The Tudor Blackbay GMT should have never made it into my collection, but it was meant to be. I was looking for a GMT watch, that was automatic and there truly seemed to be very few choices that met what I was looking for. All roads on the web seemed to lead to the Rolex GMT Master, but that was way too expensive and just wasn’t (and still isn’t) available. A chance encounter at my local jeweler introduced me to the Tudor Blackbay GMT.
As luck would have it, my local jeweler had received a Tudor GMT that very same day, and I decided to take it home before they could call their waitlist. It was an early birthday gift to myself, but more than that, it was a bet that this could be my go-to watch for all things in the coming months in Florida. Now that summer has come I’ve returned from La La Land, the verdict is in.
My initial reservation with the Tudor GMT, was that it was simply too big and chunky for me. In my mind, 41mm wide, about 50mm lug-to-lug, and 15mm thick was just out of reach for me to pull off. Now, having gone the distance, I’ve come to a realization that my impressions were both right and wrong.
There’s no getting around it: this is a chonky timepiece. And that’s okay. I’ve spent the last few years wearing a vintage 36mm watch almost daily, and this larger, heavier case took some getting used to. But by no means do I consider it oversized. A detail not lost on me is Tudor’s clever decision to chamfer the bottom edges of the case to provide a more comfortable wearing experience, a feature not seen in other watches from the Black Bay line. In another point of distinction from its Rolex kin, Tudor watches continue to feature the “slab-sided” case design that all Black Bay watches have come to be defined by. You’ll either love or hate it, but I found myself enjoying the chunky tool-watch charm, even as I was acclimating to the larger case. As my everyday watch, it was usually worn at my desk or outside at the beach, and it never felt uncomfortable on the wrist. However, weighing in at 200 grams is not insignificant (the steel bracelet is a factor here, but more on that later), the Tudor always made its presence known.
In all, I’ve come to appreciate that there is no hiding the size or thickness of the Tudor GMT, and the only way to pass ultimate judgment on this watch is to experience it for an extended period of time. It has helped me expand my comfort zone and reconsider the kinds of watches I can wear and enjoy. The only time I may reach for smaller, thinner options is for formal events, but with the way things are going, that should be few and far between.
The first and most visually striking feature of the watch is the burgundy and blue bezel. As summer wore on, I was happy to discover how different lighting conditions could bring out its different hues. On particularly clear days, the dark blue would really shine, but on overcast days (often the case with the marine layer in the summer), the blue would appear nearly black. Regardless, the bi-directional bezel serves an aesthetic purpose and provides a reference for the red secondary hour hand, which tracks a second-time zone independently from the primary hour hand (hence the GMT name).
Setting and using this watch day-to-day is a breeze. For example, when I landed in FL, I simply unscrewed the crown and wound back to “jump” the local hour hand two hours back without interrupting timekeeping or the red GMT hand. That was it. That the two-hour hands could be set independently made it easy to know what time I could call friends and family back home while reading the local time normally on the dial. The date feature also advances as the local hour jumps, so if I cross the International Date Line, I can bring the date with me without stopping the movement.
The matte dial on the Tudor ensures that visibility is never an issue, no matter the occasion. Though I wore this watch daily, rain or shine, I have never experienced glare issues. The luminescent material on the hour markers and hands is more than adequate and provides a lasting glow in the dark. The watertight case and screw-down crown guarantee waterproofness to 200 meters, which makes this a viable dive watch. From an accuracy standpoint, this officially certified chronometer has performed at about +1 second/day, well within its rating. The power reserve for this movement is officially rated at 70 hours, but some tear-downs have suggested the true value at 72 hours. Amusingly, this number cannot be marketed because modern Rolexes with the 3000-series movements are officially rated at 70 hours, and we can’t have the younger sibling embarrassing its older brother now, can we?
Two final aspects I want to touch on are the bracelet and the widely-known “date issue” on these watches. I found Tudor’s stainless steel bracelet more than satisfactory. The links and clasp are well-finished, comfortable, and nicely designed. If I had to change things, I would have forgone the faux rivets on the side of the links and increased the tapering from lug to clasp. I also wish Tudor had incorporated the micro-adjustment technology from the Pelagos line; the additional adjustment options and the flex of the clasp would’ve been helpful since I wear this watch in various climates. Both would be significant upgrades regarding comfort.
Even a cursory trip down the Internet rabbit hole will undoubtedly lead you to the “date wheel problem” known to plague the Tudor GMT, the resolution of which is hotly debated. According to users on popular forums and other watch communities, early models were more prone to gearing failures leading to the date function skipping or even double-changing. However, I have not experienced any issues in my few months of ownership. Tudor has also increased their warranty to five years for peace of mind. That being said, the fact that such an issue exists within the Rolex family line is disappointing.
The Tudor Black Bay GMT is an instant classic because it performs well and offers real value for money. I really enjoy wearing it, so much so that it has become a daily wear. I haven’t had to wind it manually in weeks, and it has kept remarkably accurate time. Try one, I think you will like it too.
Leave a Reply