In less than five years since being re-introduced in the US market, Tudor has slowly produced a series of new sports watches that are as appealing as the now rare and waitlisted steel sports watches from older brother Rolex.
It’s not clear that the two brands are working in tandem, however, the release of the Black Bay GMT at the same time Rolex introduced the GMT “Pepsi” feels like this was no coincidence. One could be forgiven to assume that the overall group is attacking all segments of the market with appealing products.
But before passing any opinion, let’s take a closer look at two of the new releases from Tudor I finally got a chance to see and try on during COUTUREtime. These are the same models they introduced at Baselworld earlier in the year.
First, is the Black Bay GMT which comes at the relatively attractive price of $3,900. This was perhaps the most unexpected introduction from Baselworld 2018. Making an appearance at the same time Rolex announced a new version of their steel GMT Master II with a similar red/blue (or “Pepsi”) color scheme, Tudor released a watch that is less than half the price and that could confuse non-connoisseurs.
I’ll be honest, as a Rolex GMT Master II owner (116713LN), when I finally tried the Tudor Black Bay GMT on, I could see immediately that it does not have the same overall feel as my Rolex. The bezel does not have the subtly hard yet clicky feel of the Rolex nor does the bracelet feels as polished and solid as the Rolex. But then you are paying significantly less.
At 41 mm the Black Bay GMT has the right proportions for an all purpose modern sports watch that could fly under the radar at business casual events and even at some more formal settings. The red and blue of the Tudor are more contrasty and less vivid than the Rolex. And the Tudor also includes a manufacture caliber with 70 hours power reserve, which makes it the perfect day-to-day watch that you can easily rest on the drawer over a weekend to wear again on Monday.
Here the bezel is in stainless steel and the GMT hand in red with white fill, includes, like the hour hands, the so-called snowflake pointer which I believe is an acquired taste. I don’t hate it, but it’s also not my favorite means for ending a watch hand. It’s almost like a cubic interpretation of the Rolex Mercedes hands, but less offensive.
While I believe the value for money is there in spade, this would not be the GMT watch I would purchase for myself. On the other hand I would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a GMT watch to travel and who does not want to spend the extra premium for the Rolex GMT Master II. Tudor has a wonderful step by step online tutorial for the GMT feature that I think is one of the best one made, so I point you there instead of explaining the mechanism.
With its COSC-certified in-house movement MT5652 and the Rolex pedigree, this is a watch that will last you forever and never go out of style. Assuming you like the aesthetics in the first place. And if you get tired of the bracelet I am sure it will look super cool on various 3rd party NATO or leather straps. And bonus, unlike the GMT Master II with its un-tarnishable ceramic bezel, this watch will develop a better patina and vintage look which should give it a unique feel in 5 or 10 years.
Tudor also released another version of regular Black Bay diver. The Fifty-Eight ($3,575) with black dial and bezel and gold accents for all markers. Coming at 39 mm, this is a more accurate tribute to Tudor's heritage but also includes a new manufacture movement MT5402 with same 70 hours reserve and COSC certification. There is also a version on leather strap ($3,250) and one on a cool black and gold NATO strap for the same slightly reduced price.
Overall, I have concluded that Tudor is simply not the brand for me. As a Rolex collector I know that the Tudor watches are amazingly built. However, perhaps it's a mental block but I never liked how they feel on my wrist nor have I ever fallen in love with the aesthetics. Perhaps they remind me too much of Rolex, yet come short of the real thing. I do, however, appreciate that they exist and are able to deliver Rolex-quality at less than half the price.
Would I buy a Tudor watch for the graduation of a young family member? Absolutely, as I have done in the past. It’s the perfect first watch in my view. Since you never know if kids these days will appreciate a nice timepiece in the long run; the watch might end up in a drawer in favor of some digital or smart watch. But the cool thing is, if that's the case, and it stays in that drawer unworn, in 20 years or so, this watch might become one of the most valued gift the kid ever received. tudorwatch.com
The Tudor brand of watches is interesting. Not only because they are the watches from the “little sister” brand to the mighty Rolex, but because they have a design language onto themselves that many like and many don’t. While I don’t own a Tudor watch and not many of their models sing to my sensibilities and aesthetic, I always like to see what novelties they produce every year.
At the COUTUREtime show in Las Vegas, I had this exact opportunity. It’s not clear I left with a lust for any of their new watches, but what Tudor showed me was streamlined, strong, well priced, and overall desirable. Let’s take a closer look.