Hands-On The Tudor Black Bay Burgundy, Now A Master Chronometer

Double down on the fundamentals of making reliable, robust watches, and don't make a fuss about it. That's what old-school, all-business-all-the-time Rolex would've done. And that's exactly what Tudor has done with the updated Black Bay Master Chronometer. At first blush, this new burgundy Black Bay looks a lot like the original burgundy Black Bay from 2012. Same bezel insert, same case diameter, and a dial and handset that look familiar. When I saw the announcement last week that Tudor had updated the original burgundy Black Bay, it wasn't the first Tudor release that jumped out – there were new 37mm dive watches and opaline dial GMTs to cover!

But after getting hands-on with the new burgundy Black Bay and hearing more about Tudor's new manufacturing facility in Le Locle, it's clear this is one of the biggest Tudor releases of the year: Tudor managed to make perhaps its most important modern watch a Master Chronometer, and it made the thing more wearable at the same time!

Before we nerd out on METAS certification and what it all means for Tudor, let's look at the other updates to the burgundy Black Bay. First, it's 0.8mm thinner than the previous generation: it now measures 13.6mm thick. As an avowed and small-wristed Black Bay 58 guy, this makes the burgundy Black Bay downright wearable, even for my smallish wrist.

Part of this wearability is also thanks to the new five-link (don't call it a Jubilee!) bracelet that drapes the wrist better than the existing Oyster-style options. While Tudor still offers an Oyster-style bracelet or a rubber strap with the burgundy Black Bay, the new Jubilee style is the way to go. It tapers from 21mm to 16mm; there are no faux rivets; everything about it looks and feels so damn good. Tudor's also added its T-fit to the clasp for good measure (get it?).

Tudor also changed the dial on the updated burgundy Black Bay: It's now a sunburst finish instead of matte, much like the new in-house Black Bay 31/36/39/41 lineup. It makes the dial richer as it picks up the light; this also makes the gilt accents of the dial feel more natural. It's subtle, but the handset has also been updated. Most notable is the lollipop seconds hand – I could see a criticism that it doesn't really match the snowflake hour hand, but I love a good lollipop hand too much to care if it really matches or if there's historical precedent for pairing a lollipop with a snowflake.

Tudor also updated the bezel edge, giving it a more exaggerated knurled edge compared to the traditional coin edge of the Black Bay line. It gives the burgundy Black Bay just a little bit more of that traditional tool-watch vibe, kind of like a vintage Tudor Sub. Also gone is the black crown tube familiar on the original Black Bay. We might never get a true modern Tudor Sub remake, but all these changes, in addition to the METAS certification, make the new Black Bay the souped-up, modern Tudor diver many have hoped for.

The net effect of all these changes is that, when you grab the Black Bay to clip it on (again, preferably on the don't-call-it-a-Jubilee bracelet), you think you know what you're getting into. Quietly thinking to myself "yeah, yeah, a Black Bay, I've tried this on dozens of times over the years," was quickly followed by "oh, now that's nice." It's not unfamiliar, it's just a slightly better, more wearable version of a familiar watch.

This, finally, brings us to the solitary "Master Chronometer" line of text at six o'clock on the dial. It's surprisingly succinct for a Rolex/Tudor dial, but those two words say a lot. It's Tudor's second Master Chronometer after introducing the Black Bay Ceramic in 2021, and to have Tudor tell it, it's indicative of where all its watches are heading. Last month, Tudor officially announced its new facility in Le Locle, where all its watches will come from going forward (more from James on this later this week). From now on, all Tudor watches will have their own manufacture movements.

Tudor's new facility is connected to Kenissi, the movement production company founded by Tudor in 2015. Going forward, all of Tudor's movements will come from its new facility in Le Locle. The facility is equipped for METAS testing, so it's safe to assume Tudor has the goal of making all its watches METAS-certified Master Chronometers in the foreseeable future.

METAS certification begins with COSC-certified movements that are cased up and measured as accurate to 0/+5 seconds per day (we reported from Tudor's Master Chronometer lab last year). The watch then goes through a series of tests to demonstrate waterproofness, anti-magnetism, and power reserve. That's magnetism resistant to 15,000 gauss, 200 meters of water resistance, and accuracy at two temperatures, six positions, and two different levels of power reserve (100 percent and 33 percent).

Inside the burgundy Black Bay is Tudor's METAS-certified manufacture caliber MT5602-U. By bringing METAS certification to another watch and seemingly hinting at more to come, Tudor's taking more-or-less dead aim at Omega, the only brand that's producing Master Chronometers at scale today. Pricing also reflects this, to an extent: The new burgundy Black Bay costs $4,450, compared to $4,050 for a non-Master Chronometer Black Bay, which remains available in bezel colors besides burgundy (for reference, a Seamster 300M will set you back $5,600).

For now, the competition seems only positive for consumers. Together, Omega and Tudor are pushing a new standard (and expectation) of accuracy and reliability for mechanical watches. Do your watches really need to be anti-magnetic to 15,000 gauss and water-resistant to 200 meters? For the most part no, of course not. But it's exciting that Omega, and now Tudor, continue to pursue technical proficiency for its own sake, all for about five thousand bucks.