Feature: Tudor’s new Black Bays include a Rolex-inspired GMT with opaline dial
While the shackles were off at Watches and Wonders for its sibling brand Rolex, Tudor has had a slightly more conservative showing. That said, its new “polar” GMT is certain to go down well with its loyal fans, while the Black Bay series in general continues to expand with confidence…
Black Bay GMT goes polar
Tudor continues to seek inspiration from vintage Rolex models with this opaline-dial Black Bay GMT, which resembles an extremely rare Rolex GMT-Master reference 6542 from the mid-1950s.
Less than 200 white-dial versions of the 6542 were made (apparently for Pan-American Airlines ground staff, as opposed to the black-dial iteration, which was for pilots) so you’re unlikely to see one in the metal, let alone buy one.
So it’s just as well Tudor has basically taken that design and “Tudorised” it for the 21st century.
It’s pretty much the same as the brand’s existing black-dial GMT, with a 41mm steel case, “Pepsi” bezel and run on the COSC-certified MT5652 movement, which provides a power reserve of 70 hours.
The fact that the snowflake hour hand and indices are now set against a silvery white, rather than black, background means you lose a little legibility but we can’t see that bothering too many people, especially those who have dreamed of owning the watch it was inspired by.
It comes on a three-link bracelet or one of Tudor jacquard striped fabric straps.
Black Bay brings back burgundy (again)
Alright, so a Black Bay with a burgundy bezel and black dial is nothing new. Tudor had something very similar in its collection when it had its big brand re-boot a decade or so ago and released the Heritage Black Bay, reference 7922.
But here we are a generation on, and this latest version boasts an in-house movement that carries METAS certification (unlike the ETA-based movement that powered the first-generation model) and a slightly more refined look overall.
A 5-link Jubilee-style bracelet also gives this watch an extra bit of gravitas and a more premium aesthetic, but you can also get it on an Oyster-style three-link bracelet or black rubber strap.
Nothing about this release is going to make jaws drop, but it is a freshening up of a tried and tested favourite that’ll please more than a few first-time watch buyers looking at the £3-4k price bracket.
Tudor’s most true-to-form Black Bay yet
With a string of Black Bay models in its repertoire already, Tudor has just unveiled a model closest to the original version (reference 7922) since it was originally released in 1954.
The new Black Bay’s 37mm case is water-resistant to 200 metres—no surprise there if you’re familiar with Tudor dive watches—and harks back to traditional proportions of years past, where smaller cases were the norm. Housed inside this case is the time-only in-house self-winding calibre MT5400, with a power reserve of approximately 70 hours.
Now to the dial, which features Tudor’s classic “snowflake” hours hand, as well as the return of the vintage “lollipop” seconds hand, which replaces the diamond one—another nod to watches from Tudor’s past.
The Black Bay 54 has a traditional dive bezel, one that is more pared down compared to other recent models like the Black Bay 58, as it doesn’t have the graduation between 0 and 15 minutes, while a silvery grey triangle replaces the red one above 12 o’ clock—giving it less “pop” and more stealth.
Choose between a steel Oyster-style bracelet or a sporty black rubber strap and get ready to wear the Tudor Black Bay 54 your way.
