July 14, 2019
Every generation has its icons. Events, fashions, technologies, ideas… Some will identify with the free love of the 1960s, others the flares of the 1970s, and others still with the free market economics of the 1980s. As this decade comes to a close, commentators are starting to look for concluding remarks that will make sense of these last 10 years.
Stepping past cultural and political shifts, in watches, the story of the decade is that of Tudor. During the 2000s, Tudor found itself in a parlous state. Rolex’s sub-brand, as it had been since the late 1940s when it was officially registered, withdrew from key markets, even Japan and the US where it had previously enjoyed success.
But towards the end of the decade, it was rebooted with new branding and a new product line-up. Out went the pseudo-Rolex designations that had been a ball and chain. No more Tudor Submariners. No more Tudor Oyster Princes. In their place, Tudor began to build a new collection. In it were some mainstream bread and butter pieces, but the Style, Classic and Glamour lines were never intended to grab the market by the horns.
That responsibility was left to designs such as the Heritage Chrono, which debuted in 2010. It was inspired by a 1970s model called the Oysterdate Chronograph. That was followed by the Heritage Ranger and Advisor models, and then in 2012 a watch that is arguably the most important watch of this decade – the Heritage Black Bay.
Based on the 1954 Tudor Submariner, the Heritage Black Bay was a simple enough watch. Steel-cased, water-resistant to 200 metres, with a burgundy red bezel (that later became blue and then black, its definitive form) and a choice of a leather strap or a metal bracelet. There was also an alternative fabric strap woven on a 100-year-old French loom. Inside those first models was a third-party automatic movement with a date, but in 2016, that was upgraded with an in-house calibre with improved performance.
The Heritage Black Bay was a hit with critics. In 2013, it won the ‘Revival’ Prize at the Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, the so-called Oscars of Swiss watchmaking. Tudor, recognising a good thing when it saw it, began investing in the line, expanding it, dropping the ‘Heritage’, and working with other complications and materials. In came a bronze model, two-tone steel and gold pieces, and GMT (second time zone) and chronograph executions.
This year, Tudor has extended the line again with further steel and gold, or ’S&G’ models. Arriving at Baselworld were the Tudor Black Bay Chrono S&G and the Tudor Black Bay 32/36/41 S&G. Let’s take a look at them.
The Black Bay Chrono S&G in the now familiar steel and yellow gold livery was seen on ‘best of’ post-Baselworld shortlists around the globe on launch this spring. The balance of the steel, yellow gold, black, cognac and expertly added red detailing in this 41mm watch is simply superb. In fact, it’s a lesson in detail – note the date wheel is coloured to match the lume in the nine hour markers. So many watches have been ruined by an off-the-shelf white date disc. Not this watch. Inside it is Tudor’s ManufactureCalibre MT5813, which is Tudor’s spin on Breitling’s B01 in-house chronograph calibre. The two companies share movements, but if value is important to you, note Tudor’s versions carry significantly lower price tags. The watch comes on an S&G metal bracelet, a leather cuff or a black woven fabric strap.
Sticking with the S&G theme, there are now 32mm, 36mm and 41mm versions of the stylish time-only Black Bay in steel and yellow gold. The automatic watch offers a choice of black or champagne dials, and comes on a new five-link steel and yellow gold bracelet. While some of the surfaces are polished, most of the metal is brushed, creating a matte finish that’s in keeping with the Black Bay’s tool-watch heritage.
Since the reboot a decade ago, Tudor hasn’t put a foot wrong. But it’s done more than that. In the Black Bay it has created a watch a new generation of watch buyers can claim as their own. A legitimate icon for our times.
