Launched during Watches & Wonders 2022, Tudor has introduced the Black Bay Pro, an all-steel GMT with a domed sapphire crystal sporting a new black-yellow color scheme. It has a 39mm diameter and a fixed steel bezel. The Pro still has familiar Tudor elements like the 24-hour “Snowflake” hands – improved with Grade A Swiss Super-LumiNova® luminescent material.
The Tudor Black Bay Pro was developed in collaboration with movement manufacturer Kenissi – offering a 70-hour power reserve and powered by “Manufacture” MT5652 automatic GMT movement. It features applied ceramic indices with the markers’ entire surface area covered in lume to add brightness.
Another highlight is its “T-fit” bracelet that allows for an extra 8mm of adjustment on the clasp as the manufacturer brings back the toolless micro-adjustment to the Black Bay line. Customers can opt for a black hybrid rubber-leather strap or Tudor’s famous black-yellow jacquard fabric.
Like the rest of the Black Bay series, the Pro is water-resistant to 200 meters.
This timepiece is an entirely new model with a dual time zone feature and a “retrograde” date function to avoid any frustration of having to click forward and around simply to arrive at the correct date. The date snaps back to the previous one as the time is adjusted backward and passes midnight in reverse.
The Black Bay Pro and the Rolex Explorer 1655 have a lot in common, as keen observers will see. The 1655’s 39mm was large by 70s standards, but it’s ideal for the Black Bay Pro in 2022 – with horology geeks looking for smaller GMTs. Furthermore, the Pro’s nearly-identical bezel may have been inspired by the 1655’s fixed steel bezel with a 24-hour scale. Nevertheless, the design is quite practical, as it eliminates a common cause of failure with GMT watches that have rotating bezels.
Pricing for the Tudor Black Bay Pro is $3,675 for the leather and nato strap references and $4,000 for the stainless steel reference.
The Tudor Black Bay Pro is now available on Tudor’s website.
