The holiday season is a time for rewards. It’s a time to think about something special for yourself or a loved one to mark one more year complete. Commemorating special moments, overcoming challenges, or even for the simple joy of a treat. A finely made Swiss watch is especially apt for a festive gift like this. An object of careful design and craftsmanship, intention and ingenuity, something symbolic and meaningful, ticking away on the wrist. The Swiss brand Tudor, which proudly makes a point of combining high quality watchmaking, sophisticated style and value for money, is a great place to look.
The brand has a number of several signature collections, the most well-known among them the Black Bay line of diver watches. What is so special about the Tudor Black Bay is that it’s not just one design—the brand has, in fact, several lines and variations in detail that speak to the finer points of varied tastes. The Black Bay 58, for instance, is named after the year that Tudor introduced its very first diver’s watch waterproof to 200 metres; the Black Bay One, meanwhile, softens the archetypes of a dive style with curves and finer finishes to give it a dressier look.
Beyond the rugged, sportiness of a dive watch, Tudor also has collections like the Clair de Rose and Tudor Royal that lean toward a classic, dressy sense of style. The former is the brand’s core feminine style, with a name that references the poetic French words for ‘moonlight’, clair de lune, with the Tudor rose, a historical brand logo. The collection is defined by an easy, elegant style and a blue spinel cabochon set into the crown of each model.
Here, we take a look at four of Tudor’s signature watches and collections perfect for the festive season.
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The look of an original: Black Bay 58
The Black Bay 58 line by Tudor is neo-vintage at its best. The name of the collection nods at the year the brand introduced its first dive watch certified waterproof to 200 metres, and the design of this model in particular takes its cues from a historical piece from the ’90s with burgundy dial and bezel that was never produced.
Burgundy is a fabulous colour on a watch, rich and bold; and uncommon enough to look and feel unique. Tudor introduced this colour to the line earlier this year, and with it some mechanical updates that highlight the advantages of a modern watch with historical design. The Black Bay 58 is Master Chronometer certified, one of the industry’s most stringent standards for timekeeping accuracy; and each watch is tested independently outside of Tudor by the Swiss national metrology institute.
Modern creature comforts put a bow on things. The watch is offered with three ways of wearing it: a five-link or three-link steel bracelet, and a cut-to-measure rubber strap. All of which are equipped with the watchmaker’s proprietary T-fit clasp, which can be adjusted on the fly to find a more comfortable fit on the wrist.
Tudor Black Bay 58 39mm in stainless steel with burgundy bezel and dial.
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A 60/40 of dressy to sporty: Black Bay One
A fairly common criteria when looking at watches is stylistic versatility. An ideal design for many sounds like this: sporty enough to suit casual, everyday wear; yet fancy enough to look sophisticated in more formal occasions.
Tudor’s Black Bay one handily fills this gap, with a slightly more curvaceous design language that, while in keeping with the Black Bay signature, adds a dimension of chicness. The cases are curved with satin-brushed and polished finishes, indicator bezels are replaced with a polished look, and the option of blue, anthracite or champagne colour dials with or without diamond indexes.
Black Bay One 41mm in stainless steel.
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The look of a grand classic: a two-tone Black Bay One
A two-tone watch is a classic. In addition to giving its signature a dressier look, the Black Bay One by Tudor also comes in two-tone steel and gold versions. The brand has used a polished finish on the yellow gold of these models, a first for the Black Bay line where—true to its more rugged spirit—precious metals are more typically satin-brushed for a matte finish.
Inside, Tudor has equipped this line of Black Bay One watches with its Manufacture Calibre movements, which are designed to be very robust, reliable and precise. The larger models have what’s known as a “weekend-proof” power reserve of about 70 hours, so they continue running without having to be reset between Fridays and Mondays.
Tudor Black Bay One 31mm in stainless steel and gold.
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A modern take on feminine watchmaking: Clair de Rose
Tudor might be best known for sporty watches, but it has a long history of crafting feminine timepieces that goes back as far as the early 1930s. The watchmaker’s designs for women then were delicate and jewelled, with a host of decorative details like engravings and bracelets.
The Clair de Rose is a modern interpretation of that heritage. A blue spinel cabochon on the crown nods at the history of a watch worn as a piece of jewellery; the beads-of-rice bracelet echoes classical chain styles; and relief decorations on the dial, punctuated with Roman numerals or diamonds, winks at the engravings of the past.
Tudor Clair de Rose 34mm in stainless steel.
Discover these watches at Tudor boutiques by The Hour Glass at ION Orchard and Jewel Changi.
