On today’s edition of window shopping… I mean, I am excited to welcome you back to another Test Drive! This time with a watch I have been wanting to try on for a while, the Tudor Black Bay GMT. This is not a long term review of these watches, like the main outlets do, but my main impressions as a mere mortal. The main points I would like to discuss are size, fit and strap options.
Initially, and judging from pictures I had seen, my thoughts were that this watch would be big. I was ready to dislike it and be turned off by how huge it would feel on the wrist. How wrong I had been all this time. I definitely had tried Tudor Black Bays before but it was a fast and mindless action. It also did not remain in my memory as clear, maybe my lack of interest at the moment made it a bit of a blur. The size misconception might have also started with my very first dive watch, the Seiko Samurai. I tend to “judge” every dive watch with a Seiko Samurai in mind, a really chunky boy. And without trying to get to deep with the Samurai, but it wears big. The Tudor GMT, on the other hand, might be bigger from lug to lug but it definitely wears smaller.
For the sake of a clear comparison, and to be objective as possible, I need to give you dimensions. The Seiko Samurai is listed at 44mm case size and the Tudor Black Bay GMT is listed at 41mm. Lug to lug dimensions are 48mm for the Samurai and 50mm for the Tudor. The Samurai is 13.5mm thick and the Tudor 15mm thick. On paper, the Tudor should feel bigger, but not even its profile, that is basically a slab of metal, feels thick. If it is not clear, this watch wears VERY nicely!
Moving to the strap options, this watch is offered on a leather strap, metal bracelet and a single pass NATO. I was not able to try on the bracelet, which is the combination I would go for, due to availability. The one shown here, and the only one available at this location was the one with a single pass NATO strap. Again, the watch is extremely comfortable to wear with this strap, you will never hear a complain from me when it comes to NATO straps. With that said, the version that really intrigues me is the one with the bracelet. I am very curious to see Tudor’s bracelet level. The bracelet might add to the wearability, it might wear bigger or just simply remain as comfortable as when I initially tried it on.
As any other watches that I post here, this is one that I had been intrigued by for a while and one to consider adding to any lineup. I am now a true believer of Tudor now and how comfortable the Black Bay line is. Definitely an option to consider. The price of the watch on the combination showed here is $3850. For $325 more you can get it with a metal bracelet. To not make this any longer, if you are looking for a GMT with that diving watch theme, Tudor should be on your list.
DL