In the watch world, there are legends of the industry that we chronophiles line up to try and get our hands on. The usual suspects are the Rolex, Breitling, Omega, and Patek Phillipe models, which we know are the top-of-the-line luxury watches you want. As collectors, you start making a wish list at the very beginning and then spend a lifetime putting together a comprehensive list of your favorites.
If you are like us, the list grows with every purchase instead of diminishes. That is half the fun. One of the legendary watches many collectors want to get their hands on is only about a decade or so old; that is Tudor’s Black Bay, a fun luxury option that can replace many of your other luxury watches. It is a mix of the elevated luxury of Rolex that you want to keep in a fireproof case and only wear on special occasions, and the Norqain tool watch you are ready to wear every moment you have regardless of the danger of damaging it because that is what it is made for.
Here, we have assembled the models you need to know and a comprehensive guide on shopping for a Black Bay.
The history of the Black Bay
The founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, is a legend in the watch industry. While he brought us the king of all watch brands in Rolex, which became the global leader in telling time, he also wanted to create a brand of watches for the people who tried to get things done but not spend a fourth of their yearly salary to get the watch to make it happen. He imagined Tudor as the Rolex alternative that was more accessible but still carried the same quality and capability of its older brother.
After eight decades of excellence and Tudor becoming precisely what it was meant to be, they dropped the Black Bay in 2012. In many ways, this was Tudor’s coming out party. While they had already established their own identity, this was the watch that took them from being the scrappy little brother of Rolex and made them a powerhouse within the industry all by themselves. With all the hallmarks of the Submariner, it stood out with a burgundy bezel. In 2015, they cemented their icon status by finally incorporating an in-house caliber, something they had always gotten third-party, and added complications. Today, it is still one of Tudor’s best-selling collections.
The models
Of course, once the success of the original Black Bay hit the world, our thirst for more became unquenchable, and now there are nearly a dozen models you must try for yourself. Here are the best ones to keep your eye on and the ones you should look at when shopping for your Tudor watch.
Black Bay
This is the original. The bad boy that started this whole thing. This watch is a descendant of the Heritage models and sports a 41mm dial. While there are some exceptions, the rule (the Steel and Gold or S&G models, for instance) is that the dials are black. If it is us, we always want the burgundy bezel as a throwback to the original watch from 2012.
Black Bay Bronze
Three significant differences exist between this watch, released in 2016, and the others in the collection. The first is the size: sitting at 43mm, it is the largest of the Black Bays and best for those of us with bigger wrists. The second is the dial: It is also the only one in the collection that uses Arabic numerals at the 3-6-9 positions. Others use simple dashes. And finally, the third difference is the make-up. This has a casing made of bronze, which holds a special place in the diving world as it is a common material in helmets and other gear.
Black Bay Ceramic
Released in 2021, the Ceramic is extraordinary for more than the color. Of course, if you are a fan of the black tactical look, this one fits the bill with only the hands and digit markers deviating for ease of reading the time. But this watch is also one of only two that hold the distinction of a Master Chronometer certificate from METAS, the Swiss Institute of Metrology. That means it is resistant even to magnetic fields. Only Omega had watches with the same certificate when this was released.
Black Bay 41/39/36/32/31
These are the basic versions. While all the other watches on this list are your typical tool watches that make getting things done easier, there is also a call for a good sports watch, something that will be your everyday wear and look fantastic with almost any outfit. These ditched the rotating bezel and come in a handful of sizes, reaching down to the smallest in the collection at 31mm.
Black Bay 58
This is a throwback to the original. Named after the year the original Oyster Prince Submariner was released (the most obvious inspiration of the entire Black Bay line), it combines the modest casing with the diver’s bezel to be one of the most versatile options in the collection. In addition, these watches have two precious metal options, an 18k gold option, and a 925 silver option, and you have some rare family heirlooms in your watch collection.
Black Bay Chrono
This may be the most attractive of the Tudor Black Bay line. And if it looks familiar to you, it may be because to make the movement for the only chronograph on the list, the people over at Tudor got help from another watch giant: Breitling. The panda style of the complications and the buttons and crown on the case give this a Breitling feel with a Tudor ruggedness. If you are a true chronophile, this one should have you giddy.
Black Bay GMT
This is another one that may look familiar to all of you watch lovers out there. While the Chrono was an innovation in 2017, it set the bar high as the fans started to think they couldn’t do more in the world of complications. What they did this time for inspiration was turn to Big Brother and take some style advice from the Rolex GMT “Pepsi.” However, instead of the bright blue and red of the Rolex classic, they used a muted indigo and burgundy to keep it more in line with Tudor. This is a more accessible and subtle version of the rare and expensive Rolex, without the price tag or the sacrifice of quality.
Black Bay Pro
Speaking of being more understated, the Pro took the success of the Tudor GMT and went even more understated. Gone is the indigo and blue split 24-hour bezel, and in its place is a subtle steel bezel with the 24-hour numbers engraved on the edge. Instead of spinning the bezel to find the time, there is another hand that points at the second timezone to make the whole process easier to read. This is likely the most understated of the Tudor tool watches.
Black Bay 54
Finally, here it is, the truest form of a throwback Tudor has in its arsenal. The 54 is named after, unsurprisingly, the year the company dropped the very first dive watch. This is a love letter to that Oyster Submariner, and for the true Black Bay fan, there is no other that can give you the feel of the modern-day watch with the aesthetic of the old school.
Is it the right watch for you?
What this comes down to is taste. Some people in the watch world will tell you there is no substitute for a Rolex. And in some ways, they are right. Rolex is the biggest name in the world for a reason. However, much of what you pay for when buying a Rolex is that very name. Tudor is a brand that spawned from the name of Rolex and succeeded in their own right by making a product that is just as high-quality, with a price tag that is much more accessible.
Having said that, this is still an investment. The above options go for anywhere between $2K and $4K, so they are still an investment for most of us. But if you are the guy who loves the Rolex GMT, give the Tudor GMT a try, and you won’t be disappointed.
