Watches & Wonders 2024: TUDOR’s Nifty Nudges Towards Perfection

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Watches & Wonders 2024 is an absolute fiesta for TUDOR’s Black Bay catalogue. With four Black Bay updates and a ladies-special new Clair De Rose, TUDOR’s new offerings for this year are more evolution than revolution. However, one thing’s certain – the brand’s patient fanbase is finally getting what they’ve been asking for. Right from a two-hued GMT to an all-gold Black Bay 58, it’s a whole bunch of pleasant surprises.

Here’s a birds-eye view of every new TUDOR currently making waves down at W&W 24, Geneva.

Black Bay 58 GMT – Thirsty for Colour?

Starting with the star of the ensemble, this two-toned bezel Black Bay 58 serves as a trifecta of vintage TUDOR’s dive watch aesthetics, daring hues, and textbook Swiss timekeeping excellence. In terms of dimensions, the new Black Bay 58 GMT stretches 39 millimetres wide while being 12.8 millimetres in total thickness and lug-to-lug, an ergonomic 47.8. Cased out of Stainless Steel, it offers a 200-meter water resistance – ready for deep-sea adventures. The bidirectionally rotatable bezel in black and ‘burgundy’ as referred to by TUDOR, boasts a gilt 24-hour GMT scale. Against a softly radial-brushed, satin black dial, the ‘lollipop’ design seconds hand recalls the look of early diving watches. The hour hand, in signature Black Bay style is ‘Snowflake’ tipped while the indexes are Swiss Super-LumiNova® dipped.

Inside, rests the METAS and COSC-certified ‘Master Chronometer’ Tudor MT5450-U which winds automatically, delivering a 65-hour power reserve. You get to choose between a ‘rivet-style’ three-link steel bracelet or a sporty rubber strap. Both employ TUDOR’s T-Fit tool-less bracelet extension. TUDOR aims to inject a strong dose of mid-20th century elegance – the roaring 50s when the Black Bay was first introduced and the jet-setters were surfing through time zones, free and limitless.

Black Bay Monochrome – Back in Black

The new monochrome Black Bay proves that everything simply looks better in black. Refreshed with a few nifty nudges from last year’s Black Bay Burgundy, the new all-black Black Bay doesn’t stray too far from Tudor’s winning formula for the line. But what’s new? – A new crown and bezel, T-Fit clasp, a trio of bracelet options, and a ‘Master Chronometer’ badge on its dial.

Fuss-free and back in black, the new Black Bay is minimal genius. Cased in steel and measuring 41 millimetres, it houses a striking 60-minute unidirectional black bezel. The black satin dial, subtly domed, features contrasting silver accents. As always, the hour hand is ‘Snowflake’ tipped while the indexes are applied and luminous. The ‘Master Chronometer’ badge on its dial is earned after its calibre MT5602-U is METAS and COSC-certified, running automatically and offering a 70-hour power reserve. Oh! You get three strap options to choose from: five-link, classic Oyster, or rubber.

Black Bay 58 18K – (Yellow) Gold is the New Black

In 2021, we got the Black Bay 58 draped in 18-carat Yellow Gold but with a leather strap.This year, TUDOR goes all-out, offering a fully gold three-link bracelet with a few new tricks up its sleeve. A solid gold watch in today’s market is a home run, TUDOR understands that. As watchmaking and jewellery’s paths eternally intertwine, blending sport and substance is a winning combination.

Upon close inspection, you’ll notice that the 39-millimetre 18-carat Yellow Gold case is satin-finished, dosing down the flashiness of the material and giving it a bronzish look. This finish is elegantly complemented by the matte, green 60-minute unidirectional rotatable bezel and matching dial. TUDOR calls this combination ‘Golden Green’, further contrasted by 18-carat Yellow Gold hour markers. Powering this golden wonder is the self-winding, COSC-certified Calibre MT 5400 which offers a 70-hour power reserve. All of this is strapped on with a three-link, all-gold bracelet which features a T-Fit clasp.

Clair De Rose – Feminine Elegance with a New Blue Dial

As TUDOR’s timeless take on women’s watches, Clair De Rose is quintessentially expressed by its circular case with triple-toothed lugs and a cabochon-set crown. Its title takes after ‘Clair De Lune’ which is a combination of its French translation: Moonlight and the rose – TUDOR’s signature floral motif. What used to be a collection which exclusively dawned opaline dials now takes on a new blue hue, with/without the diamond index treatment. Casing in sizes of 26, 30, or 34 millimetres of polished stainless steel, its crown is adorned with a blue spinel cabochon. The ‘Tudor blue’ dial boasts applied Roman numeral indexes and/or eight diamonds, accompanied by a date window at three o’clock. The self-wound Calibre T201 offers a 38-hour power reserve. In terms of the bracelet, you get a five-link ‘beads of rice’ stainless steel singular option.