This piece was originally published on 16 August 2022.
The brand was founded in 1926, but the contemporary iteration of Tudor, the sister company to Rolex, has only really been around for a decade or so. That’s not to say Tudor wasn’t making great watches beforehand, but it has come to be defined by one brilliant timepiece: the Black Bay, a 1950s diver that was relaunched to great acclaim in 2012. The masterstroke was to continue that success, gradually augmenting build quality and in-house production, and periodically releasing watches that emanate the brand style but also say something you didn’t expect.
In Geneva, at this year’s edition of the Watches and Wonders fair, Tudor presented a steel-and-gold Black Bay Chronograph with a bi-colour dial (available on a Bund strap — very cool), a Black Bay GMT with brown-and-black “Mars Bar” bezel, and the Black Bay Pro, which was our pick of the bunch.
Frankly, it was love at first sight. A 39mm steel GMT (second time-zone function), the Black Bay Pro is understated, robust and timelessly handsome — everything Tudor has come to represent. The black dial, punctuated with the yellow GMT hand, and closed caseback give the watch a hardy, toolish feel, which is the story with many Tudors, but whereas some you’d be careful not to damage (or even get wet), the Pro feels as if it could take a beating. (Please don’t, obviously.)
The defining characteristic is the fixed bezel, etched with 24-hour markers, which allows you to read the secondary time with ease via the GMT hand. It is not unreminiscent of the “Steve McQueen” Explorer II, Rolex’s iconic mid-century sports watch. But the Black Bay Pro is proudly Tudorian, and rightly so.
