Black Bay GMT makes it easy to set the new local time when you travel. All you have to do is retract the crown to the center position and turn it. The main hour hand moves forward or backward in hourly increments while the movement continues to run. the 24-hour hand retains the home time or designates a second-time zone. When you return home after a trip, you simply reset the main hour hand forwards or backward.
The large knurled crown is adapted from its counterpart in the first TUDOR diving watch with a water resistance of 200 meters, making it very easy to operate. The crown is screwed into a long tube, but it can be smoothly withdrawn, reliably clicked into place, and safely reinserted by overcoming the slight but noticeable resistance of the spring.
Unfortunately, hidden behind the huge opaque case-back, the Tudor-made caliber MT5652 has a 70-hour power reserve and keeps time at a very good rate value.
The rose motif on the crown recalls the original TUDOR logo. The brand has been using the heraldic shield on its dials since 1969. This shield is also used on the dial of our test watch, which was inspired by the diving watches made by TUDOR in the 1950s.
The eye-catching hour appliques – eight circles, two rectangles, and a triangle – stand out against the matte black background of the dial. Together with the “snowflake” hands filled with luminous material, these appliques provide a strong contrast during the day and a bright luminosity at night for optimal readability around the clock.
The snowflake hands are an unmistakable design feature of TUDOR replica watches, having first appeared in 1969. Although they can be found three times on the dial, there is little chance of confusion. The impressively large and characteristic snowflake on the hour hand dominates the dial; a second snowflake is in constant motion on the second hand; a third snowflake moves slowly at the tip of the red 24-hour hand.
The dial’s bezel rotates in both directions and boasts a two-tone aluminum inlay in matte navy blue and Bordeaux red. This inlay suits the style of the watch and is typical of Black Bay models, as is the fine knurling on the sides of the bezel, which transitions to a 41 mm stainless steel case that can withstand pressure up to 20 bar. Although this watch can descend to 200 meters below the surface, it is still not a fully-fledged dive watch, although it offers many of the same features, including a one-sided folding clasp with an extension mechanism and safety catch.
Displayed at night, the 24-hour hand indicates the time in the second zone; the bezel is in its basic starting position.
The handsome combination of bezel and case is completed by the riveted strap, which, like many other details on the Black Bay GMT, is reminiscent of Tudor fake watches from the 1950s and 1960s. The straps on these models are known for the visible rivet heads and stepped arrangements that connect the various components. the steel strap on the Black Bay GMT is 22 mm wide at the point of attachment to the case, tapering to 18 mm at the clasp.
Today, the huge parts of the strap are made using modern manufacturing techniques. Other straps are tanned to brown leather, called Terra di Siena, and are also available in textile fabric. The textile straps are made in France by a family-owned company with a 150-year history of traditional jacquard weaving techniques.
The case back of the Black Bay GMT is huge and sturdy. The sturdiness of the metal case back is commendable, but its opacity, unfortunately, hides the newly manufactured MT5652 movement. This movement has a skeletonized rotor, but its bridges and plates are kept simple, thus retaining the stylistic characteristics of previous Tudor-made movements, which were designed and built with robustness, durability, and reliability as a priority. The large balance wheel with variable moments of inertia is firmly anchored under the bridges instead of the cock. This greater stability, combined with an antimagnetic silicon hairspring, helps the MT5652 caliber to meet the standards of a chronometer. Thanks to its power reserve of approximately 70 hours, this Rolex replica watch does not need to be wound or reset on Monday morning when it has not been worn all weekend. By contrast, the ETA 2893 movement, often used in GMT models, provides only 42 hours of autonomous power. the Black Bay GMT adds less than one second per day when fully wound and worn on the wrist, but with no new energy infusion for 42 consecutive hours, it will deviate from correct timekeeping by 3 or 4 seconds per day.