This year, Tudor has added a new black dial variant to the Black Bay Pro collection. Given how the Black Bay 58 GMT was introduced last summer as a slimmer alternative within the family, there was uncertainty regarding when this model would get an update after its sole iteration in 2022. Does that mean this newly introduced thinner MT5450-U movement renders the GMT caliber MT5652 at 7.5mm tall obsolete?
Sadly, the MT5652 still stands. Everyone should have known this was coming when Tudor launched the Pelagos FXD GMT with the same movement last December. So, with this new Black Bay Pro, we are offered a new dial and nothing else. And while a new case or caliber was hoped for, a lot can be done with just a new dial if the intent is to invigorate model sales. On paper, this is a very trivial modification. Does a new version of the GMT get a new white dial model? Old story.
Most features regarding this update remain unchanged. The case is as reasonable as before, featuring a 39mm diameter with 20mm lugs while maintaining that oft-complained-about thickness of 14.6mm. Admittedly, the height also owes to a very tall and pronounced crystal, which is even more exaggerated because of the thinner fixed bezel on the Black Bay Pro. The Black Bay line cases are often criticized for their slab sides. Alongside an unimaginative, blockier case that lacks contours, they make no effort to soften their thick appearance optically.
Holding the tall blue sapphire crystal is the top fixed bezel, which gleams due to the polish on the bevel, unlike the more industrial aspect of the watch. There is also the new opaline and white dial, which, as some would say, is one of Tudor’s best dials. The freshness, simplicity, and ease of reading is astonishing. The resemblance of the original Black Bay Pro dial is maintained in the Black Bay Pro, with the texture of the hands having altered. The only exception is the “phantom” hands of the black dial, which, now with the new design, are entirely black from the center post. T
One of the most significant historical changes is also the hour markers. The most distinct design feature of the black dial is now lost in this update, which was the monoblock ceramic lume plots that appeared to float over the dial. To improve legibility, a consideration is that these monobloc lume plots are now encircled by a black border. While offering excellent contrast, this approach is less captivating and akin to standard applied lume-filled indices. Regardless of whether it is interesting, the subtle details that go into this new opaline dial turn it into my favorite light-colored dial throughout the Tudor range.
I fondly recall the launch of the original Tudor Black Bay Pro. A flyer GMT in a 39mm case and a fixed bezel? As a Tudor fan, I thought it checked all the boxes for me at the time, even superseding my distaste for “Faustina” indices, beige markers, and all. I didn’t find it as such, along with many colleagues, which meant I could stand the criticism of the watch being regarded as a Rolex Explorer II reference 1655 copy. Thus, on the day of launch, I reached out to my local Tudor retailer and got their first one, which was less than a week later.
I guess I gave away the ending, but yes, I sold the Black Bay Pro after a year of ownership. I still appreciated the watch. However, a few factors that did not suit me ultimately concluded that this was not the watch for me. First, as I mentioned before, I am not a fan of Fauxtina and certainly do not intend to be (at least for this particular watch; I tried to convince myself otherwise). After all, some pundits would say that the paint used for the hands and indices on the original Black Bay Pro was not Faustina but rather a design choice; however, to me, it was just a tad too off-white. That’s just me.
As for shocking surprises, the T-Fit clasp was my most enormous red flag. With the clever, quick-adjust system implemented on the bracelet, I assumed I’d be utilized to getting a perfect fit at ease. This, however, was not the case. I was not the only one dealing with this issue. In a combination of searching threads, many others shared my concern. The T-Fit clasp traveled less than the span of a full link. Therefore, the T-Fit had to be almost fully expanded to use the clasp comfortably. This meant that the further my wrist was to extend, the further I would have to stretch the clasp to use any additional space.
Why am I saying all of this? Honestly, I miss that watch. The Black Bay Pro continues to occupy the Tudor lineup as a more singular design, not in part due to the proportions and fixed bezel. Because of this new dial, I’m considering giving the Black Bay Pro a second chance. The new color dial design feels more contemporary than its black-dialed sibling, just as Omega’s white-lacquered dial Moonwatch did to its original. For this reason, I would have liked this version even more if they had removed the rivets of the bracelet to bolster that context further.
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