With the white dial Tudor Black Bay Pro now launched I thought it was time to revisit the watch that started the current push towards the affordable GMT watch as culminated in the likes of the Seiko 5 GMT, that is of course the Tudor Black Bay GMT.

This is a watch I’ve owned for over 2 years now and as a result I reckon, my two cents on this two time zone watch are worth a thing of two.

Tudor’s Black Bay GMTs face some large issues. Their largeness. Something Tudor has now fixed with the Black Bay 58 GMT and Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT – thickness. The watch stands tall at 14.6mm, this is thick for a watch. No doubts about it, but if you’ve ever gotten used to wearing a Casio G Shock well I’d suggest that this isn’t going to be an issue for you long term.

Now of this 14.6mm height, recently Adrian Barker pointed out and rightly so that a domed sapphire glass and bezel take up a few millimeters. So it does feel slimmer than this, but so do many watches so take that point with a pinch of salt. 

The complaints regarding the fauv-rivets on the bracelet are well-documented, some days I love it, others I don’t.

The third fault, the clasp is easily scratched. I can’t speak for the long term aesthetic durability of the t fit clasp, but these original Rolex professional bracelet style ones, yeah easily scratched and that’s the same across all your Black Bays – so buyer beware.

On a technical level the 41mm case size is large, the case slab sided, but it has its charm and if this look is for you I think you know it, and if it’s not, it’s not and that’s okay.

This watches’ weaknesses play into its strengths. When I sat down in the Tudor AD, sipping the tudor kool aid I said, this watch feels like the quintessential middle aged dad watch. It’s hefty, but so was your dad’s wrist when you were young. The clasp is easily scratched, but this isn’t jewellery it’s a tool watch, it can take some scratches and arguably looks better once it’s been worn in a bit.

Vintage watches carry a premium because of the history they represent and the history they carry. That’s why your average Rolex Daytona reference 6239 will go for 40 grand, but the paul newman owned piece nearly 18 million – provenance is everything like in art.  Tudor with this watch are trying to emulate the original Rolex GMT Master Reference 6542,I think you’ll end up closer to this feel with the Tudor Black Bay GMT looking a little bit more worn in.

That’s the keyword with this watch and most Tudor watches in fact. Feel. These watches are about feeling connected to a past. Feeling connected to iconic watches and feeling like you’re something else. It’s cosplay. Most Tudor Black Bay GMTs will not be worn by pilots, or even international businessmen but instead a White Collar worker – probably earlier on in their career or a middle aged middle management dad type. These watches by providing a feeling, provide escapism. They enable desk diving, or in this case desk flying. 

Every time in the 2 years I’ve had this watch, I’ve popped it on and I’ve felt something. The sound the clasp makes, the bezel rotating and even the escapement flicking away are built into my mind. They always will be.  While many people will look down on a Tudor as a poor man’s Rolex, I think this stance is flippant to say the least. A Tudor helps provide perspective, if you find yourself walking into a room where you’re the poor one as you’ve got the shield not the crown – you need to be a little more aware of the fortunate position you’re in. See and a Tudor kind of helps provide that grounding and gives a valuable perspective on the watch world that I’d encourage anyone into their luxury watches to explore. Rolex and Patek owner or not.

This launched in 2018 as one of the first more affordable mechanical GMT watches. In 2023 I picked mine up for £3,450 but even now at the adjusted £3,870. This offers damn good value. I think from this point it’s diminishing returns in terms of what you spend. As in the price rise from a Seiko 5 GMT or Tissot Seastar seams justifiable but going beyond this to Rolex and Omega seems a little ludicrous at times.

This goes back to the pareto principle 80% of the results come from 20% of work, when I bought this it was most certainly true with grey market pricing for the Rolex GMT Master II Pepsi so high.

For under £4,000, new with a manufacturer warranty what other watch will provide you with an in-house Swiss Kennissi movement that in reality keeps to within 2 seconds a day, a GMT function, a solid build quality and a truly iconic design. 

The market has changed since 2018, the aforementioned Seiko 5 GMT has come out, Longines have continued their upmarket drive with the Longines Spirit Zulu time and the Swiss Made Sellita SW330-2 GMT movement is finding its way to market with the likes of the Farer Lander IV GMT and Christopher Ward C63 Sealander GMT. There is more competition than ever before fighting for your entry level luxury GMT watch buck.

But the Tudor has the upper hand that a Christopher Ward, Longines or Seiko never will. The allure of the GMT Master. This watch does not emulate the original GMT, afterall that title belongs to the Glycine Airman. But the original GMT Master does, and while a pepsi bezel  San Martin may get you close to the feeling, this comes the closest in this space. While on a technical and even aesthetic level the longines zulu spirit time is a better watch – for some the pull of the gmt, the pull of tudor for better or worse outweighs this. 

If that’s the case for you, then I implore you to pick up one of these watches.