgotten cousin of Rolex? ETA-2824 calibre? £2330? No thank you, sir, I have ALL THE SEIKOS to buy, which I promptly set about doing.