This Tudor Black Bay Smiley review, from Precision Watches, an Authorized Tudor Dealer near Philadelphia, takes a close look at this pre-owned Tudor Black Bay Heritage, ref. 79220, the watch that resurrected Tudor’s Black Bay name and set the template every current Black Bay has followed since. Tudor launched this reference in 2012, and the black-dial ETA version specifically was in production for only a few months before the brand moved to an in-house movement, making genuine examples like this one harder to find than the reference number alone suggests. To see how far the line has come since, our current Tudor Black Bay lineup shows the full evolution.
We spent time with this watch in person at Precision Watches, where it is available pre-owned. This review covers the design, the movement, how it wears, and where it lands on value, so you can decide if this is the right Black Bay for your collection.
First Impressions and Design
The first thing collectors look for on this reference is the dial text. Below the Tudor rose logo, the words “Self-Winding” curve gently upward, an intentional callout to vintage Tudor dive watch printing from the 1950s and 60s. That curve is exactly why enthusiasts nicknamed this generation the “Smiley,” and it is the single easiest way to tell this early ETA-powered dial from the later in-house version, which reads “Officially Certified” instead.
The black dial pairs with pink gold-toned applied indexes and hands, a warm detail that plays against the cool steel case and gives the watch its “Rose” designation. The vintage Tudor rose sits at 12 o’clock, another direct nod to the brand’s earliest dive watches rather than the shield logo Tudor uses today. A domed sapphire crystal sits over the dial, and the oversized screw-down crown, engraved with the same rose, carries real presence on the case side.
On the Wrist
At 41mm, this Black Bay wears with genuine vintage-diver proportions, neither oversized nor timid. The polished and satin-finished steel case catches light differently depending on the angle, and the unidirectional black bezel operates with the kind of tactile click that makes a dive watch feel like a real tool rather than a styling exercise.
This is a watch built to be worn daily, and the 200-meter water resistance rating backs that up. The domed crystal and big crown are details that read as genuinely vintage-inspired rather than costume-like, since they are lifted directly from Tudor’s own archive rather than invented for the reissue.
The Movement: Calibre 17
Inside the case sits a Tudor-modified ETA 2824, a self-winding movement with roughly 38 hours of power reserve. This is the detail that most directly separates this reference from the current Black Bay lineup. Tudor replaced this ETA-based caliber with an in-house movement starting with the reference 79230, and current references like the Black Bay 58 now run METAS Master Chronometer-certified calibers with significantly longer power reserves.
That evolution is worth understanding if you are comparing this watch to what Tudor sells today. Our Tudor Black Bay 58 guide covers how far the movement technology has come since this reference first launched.
Specs at a Glance
- Reference: 79220
- Case: 41mm stainless steel, polished and satin finish
- Bezel: Unidirectional rotating, matte black
- Dial: Black with curved “Self-Winding” text (“Smiley”), pink gold-toned indexes and hands
- Movement: Tudor-modified ETA 2824, self-winding
- Power reserve: Approximately 38 hours
- Crystal: Domed sapphire
- Water resistance: 200m
- Crown: Screw-down, engraved with the Tudor rose
- Box and papers: Box included, papers not included
Price and Value
Pre-owned at Precision Watches, this example is listed at $4,166. That is a genuinely accessible price for a reference that watch media has increasingly flagged as a future collector favorite, particularly the black “Smiley” dial, which several outlets have noted commands a premium over the blue and burgundy versions from the same generation.
Scarcity plays a real role here. Because Tudor produced the ETA-powered black dial for such a short window before switching to an in-house movement, clean examples with box included, like this one, do not come up as often as the reference number’s age might suggest.
Who This Tudor Is For
This reference suits a buyer who wants the watch that actually started the modern Black Bay story, not just a current-generation version of it. The curved dial text, vintage Tudor rose, and ETA movement all tie directly back to a specific two-year window in Tudor’s history that current production cannot replicate.
It also suits a collector who already owns a current Black Bay and wants the original alongside it. Seeing the “Smiley” dial next to a modern “Officially Certified” print makes the evolution of the line tangible in a way a spec sheet cannot. If you’re drawn to this kind of history in general, our collection of vintage Tudor watches covers a wider range of older and modern pre-owned pieces worth browsing.
Buy This Tudor Black Bay at Precision Watches
This pre-owned Tudor Black Bay Smiley is available now at Precision Watches, a family-owned retailer near Philadelphia. Browse the full current Tudor lineup if you want to compare this reference against what the brand builds today.
If you already own a Tudor and are ready to sell, our team can help you sell watches for cash with a straightforward quote, or you can take advantage of our watch trade in program toward this Black Bay or something else in our showroom.
Frequently Asked Questions About This Tudor Black Bay
What does “Smiley” mean on a Tudor Black Bay?
“Smiley” refers to the curved “Self-Winding” text printed on the dial of early ETA-powered Black Bay references like this one. Tudor later replaced this text with “Officially Certified” when it switched to an in-house movement, making the curved print an easy way to identify the earlier generation.
What movement is in the Tudor Black Bay 79220?
This reference runs a Tudor-modified ETA 2824, a self-winding movement with approximately 38 hours of power reserve, distinct from the in-house calibers Tudor uses in current Black Bay references.
Is the Tudor Black Bay Smiley rare?
The black dial ETA version was produced for only a short window before Tudor switched to an in-house movement, and several watch publications have noted rising collector interest in this specific dial and movement combination.
Is this Tudor Black Bay a good value pre-owned?
At $4,166 pre-owned, this reference offers real historical significance as the watch that launched the modern Black Bay line, at a price notably below many current-production Black Bay references.
