Why Tudor stole the show at W&W 2023
Borna BošnjakAt Tudor’s booth this year, the theme was evolution not revolution. While the titanium Pelagos 39 intensely stirred the best-modern-luxury-dive-watch pot, the brand’s main Watches & Wonders focus was the Black Bay range. Watch Andrew’s and Zach’s live reactions to the new releases below, and read on for a quick summary of each.
Tudor Black Bay 54
For thousands of watch collectors, the introduction of the Black Bay 58 was a phenomenal release that turned even the most die-hard of Rolex fans into ardent Tudor followers. The more refined case with style-appropriate sizing finally felt like Tudor had found a home outside of its bigger brother’s shadow, and the 58 still commands a strong demand. This year’s Watches & Wonders sees the Swiss brand attempting, and likely succeeding, to repeat their recipe for success with the Tudor Black Bay 54. All of the details of Tudor’s latest vintage diver can be found here.
Tudor Black Bay GMT
Although last year’s Watches & Wonders held thunderous announcements for Tudor’s GMT fans thanks to the Black Bay Pro and the Black Bay GMT S&G, the love hasn’t stopped coming for the much loved four-hander. People who have previously passed on the Tudor Black Bay GMT due to its contrasting white-date wheel can also now rejoice, as the watch has now been released with an opaline white dial. Read Fergus’ introductory write-up here.
Tudor Black Bay 41 Burgundy
No model is safe in the Black Bay range with Tudor discontinuing certain models in recent years. As the brand’s reputation has been climbing, their specifications and features have had to match it and that’s spelled the end for some of their older models. Thankfully, it appears that Tudor have no interest in leaving their fans in the dust and they are helpfully bringing in new watches with modern updates to fill the gaps. Following in the footsteps of the Heritage Black Bay model reference 79220, the Tudor Black Bay catalogue has been bolstered with this 41mm version with a bright burgundy bezel. Find out the details of the new updates here.
Tudor Black Bay 31/36/39/41
Following last year’s Watches & Wonders blast of two-tone releases, it’s now time that the Tudor Black Bay fixed-bezel models in steel get their overhaul. The Tudor Black Bay 31/36/39/41, for want of a better collection name, turned a lot of heads with its dive watch dials and dress watch bezels. The hybridisation creates a look which is jarring at first to those who are used to keeping things separate, and yet quickly grows into a sophisticated character or refinement and adventure. For more details, read the full introduction here.
Tudor Royal
Any time a design risk is taken, people could turn one way or another. The Tudor Royal is undoubtedly their most visually distinctive collection, and as such it has divided people into those who love its brave embrace of 1970s kitsch and those who do not. With two new dial colours across four different sizes, the Tudor Royal digs even deeper into the funky retro love for an ultimately refined watch. Follow the link for the full introducing piece.