TIME ZONE
BY CAROL BESLER
TUDOR BLACK BAY THE MODERN ITERATION OF A CLASSIC WATCH
T he most prestigious Swiss watch brands are paying tribute to the timepieces that influenced modern watchmaking. This year, Tudor honors the brand’s first diver’s watch by introducing cutting-edge watchmaking technology to a timeless design. At the 2023 Watches and Wonders fair in Geneva, Tudor launched a Black Bay 54 diver’s watch with elements from the 1954 original, including the 37 mm size originally worn by the French and U.S. navies. Modern touches to the re-edition include an automatic in-house movement, caliber MT5400 with a 70-hour power reserve, Super-LumiNova highlights on the hands and markers to make them glow in the dark, and water resistance to 200 meters. The modern version of the Tudor Black Bay launched in 2016 with a burgundy bezel and a
41 mm case. This newest model revisits the iconic burgundy bezel and case proportions, but there is one big difference: it contains an evolved, elite movement that is tested according to METAS Master Chronometer certification standards. To qualify, a watch must be able to function within a 5-second range of variation each day (0 /+5), that is to say 5 seconds less than the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) (-4 /+6) carried out on a single movement. Also, it must guarantee that accuracy in the presence of magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss. The
caliber MT5602-U meets all these criteria and has a power reserve of 70 hours. Another modern touch on this vintage-style watch is the Tudor T-fit clasp on its rubber strap or steel bracelet, which is equipped with a system for rapid length adjustment in five positions, making it an ideal choice for an heirloom timepiece to be passed down for generations.
6 R.F. MOELLER MAGAZINE
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