Three years ago, Tudor introduced its Black Bay Pro. The watch was unveiled during Watches and Wonders in 2022, together with the Tudor Black Bay GMT S&G. Upon launch, there was a lot to say about the two watches. Both take after two famous vintage Rolex models from the brand’s glorious past. The Tudor Black Bay GMT S&G was modeled after the legendary Rolex GMT-Master “Tiger Eye,” while the first-generation Rolex Explorer II ref. 1655, also known as the “Freccione,” heavily inspired the Tudor Black Bay Pro. Did Tudor go too far by leaning heavily on the designs of its sister brand?
The Black Bay Pro was controversial from the start
When both watches were introduced, the reactions were mixed. A lot of younger watch fans loved the two new GMT additions to the Black Bay lineup. Quite a few older fans were less impressed because it reminded them of Tudor in the old days when the brand created watches with designs and parts straight out of the Rolex collection. It’s been an image that the brand has tried to shake really hard ever since its relaunch in 2012 by using its own archive as inspiration.
My opinion about the matter? I wasn’t really sure at first. As a massive fan of both the vintage Rolex models, I was a bit disappointed. On top of that, the Black Bay GMT S&G was by far not as good as the famous “Tiger Eye.” But with the Black Bay Pro, the feeling was different. I have been a massive fan of the Explorer II ref. 1655 for years. The one thing that I have always liked less is its pre-owned prices. You’re looking at prices starting at EUR 25,000, sums of money I’m never going to put on the table for a watch. So, having a watch that is both affordable and inspired by the Freccione’s looks was tempting.
Making it a true Tudor watch
Additionally, the Tudor designers did a great job updating the design, making it a typical Tudor watch. With that also comes a great advantage that the Black Bay Pro has over the Explorer II ref. 1655, and that’s readability. The Rolex dial integrates both the minute scale to read the time and the uneven hours for the 24-hour GMT scale on the outskirts of the dial. As a result, the dial of the ref. 1655 can be hard to navigate. I think it’s a great part of its charm, but in terms of day-to-day practicality, the Tudor does a far better job with its large lume block hour markers and snowflake hands.
As always, the true test was in putting the watch on our wrist. Not long after Watches and Wonders, I was fortunate enough to try the watch for a couple of minutes, and I was swooned by its presence. Additionally, it also took away the concerns I had about the thickness of the case. The Tudor Black Bay Pro has a case that measures 39mm in diameter, is 14.6mm thick, and has a 47mm lug-to-lug. As a result of the relatively thick case, it looks rather chunky. It’s emphasized even more by the slab-sided polished case flanks. Visually, it looks rather daunting, but on the wrist, it really proved to be no problem. Granted, I am a tall, big guy, so the effect is definitely not that drastic when I wear the watch.
Finally getting the Tudor Black Bay Pro
After those first impressions, I had a few more chances to try out the watch, which solidified the feeling that a Black Bay Pro had my name on it. When I finally got the watch, it felt familiar, almost like coming home. During the first week, I was seriously impressed by the watch and kept coming back to it multiple times a day. After that initial feeling of amazement, the watch quickly became “my watch.” People around me also said on multiple occasions that it simply looks at home on my wrist, and it feels like that every time I put the watch on my wrist.
What also impressed me from the get-go was the movement. The brand’s COSC-certified Caliber MT5652 powers the Black Bay Pro. It is an automatic flyer-style GMT movement that offers 70 hours of power reserve. It was my first flyer-style GMT, actually, where I already had multiple caller-style GMTs. It’s a far more practical GMT movement because the caller-style GMT only allows you to independently adjust the 24-hour GMT hand to set the home time. This means that if you travel through time zones regularly, you constantly have to set both the local time to where you are and adjust the home time after that. With a Black Bay Pro, you can travel through time zones and only adjust the central hour hand to the local time, and you’re done. It really is my perfect travel watch.
The build quality is really good
In addition, if you pull out the crown and turn it to move the hands, you feel the overall build quality is very solid. That goes for the entire watch. Tudor really makes great watches around the €5K mark that are hard to beat in terms of quality. With its utilitarian overall aesthetic, that’s exactly what you want. It ensures you can wear the watch daily without having to worry about anything happening to it.
On the topic of wearing the watch, I am a bracelet guy, so I prefer the Black Bay Pro on its fake rivet bracelet rather than on the straps that Tudor also offers it on. I have swapped the Tudor bracelet out for three different aftermarket bracelets from Forstner, one of them being an Oyster-style bracelet without the fake rivets. I ended up wearing the watch on that bracelet for a long time because I prefer the simpler look, and it still looks authentic. The Tudor bracelet is far superior in quality, so that will eventually end up on the watch again.
Pros and cons of the Tudor Black Bay Pro
Overall, I have been impressed with the Tudor Black Bay Pro. It has proven to be the perfect watch for me. What surprised me positively is how easy it is to wear on a daily basis. It’s a super solid watch that fits my wrist perfectly. On top of that, the fully stainless-steel aesthetic makes sure that I never worry about parts getting scratched or dented. If that happens, they are part of the story of my watch.
If I had to point out something that I wasn’t too sure about, it’s the Black Bay Pro’s proportions. The case is definitely chunky, and that might lead to problems for people with smaller wrists because they might find it too thick. On top of that, the chunky case also balances out less well on a smaller wrist, and as a result, it started moving around. Luckily, I don’t have that issue, but over time, I have also wished for a follow-up Black Bay Pro that is less thick. It would make the overall comfort just so much better and also keep the case sides from looking like steep cliffs.
Tudor Black Bay Pro Longterm Review: Final thoughts
It’s something that we know Tudor is capable of. With the introduction of the Black Bay 58 GMT last year, the brand showed that it’s capable of producing a GMT that is almost 2mm thinner, which is really substantial. So, there is hope that we will see a thinner Tudor Black Bay Pro. Until then, the first model is my daily wearer and will be for the foreseeable future. It has proven to be a watch that I love dearly and will always have my name on it.
At a list price of EUR 4,400, I think this is one of the most attractive, affordable GMT watches out there. If you search on Chrono24 Marketplace for a pre-owned version, you can buy one between EUR 2.5K and EUR 3.5K. For what the Tudor Black Bay Pro has to offer, that makes it my best pick currently out there for the money.
