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The hands-on Tudor Black Bay Pro GMT is quite possibly the best tool watch we've seen this year An all-rounder watch with a cool design and an ultra-sturdy construction.

Since the introduction of two important watches in the Tudor collection, the Black Bay GMT and the Black Bay 58, the watch industry has been looking for a hybrid of these two concepts. Basically, Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT. Tudor responded, but decided to make things more interesting. The result is this watch, the Tudor Black Bay Pro. Yes, it is 39mm like the BB58. Yes, it has a GMT function, just like the BB Pepsi. But no, it's not just a simple mix of the two. The BB Pro is totally different, very cool, a tool watch that does it all. And, at least for me, it really is one of the best gauges I've seen this year. But as a fan of the Explorer II (older, of course, not the big modern version), this watch somehow speaks to me. Even if we will see, it's not perfect.

If I had to sum it up, the new Tudor Black Bay Pro is the perfect adventure watch. It's sturdy and clear; it has a GMT complication for travel; it can dive; it's meant to be used and abused; Table series. The only week/business watch that isn't paired with formal attire. But then again, fewer and fewer of us actually wear suits to work. An all-around, wear-anywhere watch. Let's look at the details.

Not a BB58 with GMT...
As mentioned, the new Black Bay Pro is not what some fans of the brand expected. The need for a smaller sized BB GMT is obvious (reminder, a 41mm watch with a thickness of 14.6mm and the presence of lugs to lugs), which can be done inside a BB 58 case with a bi-directional rotating bezel . However, Tudor had a different idea and created a GMT watch that is indeed more compact, but with a slightly different interpretation. We are moving away from the traditional codes of diving watches or the classic GMT inspiration and closer to the concept of the Rolex Explorer II. That means Adventure Instruments watches, which are not designed for a specific purpose but are suitable for many things. Some diving certifications, some travel abilities, make it rugged for exploration or any rough terrain, or even a design for the sky.

Base. The Tudor Black Bay Pro is a 39mm watch with a classic case from the collection. It's made from 316L stainless steel, most of it has a polished beveled brushed finish, and the sides of the case and bracelet are also polished—at least in the central part of the case, which is nothing new. The same can be said for the case back, which is visually uninteresting. The only thing worth mentioning is that it screwed in with the screw-down crown, and the Black Bay Pro is rated as a 200m water resistant watch. When it comes to the crown, you'll notice something very special - no, I'm not talking about the engraved rose logo, but its actual shape. The crown has a new design, the thin fluted profile and aluminium tubes have been replaced by the classic deeper notched crown...if you like the Rolex way,

The new bezel frames the classic domed sapphire crystal (a repeating element of all Black Bay watches that contributes to the collection’s retro look). Instead of the bi-directional rotating steel bezel with aluminium inserts, there is a fixed steel bezel with a beautiful radially brushed finish and an engraved black-filled 24-hour scale reminiscent of the 1980s. The bezel on the first-generation Explorer II was referenced to 1655. Without a doubt, this element is one of the main reasons why this watch is so cool. It's rather surprising to see it used on the Tudors, but since Rolex doesn't reference the past too much in its modern collection, the rose is certainly a great vehicle to bring back some of the crown's coolest design cues.

Now let's talk about the main topic of discussion about this Tudor Black Bay Pro: its thickness. We have seen multiple comments on our own channel and Instagram about the high rate of cases. Although we couldn't measure it (not really an option during the watch fair), the case is about 14.5mm/14.6mm tall, which is coincidentally the same as the Black Bay GMT Pepsi. This is not surprising as both have the same movement and the same water resistance. So yes, this Black Bay Pro is pretty thick, definitely thicker than the BB58 (about 12mm in height), but not too thick either. It's more of a feeling, a visual feeling, because the case is more compact and Tudor tends to make straps that extend down to the caseback and don't use a domed caseback. So yes, the watch carries some weight, but once on the wrist, the Black Bay 41 diver.

Now let's talk about the watch face and the fact that it has some special features. At first, it has a classic feel, with a domed silhouette and a matte grainy texture on black. There is a railway minute track on the perimeter, a modern shield logo and brand name at 12 o’clock, and three lines of text at 6 o’clock, including a yellow depth rate. Additionally, the applied markings feel familiar, with a combination of dots, rectangles and triangles at 12 o’clock. Except...these applied markers were not metallic and were later filled with luminous paint. These are made of luminous ceramic blocks with a slight cream colour. And the 3D effect not only looks cool, but also enhances the technical, instrument design of the watch. The hands are typical Tudor, with a snowflake silhouette and plenty of A-grade Super-LumiNova.

