Feature: Tudor Releases Black Bay Pro at W&W
Tudor’s Black Bay series goes from strength to strength, and fans of the collection will find themselves deliriously happy about this latest model, released at Watches and Wonders.
A GMT that takes more than a few design cues from a black-dial Rolex Explorer II (particularly the older reference 1655, a classic among vintage men's watches), this has loads of rugged retro appeal and even comes in a 39mm case.
The Explorer II’s second time zone was designed for cavers to know whether it was day or night, but this Tudor Black Bay Pro functions more as a straight-up GMT, like the other GMT in the Black Bay line-up, the reference 79830, which also runs on the same MT5652 movement—which means it holds a very decent 70 hours of power reserve, too.
On the hands you’ll find Grade-A Swiss Super-LumiNova® for good legibility in low or no light. The second hour (or GMT) hand in orange is basically a larger version of the seconds hand, unlike the Rolex Explorer II’s famous ‘arrow’ hand.
Like Black Bay diving watches, water resistance is 200 metres and it comes with three excellent strap options: an Oyster-style steel bracelet with the Tudor "T-fit" clasp that allows rapid adjustment, a new hybrid rubber and fabric two-piece strap, or a striped NATO-like fabric strap, similar to one that has come with previous Black Bay models.
Each of the options enhances its robust looks even further. It’s also COSC-certified but goes beyond the usual standards set by this independent institute, with Tudor insisting on between -2 and +4 seconds’ variation in its running rather than the standard -4 and +6.
This model could turn out to be as popular and ubiquitous as the recent Black Bay 58, another watch that was influenced by past Rolex watches.
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