Today in Gear: Tudor’s Bronze Black Bay Diver, the Best New Audio Products of 2018 & More

Today in Gear is our daily roundup of all the latest product announcements, drops and deals. Comments or concerns? We’d love to hear from you at [email protected].

Bronze alloys have long been favored for marine applications due to their high resistance to corrosion. Given that ships and diving equipment have historically been machined from bronze, using this material for the case and bezel of a dive watch makes sense — and it looks very handsome when done correctly. That’s just what TUDOR has achieved with the Black Bay Bronze timepiece.

The Black Bay Bronze offers a stunning 43mm aluminum-bronze alloy case and bronze bezel that will develop a subtle and warm patina. Utilizing the signature Black Bay snowflake hands and big screw-down crown, the Black Bay Bronze fits right in with the lineage of TUDOR’s dive watches. It’s also one of the first Black Bays to have TUDOR’s in-house movement, caliber MT5601. This diver is an excellent vintage-inspired option that recalls the interconnectedness of TUDOR’s legacy with diving history.

New & Noteworthy Releases

More Middleweight Motorcycles Are On the Way

Regardless of type – street, pure dirt or adventure – the total number of middleweight motorcycle choices is set to skyrocket over the next few years.

If You Don’t Like Merino Wool, Try Alpaca Instead

Like merino wool, alpaca fiber is warm, doesn’t stink, and manages moisture.

Did a Japanese Design Studio Just Perfect the Ballpoint Pen?

Sometimes a great product is one that makes the boring parts of your day go by a little more smoothly.

Fluance’s New Turntables Are Perfected for Audiophiles

These turntables are designed to make your current records sound even better.

Le Labo’s Concrete Candles Make a Great Stocking Stuffer

And they smell good, too.

The Macallan Will Only Bring 5 Bottles of Its Newest Whiskey to the States

And you thought bourbon was getting expensive.

Fresh Deals

Treat Yourself
Save 30% at Bonobos Use the code LOVEMYSELF to save on everything on Bonobos’ website, from flannel shirts to leather jackets. But don’t wait — the sale ends Wednesday, December 19.— Justin Fenner

Glerups Slippers Sale
Save 15% Born in Denmark, Glerups knows how to combat the cold. The boot style comes up over your ankle, making them ideal for camping and outdoor excursions where you need just a little bit more coverage. The all-natural wool comes from Merino and Gotland and each pair is handcrafted in Europe. Glerups offers a variety of soles, so you can decide if these are strictly indoor shoes, or if they’re going to become your new walk-to-pick-up-the-newspaper shoes. Shop today and save up to 15 percent off on each pair. — Meg Lappe

Nike React Sneaker Sale
Save $60 Back in April, Nike shut down the 90 Freeway in LA, just as they closed off the Manhattan bridge to celebrate the launch of the new Epic React and React foam. I’ve been running in the Epic Reacts since January of this year, and they’re still the shoe I reach for when I want to feel fast. That and the Odyssey Reacts are ripe for a 5K, 10K or even 15K race. Each is light and springy with plenty of cushion underfoot to keep you feeling like you’re on marshmallows. Both are for neutral runners and weigh less than 10 ounces so that you won’t feel the toll after hundreds of miles. Shop both styles today at JackRabbit and save up to $60. It’s just the kick you need to start logging miles in 2019. — Meg Lappe

Orient Mako II
Save $195: There is some kind of sick pleasure derived from confronting those who believe “a good watch is expensive” with incontrovertible evidence to the contrary. Sure, you can drop $8k on a superlative dive watch, but if you know where to look, there are certainly deals to be had on perfectly great timepieces that, if properly cared for, will give you a lifetime of use.

I admittedly tire of saying it, but Orient is one of Gear Patrol’s favorite makers of affordable tool watches: as they’re a division of Seiko, it’s no wonder that the Japanese brand can produce a great in-house automatic movement to power an attractive, utilitarian watch for not a ton of money. Take by way of example the Mako II: you get the new and improved Orient F6922 automatic movement with hand-winding capability and hacking seconds, a precise 120-click bezel, a mineral crystal, a 41.5mm stainless steel case, a stainless steel bracelet and 200m of water resistance.

Available with a black dial with black bezel, blue dial with blue bezel or blue dial with a blue bezel in which the first 15 minutes are demarcated in red, this is a ton of value in a $325 watch, but right now you cab nab the Mako II on Massdrop for the almost laughably low price of $130. So if you’re getting the hell out of Dodge and heading down to the Caribbean for the holiday, and you don’t yet have a dive watch, you know what to do. — Oren Hartov

Today on Gear Patrol

The 10 Best Audio Products of 2018
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2019 Ford Ranger Review: Ford Takes Aim at the Tacoma

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These Are the Best Noise-Canceling Headphones You Can Buy in 2018
Sony stole the show from Bose with last year’s WH-1000XM2 headphones. Thing is, their successor is four times better.

The 5 Best Winter Running Pants and Tights

Keep your legs from turning red and windburnt after a run in below freezing temperatures.

The 8 Best Snowboards of 2020

From the groomers to the park to the backcountry, these boards are the most shred-ready ones we’ve ever seen.

5 Questions for the Mad Genius of Steel Bike Making

We caught up with Sacha White to pick his brain about The Vanilla Workshop and Speedvagen.

The 17 Best Gifts for Business Travelers

A Hamilton watch, a leather briefcase, a performance suit and more.

The Best Gifts for Gym Lovers

A pair of durable trainers, headphones, a backpack to fit it all and more.

The 25 Best Outdoor Watches

We break down some of the best watches available for your next outdoors adventure.

The Best Gifts for Foodies in 2018

The best gifts for the foodie in your life include more than pots and pans.

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