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The long-awaited, thinner take on the Black Bay GMT is finally here in all its Bakelite-like glory.The case slims down to an impressive 12.8mm in height, retaining the Black Bay 58’s 39mm diameter.The watch is available on either a rubber strap or riveted three-link bracelet.Pretty much as soon as the Tudor Black Bay GMT was released in 2018, people have been clamouring for this day. The Black Bay 58 had already been out for 6 years when the GMT came out, so it surely seemed like a winning idea to combine the two, right? Well, at Watches & Wonders 2024, the prayers of Tudor fans worldwide have finally been answered with the Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT.As far as retro-flavoured dive watches go, the Tudor Black Bay range is pretty much peak in both style and performance. It's loaded with vintage Rolex flavour but without the price tag, and being a sister brand of the five-pointed crown itself, Tudor is no cheap knockoff. People loved the first Black Bay GMT, even if it did have some mechanical flaws upon launch, but there were some wearability issues. Even with its 41mm diameter and 50mm lug-to-lug length not being huge, the 15mm thickness and its slab-sided profile made it a little bit cumbersome. Now, the new Black Bay 58 GMT has been trimmed and tucked, ending up with a 39mm diameter, 12.8mm thickness, and a lug-to-lug length around 47mm.The new size definitely isn't the only change here, as the new GMT has taken on some of the Black Bay 58's classical design cues. A black and red “Coke” bezel is definitely going to be a crowd-pleaser, and it's one of the most requested colour schemes for GMT watches lately. There's also the gilt details, granting those warm tones which already feel 50 years aged in the best way possible. The snowflake hands are a key staple of Tudor's design, and there has also been a little bit more negative space freed up on the dial despite its shrunken proportions.If you were wondering where the extra dial space came from, it's because the printed text has changed from “GMT Chronometer Officially Certified” to simply “GMT Master Chronometer”. This signifies the change to the new calibre MT5450-U, which has been certified by METAS. This certification extends the COSC-checked accuracy to -0/+5 seconds, which is a fantastic rating for a relatively entry-level luxury watch. It has a 65-hour power reserve, running at 4Hz for a smooth sweep of the seconds hand. Paired with the watch is either a riveted steel bracelet, or an integrated rubber strap, both fitted with Tudor's T-fit clasp for micro-adjustment.Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT pricing and availabilityThe Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT is now available. Price: CHF 4,100 (rubber), CHF 4,300 (bracelet)BrandTudorModelBlack Bay 58 GMTReference7939G1A0NRUCase Dimensions39mm (D) x 12.8mm (T)Case MaterialStainless steelCrystal(s)Sapphire crystalDialBlack giltStrapRiveted bracelet or integrated rubber, folding claspMovementMT5450-U, Kenissi-made, automaticPower Reserve65 hoursFunctionsHours, minutes, seconds, date, GMTAvailabilityNowPriceCHF 4,100 (rubber)CHF 4,300 (bracelet)Read our overview of every watch released by Tudor?at Watches and Wonders 2024.
09.04.24