Tudor Novelties Baselworld 2019

Tudor Black Bay P01 (M70150-0001)

The expectations are high when Tudor is about to launch its latest novelties. It’s safe to say that no one saw it coming when Tudor dropped the curtain and presented the Black Bay P01. Already at first glance it stands out from its predecessors. The crown at 4 o’clock and above all the unusual bezel locking mechanism are a refreshing change.

The watch has a rich history, which was probably only known to very few before its launch: This watch is based on a legendary prototype from the late 1960s, which was to serve the US Navy under the pseudonym “Project Commando”. Although the watch was never selected, we now receive a modern interpretation of that very watch in the form of the Tudor Black Bay P01. Tudor’s in-house caliber MT5612, which is already reliably working in the Pelagos, is housed in a 42mm case.

Thanks to its Black Bay collection, Tudor can look back on many successful years, even though these began to appear monotonous and very conservative. So, it’s good to see the Tudor Black Bay P01 as a daring experiment (as it seems) that almost comes across as a kind of liberation blow. Nevertheless, we cannot say it’s “love at first sight”.