Tudor unveils its raciest Formula 1 watch yet, the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25”
Jamie Weiss- In time for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, Tudor unveils its second collaborative watch with Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team – a chronograph this time.
- This watch was first teased (but not unveiled publicly) at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025 a month ago.
- A limited edition of 2,025 pieces, it boasts a forged carbon fibre case, titanium elements and a white/blue dial inspired by VCARB’s colours.
Over the weekend, the high-octane circus that is the Formula 1 World Championship made its way to Florida for the fourth edition of the Miami Grand Prix, which in previous years past has been an occasion for watch brands to time product releases around – many of which have featured colourful pastel colour schemes inspired by Vice City and its beachy character. Of course, one of the most popular Tudors in recent memory, the Black Bay Chrono “Pink”, also has a connection to Miami, with its creation inspired by the colours of ambassador David Beckham’s football team, Inter Miami CF… And during the Miami GP race weekend, we saw another Black Bay Chrono join Tudor’s lineup. Just not a pink one.
We knew this watch was coming, but in what form, we weren’t certain. Ahead of Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025, I predicted that the Swiss brand would produce another watch in collaboration with the F1 team they sponsor, Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (or VCARB for short) – however, I predicted that it would be a white ceramic version of the extant Black Bay Ceramic “Blue”, the first team watch Tudor created to mark its partnership with VCARB. We didn’t see such a watch unveiled in Geneva, but as I reported from the ground, the Tudor booth at the fair featured a pronounced F1 theme, with a VCARB car present but more intriguingly, a countdown timer teasing the reveal of a new watch during the Miami GP.
Now, here we are – and the watch we’ve got, the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25”, doesn’t disappoint. It’s the first Black Bay model to feature a forged carbon fibre case, with carbon previously only used as a case material in the Pelagos range, with models like the Pelagos FXD Chrono Cycling Edition. It’s also worth pointing out that, as of publishing, Tudor’s sister brand Rolex does not offer any watch with a carbon fibre case.
Specifically, the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” features a forged carbon fibre main case, tachymetre bezel and strap end links, with other case elements such as the crown, chronograph pushers and caseback made from black PVD grade 5 titanium. The dial, too, is carbon fibre, topped with a varnished matte “racing white” layer with a minute track and logo in blue, with the two chronograph sub-registers exposing the carbon below. You also get two subtle pops of red in the form of the water resistance rating text and the tip of the chronograph seconds hand.
This colour scheme closely reflects VCARB’s standard livery colours, even though VCARB sported a unique pink livery for the 2025 Miami Grand Prix, confusingly. Even the applied indices and snowflake hands have blue-emission Super-LumiNova. And of course, modern F1 cars are predominantly made from carbon fibre, so it’s an utterly appropriate choice of case material for a F1 team watch. The carbon fibre end links for the hybrid strap (which also has a buckle made from carbon fibre, although its pin is titanium) are a particularly classy touch.
There’s been a surprising amount of chatter online about this watch’s dimensions, though. At 42mm in diameter and 14.3mm thick, it’s 1mm bigger but 0.1mm thinner than other Black Bay Chronos. However, compared to the Pelagos FXD Chrono Cycling Edition, which has the same movement as this watch, it’s got a 1mm smaller diameter but is 1.1mm thicker. What difference does a millimetre make? I’ll let you decide, although I’ve been surprised there’s been so much chatter about it. Also, as our Deputy Editor Borna Bošnjak has pointed out, the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” is twice as water-resistant as Tudor’s similarly carbon-cased Pelagos FXD Chrono models, perhaps thanks to its screw-down pushers.
Speaking of that movement, under the hood of the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” hums the Calibre MT5813, which is based on the Breitling B01 but has been modified by Tudor with a silicon hairspring for improved anti-magnetism, a variable inertia balance and runs for 45 minutes rather than the B01’s 30min. An exceptional movement with a column wheel and vertical clutch – basically the ideal chronograph experience – it has a 70-hour power reserve and is COSC-certified (but not METAS-certified as an increasing number of Tudors are these days). This movement is hidden beneath a closed caseback, which features a laser-engraved depiction of the VCARB 02 race car as well as both its series number and the year.
Closing thoughts
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As a diehard F1 fan, it was great to see Tudor join the F1 paddock last year with VCARB, although I was pretty surprised that Tudor’s first watch with the outfit wasn’t a chronograph, considering how inseparable from motorsports that complication is. But never mind, we’ve got a VCARB chrono now, and it’s pretty racy – in fact, it’s hard to think of a better VCARB team watch. It is worth discussing the price point, however. Since the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” broke cover, there’s been discussion among enthusiasts about how expensive it is: at just shy of A$11,000 (or just over US$7,000), many have commented that it’s approaching Rolex pricing territory. But, as I mentioned earlier in this article, there’s no Rolex with a carbon fibre case, and there’s only one chronograph in Rolex’s range, the Daytona, which is more than double this watch’s price.
Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” pricing and availability
The Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” is an individually numbered limited edition of 2,025 pieces, available now. Price: A$10,970
| Brand | Tudor |
| Model | Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” |
| Reference Number | 79377KN |
| Case Dimensions | 42mm (D) x 14.3mm (T) x 51mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Black carbon fibre composite and grade 5 titanium |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown and pushers |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Varnished matte white with matte blue details and carbon sub-registers |
| Lug Width | 22mm |
| Strap | Hybrid leather and rubber strap, carbon fibre end links and buckle |
| Movement | MT5813, Breitling B01 base, automatic, COSC |
| Power Reserve | 70 hours (chrono off) |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph |
| Availability | Limited edition of 2,025 |
| Price | A$10,970 |