Since its inception in 2012, the Black Bay collection has been Tudor’s flagship model. Over the years, we have seen quite a number of iterations for the model. It has also added the Black Bay 58 which is a smaller sized 39mm case instead of the 41mm Black Bay. An update to the Black Bay GMT in steel with the Pepsi bezel, the new GMT S&G now comes with a golden edged black and burgundy bezel or in Rolex speak – Coke bezel.
Review: Tudor Black Bay GMT Steel and Gold
The Case and Dial
The watch is easily distinguishable, at least within the Black Bay collection. Sized at 41mm, it is now the larger sized GMT compared with the new Tudor Black Bay Pro at 39mm. The watch is made in Steel and Gold, and is available with either a bracelet, leather or fabric nato strap.
The bicolor bezel insert is in a shade of Black and Burgundy, with gilt numerals, which matches the grooved edge bezel and the dial.
The new variant is essentially the same watch with updated colors, and it retains the iconic snowflake hour and seconds hand.
To match the matte gold texture used on the case, Tudor opts for a deeper red color on the bezel. The overall effect is a more subdued yet rich impression, adding to the neo-vintage styling of the watch. While the bicolor bezel serves an aesthetically pleasing contrast, it also functions as a quick way to differentiate Day and Night in a 24 hour scale.
The hour markers and hands are filled with Superluminova for low light visibility.
In a nod to the older case designs, the watch also uses the rivet style bracelet, although with modern screws, and an articulated end link – which is in fact a much more comfortable design that hugs the wrist better.
The Movement
The watch is fitted with Tudor’s Calibre MT5652, which is its in-house produced COSC-certified movement. The self-winding movement features a bi-directional rotor system, and it boasts a decent power reserve of approximately 70 hours. As typical for Tudor, the case back is screwed down and closed.
As mentioned, the watch is comes with a dual time-zone function. One of its notable features is an independent adjustment for the second time-zone. This makes it easier for users to adjust the away time. In addition, with the bezel, the user can actually tell time simultaneously at three different time zones.
Concluding thoughts
Visually and aesthetically, we think this Black Bay GMT Steel & Gold works very well. The combination of the two tone metal is very pleasing, and adds a touch of class to the otherwise workhorse GMT design.
At this point however, with the new GMT Black Bay Pro, we do expect a certain amount of cannibalization between the GMT models. The Black Bay Pro is a smaller 39mm model that is what some might say the ‘Rolex Explorer 2’ equivalent in styling. That said, the GMT has 3 timezones vs the Pro’s 2 timezones from the lack of a rotating bezel. Stylistically, the GMT also does have more flair vs the Pro’s utilitarian design. Stylistically, between the two, we think the newer 39mm Pro will likely be more popular at this time, but the 2 vs 3 timezones might be a dealbreaker for some.
Tudor’s Black Bay GMT S&G is priced between US$4300 for the leather and fabric strap variants and US$5550 for the bracelet model. Comparatively, the steel Tudor Black Bay “Pepsi” model is priced at US$3850 for straps and US$4150 for bracelet.
