Ok, so maybe “Arms Race” is a bit over the top. But with the announcement by Tudor that its Black Bay Ceramic dive watch will carry the impressive METAS certification awarded by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology, Omega can no longer lay sole claim to these impressive test standards, as they have since 2015. Not that Omega wasn’t open to other manufacturers entering the playing field, not to mention that the standard was envisioned by Omega itself, but its a point worth noting nonetheless. All imagined brand drama aside, METAS is an impressive test standard, and it warms my heart to see this emphasis on chronometric performance, consistency, and actual timekeeping excellence, something which all too few brands up and down the luxury scale often don’t seem to be overly concerned with. It sort of takes us back to the glory days of the 1940s through 1960s (well, at least before quartz burst on the scene) in which the regleurs of great precision competitors like Rolex, Omega, and Patek Philippe duked it out in intellectual style at the Chronometer Competitions, vying to create ever more precise mechanical movements, the technnology of which would filter down to production pieces. It speaks to a time in which the mechanical watch was the default way people told time, and because of that, a certain degree of performance was appreciated—even, dare I say, expected.
As with the various Omega Master Chronometer certified calibers, Tudor doesn’t just test these movements uncased. To be sure, the calibers do undergo the full bevy of C.O.S.C tests on uncased movements first, after which point the really hardcore testing begins. The fully cased up watches are subjected to a full gauntlet of demands, including cumulative precision standards that must fall within 0 to +5 daily, winding efficiency, and power reserve of the assembled caliber. Perhaps most impressively, the METAS testing evaluates resistance to magnetic fields of up to a whopping 15,000 Gauss—a standard that all but laughs off the otherwise rather daunting interference threatened by a world of computers, speakers, and other technical gremlins that threaten our precious little micro-machines. Tudor has achieved this impressive feat through use of a silicon hairspring, as well as other amagnetic components throughout the mechanism, all of which neatly preclude the use of iron shields (Faraday cages) over the movement or similar antiquated means of protection. Those curious about exactly how well their own specific watch did relative to the Master Chronometer specifications, can simply hold their Tudor warranty card, embedded with an NFC, near a device capable of recognizing it and they will be able to pull up the test results of their specific Tudor watch. Pretty neat.
Aesthetically, the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic is both familiar in form, and badass in the way its been executed. At 41mm across, the ceramic case straddles the size divide of being big enough to have real substance without encroaching too far into “fashion watch” territory. This is comfortable ground, and one I like to see in a classic looking diver the sorts of which Tudor does a great job at producing. Unspoilt by any date window, the famous “reticle” dial that has defined so many Tudor and Rolex divers since the 1950s speaks to something in our psyche, and promises to keep on enduring aesthetically, no matter what other sport watches come and go in the collection. The unguarded winding crown, complete with the classic Tudor rose insignia stands tall enough for easily manipulation, while not being so protuberant as to snag on something above or below the water’s surface. In a fairly unusual move from anything from the Rolex family, this Tudor watch does feature a sapphire display caseback, and the view is quite a nice one. While these are certainly industrialized movements devoid of hand-polished bevels and the like, the Tudor MT5602-U is decidedly modern in its appearance, even a touch futuristic, and I really dig the way the blackened bridges maintain the high tech, all business black aspect of the design as stated through both the ceramic case and the classic no-date dial.
I think Tudor deserves props for including two straps with this watch as well. The hybridized rubber and leather unit looks great, but I think many will be just as happy to swap it out for the alternative nylon option. The latter is my personal favorite of the two, and that cream stripe looks simply delicious in concert with the lume featured on the dial and signature Tudor “snowflake” hands. METAS certification is a very long feather in the cap of this new Tudor Black Bay watch, and it’ll be interesting to see how much ingress this technology makes into the brand’s other offerings…as well as perhaps other brands in the near future! (Hmmm!) At $4,750, Tudor has again offered a solid value in an increasingly out-of-reach segment, with some real technical muscle to match the handsome looks. Will it be able to beat the reigning Omega Seamaster 300M Diver though? Let us know your thoughts!