Overview
First introduced in 1976, the Tudor "Big Block" was a revolutionary milestone for the Wilsdorf group, becoming the company’s first automatic chronograph and Tudor's first three-register design. The “Big Block” moniker was given to the watch because of its thick mid-case required to house the Valjoux 7750 movement. With a total height of 14.5mm, it stood as one of the heftiest chronographs of its era.
Thickness aside, these Tudors were closer than ever in their resemblance to the Rolex Daytona. However, under the hood, they were years ahead in terms of innovation. It wasn’t until 1988 that Rolex followed suit and finally equipped its own chronographs with an automatic movement.
Production of the "Big Block" continued in various iterations until 1995. The most prevalent designs featured a silver panda or black reverse-panda dial paired with either a black tachymeter bezel, a bi-directional 12-hour bezel, or a steel tachymeter bezel. We have a particular fondness for the latter configuration, which is reminiscent of the legendary Daytona reference 6239, but in a more substantial modern case and at a fraction of the price.
Specifications
Brand:
Tudor
Model:
'Big Block'
Reference:
79180
Year:
1992
Case Number:
B495059
Case Material:
Stainless steel
Diameter:
40 mm
Lug Width:
20 mm
Thickness:
14.5 mm
Lug-to-Lug:
47.8 mm
Dial:
Black
Lume:
Tritium
Crystal:
Acrylic
Movement:
Automatic
Caliber:
Valjoux 7750
Bracelet/Strap:
Tudor 78360 stainless steel bracelet with 589 end links and R9 clasp code
Max Wrist Size:
7.625 in
Hand model has a wrist size of 6.2 in
Condition
Case: The stainless steel case is in fantastic condition and shows very little wear outside of a few tiny hairlines and a couple micro nicks. The lugs are thick and sharp with nice chamfers and superb definition between brushed and polished surfaces. The polished steel bezel shows minor signs of wear upon close inspection, with a few tiny nicks scattered throughout and at the edges. The overall condition though is remarkably clean, and all numbers retain their black filling. The caseback is also in amazing condition with little-to-no wear. The Rolex engravings remain sharp and deep.
Dial, Hands, & Crystal: The glossy black dial has been very well-preserved and is free from any notable imperfections. The steel indices and polished hands show faint signs of oxidation upon close inspection, but remain very nice overall. The tritium is a light shade of cream and exhibits no lasting glow when exposed to UV light. The acrylic crystal is free of any major dings or scratches and has plenty of life left to give.
Bracelet/Strap: The stainless steel bracelet shows very little stretch and virtually no signs of wear. The clasp is free from any desk diving marks and the Tudor stamp remains nice and detailed.
Performance
Functions: All functions including the crown winding, time setting, date changing, and chronograph start/stop/reset are working as expected.
Service History: Unknown.
