M2 2021 Luxury Watch Preview: Tudor

M2 brings you its top watch picks in a series featuring the best of this year’s luxury timepiece releases.

Tudor Black Bay Chrono

Since the launch of the Oysterdate in 1970, Tudor’s first chronograph, the brand has been closely associated with motorsport. Similarly, since 1954 Black Bay diving watches have given Tudor a well-deserved nautical reputation as well. Now this Black Bay Chrono is a hybrid offering the best of both worlds – and in a daring steel and gold livery to boot.

The result is a sporty-chic watch featuring the signature ‘snowflake’ hands of Black Bay in gold against a domed matt-black dial for maximum legibility, while the yellow-gold pushers are reminiscent of the first-generation chronographs. As per Tudor tradition, the date aperture is at six o’clock while a fixed bezel in yellow gold with a black anodised aluminium insert and tachymetric scale completes the elegant, retro look of the face. Inside, the slim 41mm steel case is a self-winding Manufacture Calibre MT5813 with a column wheel and vertical clutch for superb reliability plus a 70-hour power reserve, a silicon balance spring and Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute certification.

The model is available with your choice of steel and yellow gold bracelet or Jacquard-woven black fabric strap or bund type brown aged leather with ecru stitching and a folding clasp.

Tudor Royal

First released in the 1950s, the Tudor Royal is a Swiss classic with this latest crossroads classic/sports watch offering chic style and versatility at an affordable price. The Tudor sunray motif radiating out from the centre on its dial creates the dazzling lighting effects and flattering reflections that give this model its elegance. Further personality is supplied via the Serrated bezel with characteristic alternating surface polish and cut grooves and applied Roman numerals for the hour markings.

The case has been fashioned from a block of robust 316L stainless steel, and is waterproof in any situation to a depth of 100 metres below the surface of the ocean thanks to its screw-down winding crown and back. Inside, the automatic movement is finely decorated and regulated according to the best chronometric standards of the watchmaking industry. The 41 mm version is particularly distinctive as its mechanical movement displays the day as well as the date. An integrated ‘five-link’ metal bracelet forms an uninterrupted line with the case which is pleasing to the eye.

Available in stainless steel, or with alternating links in stainless steel and yellow gold, the Tudor Royal comes in four different sizes with a huge choice of 14 different dials.