Feature: Seamaster Diver ‘Black Black’ Vs Black Bay Ceramic
Nothing says ‘stealth wealth’ like an all-black ceramic luxury watch. These inconspicuously handsome timepieces are the strong, silent types of the industry, going about their business devoid of fuss or fanfare.
Whereas wearing a gem-covered Hublot Big Bang is like walking around with a sandwich-board emblazoned with the words ‘MUG ME!!!’ in pink neon lights, a black ceramic watch flies under most thieves’ radars while still getting a firm thumbs-up from your fellow watch aficionados.
Not only that, but wearing the watch equivalent of a ninja outfit gives you some serious ‘special-ops’ vibes.
No one is going to try robbing you if they think you’re a real-life Jason Bourne.
Legibility takes a back-seat with the Omega Seamaster Diver Black Black
Looks aside, ceramic is tough. Very tough. Virtually scratch-proof and extremely light, it’s far tougher than steel. It’s also highly resistant to UV rays, so that black ceramic won’t fade within a decade or two to a mottled grey. Of course, that means the Cerachrom Pepsi bezels of Rolex’s newer models will never take on those lovely magenta and sky-blue hues seen on those vintage 1675s, but, hey, that’s another story…
Leading brands from Longines to Hublot now have some very cool black ceramic watches in their line-ups, some stealthier than others. Rado’s countless black ceramic models, in contrast, are far dressier affairs, showing how versatile this material is.
Here we’re looking at two superb black ceramic dive watches from leading Swiss stalwarts, Omega and Tudor. The Tudor Black Bay is half the price of the Omega Seamaster Diver 300 ‘Black Black’ but does that mean it’s only half as good?
Let’s see what they’re all about…
How Black Do You Wanna Go?
So black they named it ‘Black’ twice, the Seamaster Diver really is a colour-killer, with no hint of anything but black on the dial and case, although depending on the angle of the light it can sometimes look more charcoal-grey.
At first sight, it looks as if Omega has skimped on the lume for this watch, which would make it all but invisible in low or no light, but it’s actually riddled with the stuff.
The indices, which almost blend into the dial in daylight, are actually coated in black anthracite Super-LumiNova which glows blue in the dark, with the second hand emitting more of a green colour to avoid confusion. It’s a simple trick that leaves the Tudor looking slightly underequipped with its more coventional off-white lume, although this makes it more legible during the day, of course.
The Tudor Black Bay uses off-white Super-Luminova rather than go full black
The Tudor’s dial also looks a little plain next to the Omega’s, which boasts a wave pattern that adds texture and depth. ‘Sculptural’ is a word that’s been used a lot for this watch, and it’s an apt description.
The Tudor’s bezel is PVD-coated steel while the Omega goes for a ceramic that’s been specially treated with a laser-ablated finish to avoid picking up smudgy fingerprints, a common issue with ceramic, as anyone who has owned one will know.
Case Studies
Omega favours chunkiness with its contemporary dive watches and this is no exception at 43.5mm. This size is going to be a huge turn-off for the Twiglet-wristed, but thankfully the Tudor comes in at a more adaptable 41mm. It would be nice if Tudor also offered this model in the reduced Black Bay 58 size of 39mm.
Making the Omega look larger still is the helium escape valve protruding at 10 o’clock, giving it some extra dive-watch chops, which the Tudor Black Bay doesn’t have.
In fact, those who genuinely plan to wear their watch scuba-diving, or just plain swimming, will probably lean more towards the Omega with its 300 metres water resistance—100 metres more than the Tudor.
Not So Black On The Back
Flip both watches over to view the movements through their exhibition case backs and you’ll notice a significant difference. The Tudor persists with the all-black theme, with the rotor and bridges also in black, while the Omega has all but given up, leaving the movement as it is, albeit decorating the rotor with some Geneva stripes.
Not so stealthy on the Omega's reverse
Both watches are powered by automatic chronometer movements that are METAS-certified. Omega runs on the co-axial calibre 8806 and the Tudor on a MT5602-1U, a slight upgrade of its MT5602 in that it is not only COSC-certified but METAS certified.
Where the Omega comes up short though is power reserve. The Tudor’s 70 hour makes it weekend-proof; not so the Omega which can only summon up a comparatively mediocre 55 hours.
Even the movement on the Black Bay is almost fully blacked out
The Software
The Omega comes on a black rubber strap, which gives it more of a serious dive watch feel, while the Tudor includes two—one Nato-style with a subtle thin stripe and one calfskin with rubber overlay—so you can alternate between them according to mood, outfit or conditions.
The Tudor's calf-skin and rubber strap is top quality
Considering the similarities between these watches and the fact that the Tudor trumps the Omega in a few significant areas, the gulf in price (the RRPs are £7,740 versus £3,730) seems unwarranted. The Tudor is probably better value for money, but… how stealthy do you want to go and how deep do you plan to dive?
Are you the real deal, or just Jason Bourne-lite?
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