Tudor continued their string of GMT releases with a new Black Bay Pro with an opaline white dial. Unlike the last two, this one isn’t placing a priority on case thickness. Ironically, this is a fan favorite that could use a trimmer case, but instead, Tudor has seen fit to address a different fan request by providing the watch with a new opaline dial. Renders don’t quite do the concept justice, and in the metal, everything comes together thanks to some conscious changes made to accommodate the new dial.
The Black Bay Pro was introduced in 2022, and while the general design of the watch was hugely popular, the shape and thickness of the case was a tough pill to swallow for some. I always found it to be perfectly suitable, if a bit on the thick side, but nowhere near unwearable. The 39mm case diameter somewhat exaggerated the tanky nature of the dimensions, but on the whole, the Black Bay Pro worked way better than folks on the internet may have let on.
The newest Black Bay Pro retains the same case structure and design, as well as the manufacture caliber MT5652 (not METAS certified). It’s a lot of the same great character with a dial that’s been inverted to white. To accommodate the new dial, those lume blocks that appeared on the black dial have been ditched in favor of a more traditional application with a black surround. This was done to maintain an acceptable level of legibility and it works very well. The hands also get a black outline, and the overall experience is quite unique in nature. The orange / yellow 24 hour hand remains unchanged, and feels slightly washed out against the white backdrop.
There are two things I’d have loved to have seen happen with the Black Bay Pro: getting a titanium case, or making use of one of the brand’s new trim GMT cases. The third would have been a white dial such as this. A fourth would be a bracelet without rivets at the link ends. The opaline dial is certainly welcome, but there’s a lot of potential in this collection yet to be realized if you ask me. Regardless, I’m happy to see them iterating on the watch at all, and I’m still a big fan.
Yes, it’s still a thick watch, but that shouldn’t scare you away from giving it a try if the rest of the feature set and design is in your wheelhouse. The Black Bay Pro is still full of character and stands on its own compared to the rest of Tudor’s tool watch lineup. The Black Bay Pro with opaline dial is priced from $4,050 on a fabric or rubber strap, and $4,375 on the bracelet. Tudor