If you know me, you know that I have a soft spot for Tudor. It was the first ‘proper’ watch I bought for myself and from the first day, I knew it was a perfect fit. So there is no wonder that it gets most of the wrist time. We crashed together on the bike (more than once), we happened to end up in one of the canals in Copenhagen accidentally, and we travelled the world…
This year, during the W&W 2024 show, Tudor released a new option to their Black Bay line and since I did not have a chance to be there, the first time I tried it was during the opening of a new boutique store here in Copenhagen.
It’s not a new or updated model, nor does it feature any updates inside, it’s a line extension. There is no need to change something which works, right? Tudor just took all colours out of their 41mm Black Bay model for a grey-scale colourway. And oh boy, it’s a looker – just steel and black and white.
The Tudor Black Bay has been around for over 12 years now and it’s without a doubt, the brand’s most popular line. It was first presented with a burgundy-coloured bezel, later with a blue, and then finally with a bezel in black. Last year, however, the Black Bay got the most profound update, from a new case, bracelet, and reworked dimensions to a Master Chronometer certification for the movement inside the watch. And yet, luckily, it retained the same overall design.
It isn’t a small watch, especially compared to my own Black Bay 58, but it offers pleasant wear and fits perfectly on the wrist – the issue I am facing with some of the other watches.
For the rest, it’s classic Black Bay, with satin-finished and polished surfaces, a 200m water resistance, a 70-hour power reserve and a great level of anti-magnetism. And like the previously released model, it comes with a T-Fit mechanism for a perfect fit on any wrist.
So now, here comes the question you might have been asking. Is this diver watch more compelling than Rolex Submariner?
For me, it’s a more enjoyable watch to wear than the Submariner. Maybe if we go too geeky and look into the specs closely, The Submariner would slightly win, but… a good thing about watches is that it’s about the feeling when wearing them. And with that, Tudor wins by far.
And while I still prefer my Black Bay 58, I had a great time with this one. For those who think that Black Bay 58 has too much of a vintage look, this monochrome version is a go-to option. You can find more info at www.tudor.com or give the boutique a visit and try it on your own.
becoming a watch nerd?
- W&W 2024 – Watches & Wonders – Watches and Wonders is the luxury watch industry’s preeminent annual event, a watch fair, showcasing new releases from over 50 top brands.
- Diver – diving or dive watch – is a watch designed for underwater diving to record elapsed time that features, as a minimum, a water resistance greater than 100m (typically around 200 to 300m). Another important feature is a bezel, which must have uni-directional rotation. If the bezel is bi-directional, any knock could rotate and the diver can lose the tracking.
- Bezel – the part of the watch case that surrounds the watch glass, serving as a protective guard and as an aesthetic frame. Rotating dive watch bezels help to track a diver’s bottom time – the total time spent underwater – a reminder to prevent divers from exceeding their diving time with limited oxygen.
- METAS Master Chronometer – a certification that covers the main functional characteristics of a watch including precision (between 0 and +5 seconds per day variance), resistance to magnetic fields, waterproofness and power reserve.
- Power reserve – how long the watch can show you the time when it’s not on your wrist.
