Watches and Wonders 2023: Tudor

Black Bay rules the roost at Tudor, but the vintage charm of the Royal is hard to ignore.

It’s practically a no-brainer that we’ll see some fresh Black Bay releases at Watches and Wonders 2023. And Tudor clearly thinks there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, covering all its bases with new updates and variants of the beloved tool watch, as well as filling the remaining gaps with the Royal in new hues brimming with vintage vim.

Black Bay, Black Bay, and more Black Bays

Looking at the iconic status of the emblematic diving watch today, it’s hard to imagine that it was launched barely 11 years ago. There perhaps isn’t a better time to be a Black Bay purist than now, as the third iteration of the OG has just been unveiled with tweaks that are sure to delight serious watch collectors. Most notably, it now joins the ranks of its Black Bay Ceramic brethren as a Master Chronometer, certified by METAS. Its self-winding manufacture Calibre MT5602-U is accurate to 0/+5 seconds a day and has a power reserve of 70 hours.

While it retains the signature burgundy bezel, the 41mm stainless steel case, and the ‘snowflake’ hands, there are subtle aesthetic updates, including a thinner profile and a redesigned crown that is now flush with the middle case band. Available with a three- (S$6,070) or five-link bracelet (S$6,220) as well as a rubber strap (S$5,780), all options are updated with a ‘T-fit’ clasp that allows easy, instant length adjustments of up to 8mm.

Watch history buffs, on the other hand, should take a gander at the new Black Bay 54, which Tudor hails as the “purest modern expression of the brand’s first-ever dive watch”. Inspired by the Oyster Prince Submariner Ref. 7922 from 1954 (hence its name), the stainless steel watch retains the historical model’s 37mm diameter, but it is a resolutely modern creation, driven by the self-winding manufacture Calibre MT5400 with a 70-hour power reserve. COSC-certified, the Black Bay 54 is paired with a three-link bracelet (S$5,320) or rubber strap (S$5,030), both equipped with the ‘T-fit’ clasp.

If you’re smitten by wanderlust like us, post-pandemic, perhaps a new travel companion is in order. And one that is as dashing as the new Black Bay GMT is hard to resist. It exudes an indelible aura of sporty optimism with an opaline dial that imbues the watch with a hint of silver, highlighting the distinctive burgundy-and-blue bezel. The watch comes with a three-link bracelet (S$6,020) or jacquard-woven strap (S$5,580), and its COSC-certified in-house MT5652 movement is self-winding and has a power reserve of 70 hours.

The Royal

We’ve recently named the Royal one of Tudor’s most underrated collections, and we’re happy to report that there are even more options to entice you to score one of these affordable sport-chic watches. Two new dial colours – chocolate brown and light salmon – add touches of retro whimsy to the collection, bringing 16 new references with case sizes ranging from 28mm to 41mm and diamond-set options. The brown references (S$4,830 to S$6,120) are relatively flashier as they combine yellow gold with 316L steel from case to bracelet, and the salmon models (S$3,220 to S$4,460) are a sophisticated juxtaposition between the warm sheen of the dial and cool glint of its full stainless steel case and bracelet.

We’re hard-pressed to name a favourite among Tudor’s new releases. But if our lives depended on it, it would be a toss-up between the Black Bay 54 and the bi-colour Royal with brown dial; it’s difficult to say no to a tribute to the historic Oyster Prince Submariner, and the latter is an on-trend value proposition.

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