Rolex

Now that the dust has settled from Basel, we have a fresh look at TUDOR’s famous Black Bay divers’ in yellow gold and steel version with the new champagne dial and powered by the in-house manufacture Calibre MT5612.

In this version the lines and proportions of the Black Bay are retained, while the rotating bezel and the winding crown are made from yellow gold. The steel bracelet is also now classified as a true steel and gold as opposed to two tones. This is because the centre links whilst not being solid gold are gold capped. The gold is applied is sufficient amount that even several services and polishing’s later it will retain its desired appearance.

The new dial really takes this watch to another level, giving it a very luxurious appeal. I have to say the contrast is very significant compared to the black dial version. I much prefer this new look. I can see this new version appealing across both sexes.

The movement is of course in-house and features a very useful date function. A date in this watch works very well, as it not so much a tool watch but a luxury watch, albeit one that you could go diving in. The movement has an admirable 70 hour power reserve and beats at a frequency of 28,800 beats/hour or
4 Hz, the movement is regulated by a variable inertia oscillator with silicon balance spring. This is held in place by a traversing bridge, guaranteeing its robustness. Furthermore, the movement is certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).

My overall impression was one of surprise as I am not so much into bi-metal, but this one really works. It is in my opinion one of the finest that I have seen and a good step into luxury sports.