Most importantly, the Tudor Black Bay Professional is first and foremost a dual-hour watch with a separate 24-hour hand that can be used to display additional time zones or indicate whether it is day or night. The indications are shown here thanks to the yellow snowflake hands, once again paying homage to some brilliant vintage GMT watches from the parent brand...the feature is what is called a true GMT, which is a local time hand (main, shorter, cream-colored snowflake hand) ) in one-hour increments to move backward or forward. The date is an integral feature of a GMT watch (I agree or not, but the date is needed here), displayed through an aperture at 3 o'clock and, of course, combined with the local time hand. Overall, readability is good, day or night. All settings are done by the crown.

Like Tudor's watches, the Black Bay Pro is available in a variety of strap/bracelet options. First, and probably most relevant, is the steel bracelet. It comes with a classic rivet silhouette, is completely brushed on the flat surface and features a folding clasp. Interestingly, the latter is equipped with the T-fit trimming system (which extends up to 8mm in five positions), which was first introduced on the BB58 Bronze. The Black Bay Pro is also available on a mixed black rubber and fabric strap with a folding clasp, or a black and yellow jacquard fabric strap made by Julien Faure in France.

Inside the Tudor Black Bay Pro is the same movement as the Black Bay GMT, a Calibre MT5652 made by longtime partner Kenissi. This automatic movement is COSC chronometer-certified and features an antimagnetic silicon hairspring. In addition, the variable inertia balance is fixed by a solid transverse bridge. The movement beats at a frequency of 4 Hz and, once fully wound by a bidirectional rotor, has a power reserve of up to 70 hours. In terms of accuracy, while the COSC standard is between -4 and +6 seconds, the Tudor watch insists on varying between -2 and +4 seconds when fully assembled. A well-known movement, proven reliable and accurate, with a practical GMT function. Its 7.52mm height certainly contributes to the overall thickness of the watch.

Thoughts on TUDOR BLACK BAY PRO
As a fan of older versions of Explorer II, I'm definitely giving a biased opinion here, at least in terms of looks. Combining a super sturdy case, proper water resistance, a more compact diameter, and mostly this really cool fixed, radially brushed 24 hour bezel and yellow GMT hands, I must say this BB Pro is without a doubt the most attractive One of the tool/instrument watches I've seen recently. It has everything, does it all, and even looks pretty nice in metal.

Now, if you look at the facts, the Tudors have once again brought an impressive package. The overall workmanship of the watch is precise and very clean. The BB Pro comes fully equipped with a chronometer-made movement, innovative materials on the dial and a bracelet that is not only cool looking but also comfortable, sturdy and adjustable. It's magnetically shielded, it's diving, it has a practical GMT function, and it's full of historical references that would keep watch nerds like me and even a wider audience looking for interesting tool watches.

It's hard to say, but there's nothing to complain about here, especially considering the retail price of Tudor watches. The height of the case will undoubtedly push some away, but not me. And this Black Bay Pro will certainly look different from the BB58 GMT some have come to expect, so it may not be as desirable as a more classic Pepsi watch. But as far as I'm concerned, I really like this new Tudor...

Technical Specifications – TUDOR BLACK BAY PRO
Case: Diameter 39 mm x approx. 14.6 mm high - Stainless steel case (316L), satin-brushed with polished decorations - Fixed radially brushed bezel with engraved black filled 24 hour markers - Sapphire crystal, dome and anti-reflective - Screw-down crown and case back Cover - 200 meters waterproof - resistant
Dial: Domed-grained matt black - Snowflake hands with Super-LumiNova coating - Yellow GMT hands - Integrated luminous ceramic applied hour-markers - Date at 3 o'clock
Movement: Caliber MT5652 - Manufacture (Kenissi) - COSC-certified chronometer - Automatic bidirectional central oscillating weight - 31.8mm x 7.52mm - 28 jewels - 28,800 vibrations/hour - antimagnetic silicon balance spring - variable inertia balance with transverse Bridge - 70 hour power reserve - hours, minutes, seconds (hacking), 24 hour hands, instantaneous date
Bracelet: studded stainless steel bracelet, polished and satin-finished, T-shaped micro-adjustment folding clasp (up to 8 mm) - also available with mixed rubber and textile straps with stainless steel folding clasp and safety clasp, or with black textile strap Yellow strap and buckle
Reference: M79470-0001 Steel Strap
M79470-0002 Fabric Strap
M79470-0003 Hybrid Strap