Tudor Black Bay GMT automatic 41 mm Full Set 2018

Let’s Get Acquainted

Introduced at Baselworld 2018, the Tudor Black Bay GMT marked an important step in the evolution of the brand. While Tudor has a long tradition of sports watches — including the “Submariner,” the “Big Block” chronographs and the “Oyster Prince” — the brand had never before offered a true modern GMT watch within its collection.

To understand this development, it is worth going back to the creation of Tudor by Hans Wilsdorf, founder of Rolex. His idea was simple: to offer robust and reliable watches comparable to Rolex timepieces, but at a more accessible price thanks to a different construction approach. This philosophy allowed Tudor to establish its own legitimacy in the world of professional sports watches.

The Black Bay GMT fits perfectly within this story. It incorporates the codes that made the Black Bay collection successful — an aesthetic inspired by Tudor dive watches of the 1950s, the iconic “snowflake” hands and a robust case — while adding a complication particularly appreciated by travelers: the display of a second time zone.

Its blue and burgundy “Pepsi” aesthetic naturally evokes some of the most iconic GMT watches in history, yet Tudor integrates it into its own identity. The two colors are not chosen at random: they echo those already present within the Black Bay collection, creating a coherent and immediately recognizable design.

With its manufacture movement, 24-hour bezel and genuine tool-watch capability with water resistance up to 200 meters, the Black Bay GMT has established itself as one of the most compelling sporty GMT watches of its generation.

The Model

The Tudor Black Bay GMT adopts the emblematic architecture of the collection with a 41 mm stainless steel case featuring alternating polished and satin-brushed surfaces. Its robust lines are directly inspired by Tudor diving watches from the 1950s. The absence of crown guards further reinforces its vintage character, while the large screw-down crown recalls the brand’s earliest historical references.

The watch immediately stands out thanks to its bidirectional rotating 24-hour bezel fitted with a blue and burgundy anodized aluminum insert, often referred to as “Pepsi.” This bezel allows the reading of a second time zone while giving the watch a strong visual signature. The chosen colors are far from accidental: they echo the palette already present on the Black Bay Blue and Black Bay Burgundy models, anchoring the watch firmly within the aesthetic identity of the collection.

The domed black dial remains faithful to Black Bay design codes with its generous luminous hour markers and signature “snowflake” hands, used by Tudor since the late 1960s. The red GMT hand, also finished with a snowflake tip, indicates the time of a second time zone on the 24-hour bezel scale. The overall layout ensures excellent readability, even in low-light conditions.

The watch is fitted with a riveted stainless steel bracelet inspired by Tudor bracelets from the 1950s and 1960s. With its polished and satin-finished links, it brings the perfect balance between vintage spirit and modern comfort.

Water-resistant to 200 meters, protected by a domed sapphire crystal and designed as a genuine tool watch, the Black Bay GMT is a versatile timepiece capable of accompanying both travel and everyday life.

The Movement

At the heart of this Black Bay GMT beats the Tudor manufacture calibre MT5652, an automatic movement certified as a chronometer by the COSC. Developed specifically to integrate the GMT function within the Tudor collection, it delivers particularly strong performance with a 70-hour power reserve and a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour.

This movement stands out thanks to its true traveler’s GMT functionality. The local hour hand can be adjusted independently in one-hour jumps without stopping the watch. The red GMT hand, meanwhile, indicates reference time on a 24-hour scale via the “Pepsi” bezel. This system allows the wearer to track two time zones simultaneously, making it ideal for travelers or professionals working across multiple countries.

The date is directly linked to the local hour hand: when the hour hand passes midnight in either direction, the date automatically adjusts. This is particularly useful when crossing time zones.

Like other Tudor manufacture movements, the MT5652 features a variable inertia balance held by a traversing bridge and fitted with an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring, ensuring robustness, precision and long-term chronometric stability.

The Package

This Tudor Black Bay GMT is offered as a Full Set, including its original box and warranty card dated 2018.

The watch is in excellent condition and has been inspected in our workshops, including a movement check on a Witschi machine, a water-resistance test and polishing of the case and bracelet.

It is offered with a one-year Lepage 10h10 warranty, ensuring complete peace of mind for its future owner.