Tudor’s latest GMT is a great travel companion. As it has evolved over the years, the new Black Bay GMT this year features a mesmerising opaline white dial
The Tudor Black Bay GMT is celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. It launched in 2018 and drew inspiration from vintage Tudor timepieces from the 1950s and 1960s. The Black Bay GMT stands out with its classic and elegant look, and sports a bold burgundy and blue bezel, more popularly known as “Pepsi”. This year, Tudor expands its line with a new, whimsical dial in opaline to match the distinctive bezel.
The Tudor Black Bay GMT has always been known to be “made of the right stuff”. It sports an incredibly useful multiple time-zone complication known as a GMT function that establishes local time without losing sight of the time in two other time zones. Recognisable by its rotatable bezel, which borrows its deep blue and burgundy colour scheme from other models in the Black Bay line, but in a matte version, the Black Bay GMT is also a nod to the early days of this high-flying aesthetic.
This year, Tudor has added the option of an all-new dial that perfectly complements the iconic colour scheme of the Black Bay GMT.
The new Black Bay GMT in opaline dial complements the signature burgundy and blue dual-tone bezel
Opaline is an opalescent white with a slight silvery hint to the dial. Through a galvanic process, a matte white-grey finish is applied to the dial, and the marker surrounds are darkened to create a noticeable contrast. Beyond being reminiscent of the mid-century boom in commercial aviation, the charming opaline dial is highly legible.
Additional time zones are indicated by Tudor’s signature “Snowflake” hand and bidirectional rotatable bezel calibrated for 24 hours. The “Snowflake” hands are Tudor's aesthetic hallmark, introduced in 1969, with Grade A Swiss Super-LumiNova luminescent material. The twelve daylight hours are printed on the burgundy section of the bezel, while the night-time hours are indicated on the blue portion of the bezel.
With a steel case 41mm in diameter, the Black Bay GMT model is waterproof to 200 metres and designed to withstand the elements. Its winding crown tube is in satin-brushed steel, new for the Black Bay line and aesthetically in keeping with the case and winding crown.
The first Black Bay GMT in black dial launched in 2018
When it launched in 2018, the Black Bay GMT was presented as one of Tudor’s models with a highly functional GMT complication. Since its release, it has been a crowd-pleaser thanks to its elegant aesthetics, iconic features like the in-house calibre, and subtle historical connection. This first iteration of the Black Bay GMT came with a classy black dial.
The Black Bay GMT S&G in warmer tones and a steel and gold bracelet launched in 2022
The second launch of the Black Bay GMT in 2022 introduced the Black Bay GMT S&G, with a fresh look in steel and gold, featuring warm colours and a vintage touch. The bezel, also maintaining the two-tone colours significant to the Black Bay GMT models, is in yellow gold and with black and brown accents as a hallmark of the GMT function.
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The Black Bay Pro launched in 2022, features a more minimalist look
The Black Bay Pro was launched alongside the Black Bay GMT S&G in 2022. A new technical model with a minimalist aesthetic, it features a 24-hour graduated fixed bezel in stainless steel and a Manufacture Calibre with built-in GMT function for a dual time zone. At 39mm, this is a more compact model, allowing even ladies to wear this comfortably.
Manufacture Calibre MT5652
All models of the Black Bay GMT and the Black Bay Pro collection feature the Manufacture Calibre MT5652 with integrated GMT function, jumping hour hand and retrograde date setting that Tudor developed for the Black Bay GMT models.
An apt demonstration of Tudor's approach to technical development, the integration of new functions is allowed by a flexible architecture rather than by stacking additional modules: A defining detail and a must for purist watch enthusiasts.
The Calibre MT5652 is found in all of Tudor’s Black Bay GMT models
The Calibre MT5652 has the appearance and finish typical of Tudor Manufacture calibres. Its openwork rotor is satin-brushed with sand-blasted details, and its bridges and main plate have alternate polished sand-blasted surfaces and laser decorations.
The Calibre MT5652 is designed to ensure robustness and precision. To do this, a sturdy traversing bridge with two-point anchoring maintains the variable inertia balance wheel. This system and its non-magnetic silicon hairspring enable the Manufacture Calibre MT5652 to function within a tolerance range of six seconds (-2/+4) tested on a fully assembled watch.
Another notable feature is that the power reserve of the MT5652 Manufacture Calibre is “weekend-proof”; that is to say, it has a power reserve of 70 hours, which enables the wearer to take the watch off on a Friday evening and put it back on again on Monday morning without having to wind it.
Visit Kee Hing Hung to discover the new Tudor Black Bay GMT.
