Tudor Black Bay Ceramic
Is this the best Tudor? Is this a Tudor for a non-fan of the brand? Can I get past the snowflake hand? Here is my review of the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic. From the box to macro views, I talk all the pros and cons. Having worn the watch daily for a few weeks, the review video really gets into the details of this seemingly popular Tudor model.
Here, you will find some photos and a dab of context. Finer details are in the review video.
Specs:
- Model: Black Bay Ceramic, m79210cnu-0001
- Diameter: 41.3mm
- Height: 14.65mm
- Lug Width: 22mm
- Lug-to-lug: 50mm
- Weight: ~106g (on hybrid)
- Case: Ceramic
- Case back and clasps: 316L stainless steel w/ PVD
- Crown: Screw-down, 316L stainless steel w/ PVD
- Movement: Tudor MT5602-1u
- Accuracy: COSC + METAS
- Power Reserve: ~70 hours
- Crystal: Sapphire
- Water Resistance: 20atm/200m/660ft
- Lume: Proprietary
- Retail Price: $4,825
- Warranty: 5 years
Pros:
- Muted and subtle design
- Simplicity of dial, writing
- 70hr power reserve
- High contrast legibility
- Marker combo
- Bezel brushing
- Blacked-out movement
- Hybrid strap
- Crown usability
- Matte and polished transitions
Cons:
- Strap direction
- Height, lug-to-lug, can wear big
- Clasp could be smoother
- Lack of anti-reflective coating
- Snowflake hand (though mostly tolerable for once)
The Video
https://youtu.be/0LV6pzXvp3c
Timeline:
- 0:00 Intro
- 2:04 Unboxing
- 3:05 On the Wrist & Thoughts on Tudor
- 4:28 Specs
- 8:10 Pros
- 12:33 Top 3 Pros
- 13:13 Cons
- 17:47 Bonus Details
- 21:03 Macro View
- 23:37 Final Thoughts
Pros
I have never been a Tudor fan, nor been impressed by their in-person quality, but I do think this model stands out from the rest. The minimal design, keeping the text simpler than most other models, blacked out movement with excellent performance qualities, and the hybrid leather and rubber strap make for an excellent watch overall. I haven’t liked any Tudor before this one, save maybe the North Flag, and I doubt I’ll like any after this one, but I do like this one very much. The overall subtle design leaves the snowflake hand tolerable. I also appreciate the high-contrast time-only focus. Tudor fans like it and I would say for non-fans, if you ever venture a glance at a Tudor, this is the one.
The movement is an in-house Tudor MT5602-1u. The 5602 base is being used more often across their line and although it presents a higher price, the quality attributes are significant. The two primary ones for me are the 70hr power reserve and the silicone hairspring, which helps protect against magnetization. This particular variant, the 1u, has excellent bridge work and looks excellent in black.
Cons
The cons are minimal on this watch with only a couple niggles worth mentioning. The one most pertinent to every-day wear is that with the deployant clasp the excess strap comes around the front rather than the back. The other watch I’ve owned with this same setup is the Seiko Presage. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now, but I’ve at least found it more bearable on this particular watch due to the inherent comfort of the hybrid strap.
The Black Bay Ceramic does have a substantial height of close to 15mm and a lug-to-lug of 50mm, which translates to a watch that wears big. A 41mm diameter watch is right in my wheelhouse, but this feels more like 43mm. Still wearable for me, but it feels close to the comfort limit. The lack of anti-reflective coating makes taking pictures of this watch a challenge, but it looks very good in-person, so keep that in mind when looking at some of my pictures here or elsewhere.
My biggest gripes with Tudor, beyond the prices for modified ETA-based watches and general poor design, are the text heavy dials (I’m looking at you Rolex) and the overbearing snowflake hand. Models like the Heritage Black Bay and the Pelogos are examples of what doesn’t look good in my estimation. The Black Bay Ceramic visually address those issues.
Final Thoughts
All-in-all, I am very happy with the Black Bay Ceramic and this is the one Tudor for me. I kind of like the North Flag, but not enough to buy one I think. The Ceramic adds a stealth watch to the collection, keeps focus on time-telling, and does so with a subtle design and superb movement. I’m wearing it a lot, but it’s also nice to be able to put it down and then pick it up two or three days later and it be running and spot-on with time. Even if you are a non-Tudor enthusiast, this watch is worth considering. Many more thoughts are in the video, so give it a view.
