While it’s never been the biggest part of their collection, Tudor has been building ceramic watches since 2021 (2019 if you include their Only Watch entry), leveraging the material’s ultra-hard, scratch- and corrosion-resistant properties for an extra layer of Black Bay toughness. Now they’ve gone full spec ops with a black-out version, complete with their first ceramic bracelet.
There’s always a bit of controversy over fully blacked-out watches; they make it hard to do the one thing you’re meant to do with a watch: read the time. And yet there are more than you might think coming out, from IWC’s stealthy Portugieser to OMEGA’s various black black versions. Tudor joining that line-up feels a little odd given their practical tool watch reliability, but they’ve really pulled it off.
Part of the secret to the new Black Bay Ceramic’s success is the dial finish. It’s black of course, but it’s been sunray satin finished, enough that when it catches the light it turns a lighter shade of grey. The hands and numerals are in a dark grey too bordered by pure black. So, between the finishing and the diver style of the markers, it’s easier to read than many an all-black.
Perhaps the bigger news – and something that will hopefully filter into other models – is the new ceramic bracelet. It’s a three-link number as the use of ceramic precludes anything too fiddly, but it suits the no-nonsense Black Bay aesthetic. It also feels fantastic on the wrist. Nothing else quite feels like ceramic, the smoothness, solidity and weight, and it’s reassuring to know that unless you work with diamond-tipped tools, you won’t need to get it polished up.
Otherwise this is the 41mm black ceramic case and bezel is the same as when the collection was launched in 2021. And why change a pleasingly chunky, well-proportioned dive case? The same goes for the movement. The original Black Bay Ceramic was Tudor’s entry into METAS certification and seeing as Tudor has expanded that stringent testing, it’s no surprise that it’s the same here.
Said movement is the MT5602-U automatic movement, an in-house number with 70 hours of power reserve and at least 0/+5 second a day accuracy. It’s also magnetic resistant up to 15,000 gauss, which paired with ceramic’s own anti-magnetic properties, makes the new Black Bay Ceramic patently unworried about MRI machines.
As for price, the new version is £6,030 compared to the hybrid rubber strap’s £4,780. If you don’t fancy doing the maths, that’s £1,300 for the ceramic bracelet and a darker colour palette. That’s a fair chunk more, but if you’re a fan of full ceramic – as I am – then it’s a price worth paying.
Price and Specs:
More details at Tudor.
