Effectively, Tudor did the factor. And by “did the factor,” I imply that Tudor lastly made the watch all of us knew was coming, however perhaps had began to doubt would ever arrive. However now the lengthy wait is over, and the Black Bay Professional with Opaline white dial is right here — and the brand new watch is every thing folks have been asking for and extra, actually (however we’ll get to that in a minute).
For as common because the Black Bay Professional has been for Tudor, it didn’t take lengthy after its launch in 2022 to note a curious chorus of voices asking — nay, demanding — that Tudor convey a white dial within the type of the ‘Polar’ Explorer II to what’s in all probability the outdoorsiest entry within the Black Bay household. Renders abounded, and a Polar BB Professional has been a fixture of prediction items for the final three years. Now, after an extended wait, the watch so many requested for is right here, and Tudor nailed it, not that there received’t be complaints.
However first the good things. The dial right here is superior. The Opaline white dial (not Polar) appears — unsurprisingly — nice in opposition to the all-steel look of the BB Professional, and the yellow GMT hand continues to please, albeit regardless of sacrificing among the distinction that outlined the unique launch. Fortunately, any distinction misplaced is greater than made up for elsewhere, most particularly due to the black surrounds on the palms and markers. The markers listed here are the identical three-dimensional ceramic lume plots as on the black mannequin, however right here they forfeit the off-white look of the unique BB Professional, as an alternative leaning into the monochromatic, contrasty really feel of the watch.
I’ve all the time been amazed by how totally different the Polar Explorer II feels in comparison with its black-dialed sibling, and the distinction is simply as dramatic right here. The watch feels much less extreme. The brand new Black Bay Professional nonetheless feels absolutely match for function, however in a barely extra laid-back, ‘I may simply as simply be hanging on the pool’ form of means. It’s additionally a fantastic counterpoint to final 12 months’s Black Bay 58 GMT, which does really feel distinctly dressier, and fewer visibly sturdy.
In fact, as I stated, there’ll (like with any Tudor launch) be complaints. First amongst these will, inevitably, be the identical gripes we heard in regards to the Black Bay Professional’s thickness three years in the past. The brand new Opaline launch maintains all the size of the preliminary launch; that being a 39mm case that’s 47mm lug-to-lug and 14.6mm thick, with a lot of this thickness coming because of the MT5652 motion additionally discovered within the 41mm Black Bay GMT (which additionally acquired the Opaline dial remedy a number of years after its launch).
If we’re seeking to name balls and strikes right here, now we have to be trustworthy — the BB Professional isn’t a svelte watch. It’s the higher a part of 3mm thicker than the Black Bay 58 GMT (which additionally sports activities a 39mm case) and may, particularly on a pass-through NATO-style strap, really feel tall, which I anticipate will stay a deal-breaker for some. But when you may get previous the watch’s peak, and the sense that it could not have Tudor’s latest motion, you’ll have one thing particular in your palms. The Black Bay Professional continues to learn to me because the true fashionable successor to the 5-digit Explorer IIs so many people love, and this new configuration solely confirms it.
The Tudor Black Bay Professional with Opaline white dial is offered now for $4,050 on a cloth or hybrid rubber and leather-based strap, or $4,375 on a faux-rivet chrome steel three-link bracelet. Tudor
