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By:
Tudor at Watches & Wonders 2023
Since they re-entered the fray in earnest back in 2010, Rolex sister brand, Tudor have barely put a foot wrong.
Their collection of high-end yet accessibly priced timepieces carry on the original mission laid out by founder Hans Wilsdorf in 1926—to build watches with a quality comparable to Rolex, but costing far less.
The Black Bay range, in particular, has been an utter triumph, hitting the exact sweet spot in the ‘vintage-inspired-but-not-overdone’ category.
This year Tudor, operating now out of its brand new manufacture in Le Locle, rocked up to Watches & Wonders 2023 with a slew of new models, including a range of Black Bay additions which are sure to elevate their reputation still further.
We explore in more depth below.
The Tudor Black Bay 54
When Tudor launched their first Black Bay range in 2012, the so-called Heritage models, they were praised up and down for both their technical qualities as well as for their aesthetics. Clearly taking their design cues from the brand’s first ever fully-fledged dive watch, the Tudor Submariner ref. 7922 from 1954, this new series was even given the reference ref. 79220.
Since then, an entire litany of Black Bays has joined the collection, each one seemingly adopting more and more of the characteristics of that vintage icon.
This year, however, the Black Bay 54 emerged, which may well be the closest reimagining yet.
For a start, the size is spot-on. Like the original, the BB 54 is 37mm in diameter; conspicuously small by today’s tool watch standards, but correct historically. Those dimensions actually drop it squarely into modern dress watch territory, and the fact that the case is so slim would seem to back that role up. Additionally, the unidirectional bezel has no hash marks at all, not even for the first 15-minutes as with every other contemporary dive watch you can name. That too is taken directly from the ref. 7922 and gives the 54 a wonderfully clean look.
Inside is a manufacture caliber (the MT5400) meaning the watch diverges from its originator, but in a good way. Just about the only other noticeable difference is in the handset; the earliest Tudor Subs had Rolex’s Mercedes hour hands, while the 54 has the signature Snowflake. The seconds hand, meanwhile, is the period appropriate lollipop style.
Another absolute belter from Tudor, the Black Bay 54 is set to have a wide appeal. Perfect for a female audience or simply those with smaller wrists, the size and minimal detailing also lend it the ideal visuals to slip under a shirt sleeve for more formal occasions. Available on either a rubber strap ($3,625) or steel three-link riveted bracelet with ‘T-Fit’ rapid adjustment clasp ($3,850).
The Tudor Black Bay
Harking back to that first Heritage Black Bay model again, the ref. 79220R was presented with a burgundy bezel, a bold choice for a debutante. It was reissued in 2015 with an in-house caliber, the MT5602. In 2023, Tudor have updated it once more, this time putting that same movement through the purgatory of METAS Master Chronometer certification, making it the MT5602-U.
That means, in addition to COSC certification, the mechanism must undergo a further eight stringent tests for accuracy, keeping to within 0 and +5 seconds a day, along with proving itself immune to magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss, and accomplishing its stated water resistance and power reserve—in this case, 200m and an impressive 70-hours respectively. It is believed to be the first step in Tudor gaining METAS accreditation for all of its domestic mechanisms.
Elsewhere, the steel case remains a generous 41mm, the domed sapphire crystal has been shaved a touch and the screw down crown has had a redesign, embedding it with the Tudor rose. Bracelet options now include a beautiful ‘Jubilee’ style five-link steel band, alongside the traditional three-link and rubber strap options.
The return of a classic, prices here start at $4,125 and rise to $4,450 for the Jubilee.
The Black Bay GMT
I don’t know about you, but very occasionally a new watch will show up and I just think to myself, ‘Oh, well done!’
I got that this year when Tudor released the newest piece in their Black Bay GMT line, this one with a gorgeous domed opaline dial.
For commoners like myself, this is about as close as I’m ever going to come to owning, or even seeing, one of the mythical ‘Albino’ GMT-Master ref. 6542s Rolex may or may not have made especially for Pan Am’s pilots in the ‘50s.
Rarer than unicorn poo, experts still disagree on whether they ever actually existed at all.
All I know is that they should have existed, and the latest of Tudor’s dual time models fits the bill very nicely, thank you.
That dial, with its hour marker borders darkened for contrast, isn’t pure white but rather a silver color given a matte grey finish through a galvanic process. That causes it to change shade in different lighting conditions, lending it a dynamism that never grows old.
Inside, the watch retains its Caliber MT5652 with 70-hour reserve and, by all accounts, the minor problem with date changes a thing of the past.
A brilliant ruse from Tudor, the new GMT has been stealing more than its fair share of the headlines since W&W 2023 and can be had for $3,975 on a burgundy strap, or $4,300 on three-link steel bracelet.
Tudor Black Bay 31/36/39/41
Proving there’s more to them than tool watches, Tudor gifted a handful of new dials to their dressy Black Bay series this year.
The unisex range comes in a variety of sizes, all with manufacture movements, and are exemplified by sophisticated case lines and polished, fixed bezels.
Up front, buyers get to choose from a refreshed selection of faces. Each has a delicate sunray finishing and contrasting outer minute track and come in either blue, anthracite or light champagne, with or without diamond indexes.
It leaves the collection with 57 different models, making it the most populated in the Black Bay family of watches.
The Tudor Royal
Another well-stocked compilation is Tudor’s take on the luxury sports watch, integrated bracelet and all, the Tudor Royal.
Varying in size from 28mm up to 41mm, this is another offering intended for either sex, and they are among the most easily identifiable thanks to their late and lamented (from Rolex anyway) engine-turned style bezels.
Two new dials arrived this year, in chocolate brown or light salmon pink, again with or without diamond enhancements.
Tudor continue to punch well above their weight in a congested field, and their latest releases only serve to remind us of how much watch you can get for your money if you look. Their portfolio is crammed with winners, all very much affordable and offering bags of style. Long may they reign!
Featured Photo: WikiMedia Commons (cc), BeckerTime’s Archive.
