As always, BaselWorld is full of delights and the 2017 edition unfolds with some unexpected surprises. Of course, the day started off somber, with the shooting in Basel still fresh in people’s minds and the terror attack in London of course. We were at the Tudor presentation and were still learning details of the attack; later in the day, as we finished our day at the Rolex media gathering, some of us wondered out loud if the heavy security at the event was for our safety. BaselWorld itself features the usual unobtrusive security, although the police presence was noticeable.

In happy news though, Tudor stunned us at that 9am briefing with the Heritage Black Bay Chrono, which uses a calibre based on the Breitling in-house B01 movement. Tudor announced that it was using the B01 movement, with some important modifications, while Breitling would be using the Tudor in-house automatic movements. For fans of chronograph movements who wonder if the B01 is really all that impressive, there can be no better sign of quality and reliability when another brand — Tudor no less — decides to use it. In other words, the B01 just received a massive validation and Breitling gets an independent supply of quality automatic movements, allowing them to keep their accessible pricing in place. Speaking of which, the Black Bay Chrono is priced at CHF4,800, with a steel bracelet. A friendlier price for a manufacture chronograph is hard to find (impossible as far as we know but we can’t confirm that at this moment). At Breitling, we see the impact of the Tudor movements in the new SuperOcean Heritage II, which now benefits from a five-year warranty.