05/25/2021

A Closer Look At The New Tudor Black Bay Ceramic

Tudor’s iconic diver now boasts a bold, new all-black look and packs a Master Chronometer-certified, anti-magnetic movement.

By Steven Rogers

Contributor

Following its impressive additions in 925 silver and 18K yellow gold to the Black Bay family unveiled at Watches & Wonders 2021, Tudor has today launched another stunning edition of its iconic dive watch: the Black Bay Ceramic.

At the heart of the Black Bay Ceramic are very bold aesthetics and top-notch, magnetism-resistant chronometry.

The New Tudor Black Bay Ceramic

Its matte black 41mm case and unidirectional bezel insert are made of high-tech ceramic, which is light and scratch-proof. And these features frame a domed, matte black dial on which the emblematic "Snowflake" hands and hour markers in beige Super-LumiNova stand out superbly.

The in-house automatic caliber MT5602-1U is also finished in all black and visible through the display back. Plus, it has been equipped with a non-magnetic silicon hairspring and features a weekend-proof 70-hour power reserve.

The New Tudor Black Bay Ceramic

Master Chronometer Certification

Even more impressive is that the Black Bay Ceramic hasn’t just successfully passed the COSC certification tests. It has also obtained Master Chronometer certification from METAS, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology, the first application of this standard to a Tudor timepiece.

The New Tudor Black Bay Ceramic

In order to qualify for METAS Master Chronometer certification, a watch must be Swiss-made, already be certified by COSC, and be able to function within a five-second range of variation each day (0 +5). That is five seconds less than the COSC (-4 +6) standard and a second less than Tudor’s internal standard (-2 +4), applied to all its models with a manufacture caliber.

The New Tudor Black Bay Ceramic

Master Chronometer certification also guarantees the timekeeping accuracy of a watch subjected to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss – basically, a very big magnet.

Finally, certification also ensures that the power reserve and waterproof capability – in this case, 200m – claimed by the movement maker conforms with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard 22810:2010.

The New Tudor Black Bay Ceramic

All in all, it is a demanding set of standards, and the Black Bay Ceramic has passed them with flying colors.

Pricing & Availability

Priced at $4,725 (CHF 4,500) and available, as far as we can tell, only through Tudor authorized retailers, the Black Bay Ceramic is fitted with a hybrid leather and rubber strap with 316L steel folding clasp and safety catch in black PVD-treated 316L steel.

The New Tudor Black Bay Ceramic

But it doesn’t stop there: owners equally get a complimentary black fabric strap with cream stripe and black PVD-treated 316L steel buckle thrown into the deal. What’s more, the watch comes with a five-year, transferable guarantee with no registration or periodic maintenance checks needed. For more details, visit the Tudor website.