In recent years, Tudor novelties have aroused real enthusiasm and growing interest from the public. Thus, on the occasion of the Watches
Having regained its credentials and now positioned as a major player in watchmaking, the brand has just inaugurated its new ultra-technological and brand new factory in Le Locle. A flagship and a laboratory of ideas from which emerged the new Black Bay collection, completely redesigned but faithful to the aesthetic canons that have built its legend. These watches, unveiled to the general public last Monday, are already available in the Tudor pop-up store located on Place de Longemalle, in the heart of Geneva, for one month. Among them, the Tudor Black Bay 54 which caught the attention of enthusiasts with its slimmer frame but imprinted with everything a Black Bay enthusiast could expect.
To better understand the DNA of this new Black Bay, let's take a quick look back. The year is 1954. Tudor presents its first diver's watch: the Oyster Prince Submariner. His characteristics ? Durability, reliability, precision and tightness. In other words, so many attributes that position it as an instrument of choice for professionals looking for a tool watch at a competitive price. Since then, and in order to meet the requirements of the brand's divers-customers, the timepiece has continued to evolve. This, until today with the arrival of a version that will appeal to purists, making direct reference to the Oyster Prince 7922 from the 1950s.
Indeed, the new Tudor Black Bay 54, water resistant up to 200 meters, can be considered one of the most attractive vintage-inspired diving watches of the moment. After being reduced to 41 and then to 39 mm, the Black Bay shows a whole new face, slimmed down to 37 mm, the same size as the 1954 Submariner. An ideal diameter for all wrists, especially in terms of divers, generally mounted on broad frames. Here we find the traditional steel case with its unidirectional 60-minute graduated bezel, which does not, however, have a minute graduation in order to remain faithful to history.
The black, satin-brushed, sunburst and subtly domed dial displays attractive golden details as well as slightly beveled hands. The hour hand, known as "Snowflake", takes up the "signature" design of Tudor divers since 1969. The technical aspect is also found in the mechanism of this Black Bay 54. This carries the manufacture caliber MT5400, displaying the hours, minutes and seconds functions, which can also be found in the Tudor Pelagos 39. This high-performance movement, which offers almost 70 hours of power reserve, is equipped with a non-magnetic silicon hairspring and is COSC chronometer certified with improved performance at -2/4 seconds per day. Finally, on the exterior side, Tudor offers its watch on an entirely satin-brushed three-link steel bracelet, or on a black rubber link for a more sporty and relaxed style.
In its perspective of enlarging the Black Bay line, Tudor is also presenting a new opaline dial for its GMT cut for everyday adventurers. It is certainly not a new watch, but all its interest comes from this unprecedented color, never used by the house and which gives the timepiece optimal readability. This is presented on a 41mm satin-brushed steel case, complete with a bi-directional 24-hour scale bezel with burgundy and deep blue aluminum insert. The domed dial displays the famous "Snowflake" hands, including the GMT, colored red and which circles the dial in 24 hours. The in-house caliber MT5652 demonstrates all its technical skill through its flexible architecture allowing the addition of new functions rather than the accumulation of modules. Certified by the COSC, the movement offers a so-called "weekend proof" power reserve, i.e. approximately 70 hours, which allows the wearer to put down their watch on Friday evening and pick it up again on Monday morning without having to wind it up. .
Finally, and completing the new range of the super diver signed Tudor, the brand lifts the veil on its latest "original" Black Bay. We find a 41 mm steel case with a new unidirectional burgundy bezel - like the first Black Bay of 2012 - graduated 60 minutes as well as a satin black dial which takes up the colors of the Black Bay 54. The main (r)evolution is that this watch is now certified Master Chronometer by METAS after being subjected to a battery of drastic tests. To qualify, each part must, for example, meet the demanding criteria of Swiss Made, be COSC certified, be able to operate within a variation interval of 5 seconds per day and withstand magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss.
