To celebrate their return to motorsport with the Visa CashApp RB Formula One Team, Tudor has released an exclusive new piece in a striking colour matching the racecar’s liveries!
Now that Tudor stole the show two years in a row at Watches and Wonders, everyone seems to have noticed the major shift they have taken, both horologically and operationally. Not only have they blessed us watch fans with stellar releases like the Black Bay 58 GMT and the Giro d’Italia Pelagos, but they have also made a grand return to the world of motorsports! Unbeknownst to some, Tudor was a huge proponent in the golden era of racing, starting with the Tudor Watch Racing Team in the 60s and even sponsoring the IMSA Sportscar Championship in 2014-15.
Related Reading: Tudors New Black Bay 58 GMT
Over a decade has passed since they have been an official sponsor of any motorsports team, but this year that’s changed – and what better way to come back into the fold than sponsoring one of the biggest races of them all? In 2024, Tudor announced that they would be the official sponsor of the Visa CashApp RB F1 Team (VCARB, formerly AlphaTauri/Toro Rosso), comprised of hotshot Formula One drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Aussie Daniel Ricciardo. To celebrate this major turning point in Tudor’s history, they have opted to release a new Black Bay Ceramic timepiece!
Related Reading: TUDOR Begins Their Formula One Campaign As Sponsor Of Visa Cash App RB Team
Initially released in 2021, the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic was a demure, all-black take on the acclaimed diver’s watch. As the name suggests, it featured an all-black ceramic construction, making it exceptionally light and tough among its 41mm peers. This model comes with colour-matching hybrid rubber, complementary black fabric straps, and a display case back – something most Tudor models don’t get the luxury of possessing.
Inside is the in-house MT5602-1U automatic movement with an all-black rotor, beating at a luxurious 4Hz (28,800vph) backed by a strong 70 hours of power reserve. Better yet, the Black Bay Ceramic series was up until 2023 the only Tudor that was both COSC Chronometer and METAS Master Chronometer Certified, courtesy of the MT5602-1U. This level of accuracy, especially at the price point, is somewhat staggering, as the only other METAS Master Chronometers on the market are AU$2000 more than the Black Bay Ceramic in the Omega Seamaster.
The new VCARB Black Bay Ceramic has the same features, but makes more of a statement while doing so. The METAS movement makes a return, as does the display case back and the all-black rotor. This time, the VCARB team have switched the dial colour from black to a brilliant blue, not only reflecting the racing team’s uniform and livery colours, but also somewhat making it more useful in the process. The contrast between the matte black and ultra blue ironically make it a more practical wear, as the time is significantly more visible on this new version.
Final Thoughts:
Tudor sometimes gets labelled as a boring watch company, which I believe is fundamentally unfair. The proof is in their newest releases – Tudor, as of late, has been having a lot more fun than most in the industry. Sure, they do rely mainly on two collections, but at least they make an effort to mix it up and get creative with their releases, unlike their big brother.
Their latest collaboration with the VCARB team is just one of many examples of Tudor relaxing a little. Even though these timepieces may not be whatever the watch snobs want them to be, they’re still good alternative statement pieces that are backed by serious horological chops. I, for one, really enjoy the look of this, and I am excited to see how they wear in person. Would I buy one? Yes! But there’s just one problem – I’m waiting for those Miami chameleon dials to come into standard production…
Reference: 79210CNU
Specification:
- Size: 41mm
- Case: Matt black ceramic case with micro-blasted finish and monobloc middle case
- Dial: Blue
- Movement: Manufacture Calibre MT5602-1U Self-winding mechanical movement with a bidirectional rotor system
- Power reserve: 70hrs
- Water resistance: 20 bar (200 meters)
- Crystal: Sapphire with Anti-reflective coating
- Case back: Open case back in black-PVD-treated 316L steel with sapphire crystal
- Strap: Hybrid leather and rubber strap with exclusive stitching and folding clasp in black PVD-treated 316L steel, Complimentary black fabric strap with blue band and black PVD-treated 316L steel buckle
