I bet you saw this article and eye-rolled with the thought “Oh no, he is writing about Tudor again”, but bear with me because there is a good reason for that! And if you are a hardcore Rolex fan, take a few deep breaths as reading this article might get your head spinning.
Another year of Watch & Wonders is over and before we list our absolute favourites and dive into specific details, we need to start with the release of Tudor’s Black Bay 58 GMT, called by the absolute watchners, “Coke” (a reference to the colour combination on the bezel).
Tudor, a little sibling to Rolex, is not little any more as they have proved over the last couple of years. They listen to the audience and understand trends and the watch industry’s needs. It’s a common thing these days that watch brands tap back into their past and re-release their iconic models and there is a good reason for that as a lot of these designs are timeless. Tudor is no exception and they do it really well.
While there is no doubt about the precision and quality of Rolex watches and their fantastic craftsmanship, Tudor just do the re-design better.
In this case, the absolute vintage GMT beauty, the Rolex GMT from the 60s (reference number 6542 for the watch nerds) has been the main inspiration for Tudor’s new version and, after a little bit of reworking, the new model is a great modern adaptation of it, especially by keeping it with a case diameter of 39mm which as you already know, fits most wrists.
It’s sleek, the design is clean: way more than the current Rolex GMT Master. In my opinion, it looks even more luxurious than the Rolex model, which is ironic considering the fact it’s easier to get and… more affordable.
But it’s not just a good looker. The watch itself has a new movement (yet again for the watch nerds – 5450-U), which is not only a METAS-certified Chromometer (the watch must be able to stay within a 5-second range of variation each day throughout its power reserve), it’s also COSC-certified (“Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres”, putting a watch precision to +/- 2 seconds accuracy per day), has a non-magnetic silicon balance spring (means that can’t get so easily magnetised as old vintage models) and a maximum power reserve of 65 hours.
So what could be next for Tudor’s GMT? Looking into other model lines of the Swiss luxury watchmaker, maybe to give different colourways? For now, it has to be said: this isn’t a model I was expecting to see in this year’s brand novelties, but damn… it’s good.
Hopefully, I will be soon able to have my hands on this watch, wear it for a little while and give you even more info and content. I know you can’t wait…
In the meantime, find out more on the Tudor’s page.
Becoming a watch nerd? Here’s a bit of a glossary:
- Bezel – the part of the watch case that surrounds the watch glass
- Movement – in this case, automatic movement – is what keeps the watch going
- GMT – a watch that features an additional 24-hour hand – shows two time zones at once
- METAS-certified Chronometer – the watch must be able to stay within a 5-second range of variation each day throughout its power reserve
- COSC-certified – “Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres” – the watch must be able to stay within a 2-second range of variation each day throughout its power reserve
- Power reserve – how long the watch can show you the time when it’s not on your wrist.
