Tudor’s travelling tools
Its hardy and practical watches come in useful on any trip
Lee Lilian &
Chuang Peck Ming
AS THEY SAY, DON’T LEAVE home without a certain credit card and – your Tudor watch. The Swiss brand’s signature “tool” watches are practical timepieces that embrace its utilitarian heritage, and it’s no wonder that it’s the go-to accessory for travellers who want a fuss-free way to stay on time when they’re away from home. Tudor’s travel timepieces cross many of its collections to offer plenty of choice for every need.
Black Bay 58 GMT
One of its most familiar lines, the Black Bay recalls Tudor’s divers’ watches of the 1950s. The Black Bay 58, in particular, is named after the year that the brand launched its first watch waterproof to 200 metres.
The Black Bay 58 was nicknamed the “Big Crown” for its sizeable winding crown, but the crown of the Black Bay 58 GMT is not as big. It bears the Tudor rose logo in relief which Tudor fans love. GMT is Greenwich Mean Time, the zero meridian time.
Sporting a 39 mm stainless steel case, the characteristic proportions of the 1950s, the Black Bay 58 GMT has a GMT function that tells the time at home and two other time zones at a glance. “Snowflake” hands, the hallmark of Tudor divers’ watches introduced in 1969, indicate the time. The hands are coated with glow-in-the-dark luminescence.
The model is identified by a black and burgundy bidirectional bezel, with a gilt 24-hour scale – a nod to the halcyon days of glamorous jetsetting.
The Black Bay 58 GMT is powered by a mechanical movement which is certified for precision and performance by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (Metas). Metas, which has more stringent criteria, certified that the movement is resistant to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss – 15 times stronger than an average anti-magnetic watch.
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The GMT timepiece is worn with a stainless steel three-link “rivet” style bracelet, or a rubber strap. Both have a Tudor “T-fit” rapid adjustment clasp.
Price: S$6,470
Black Bay GMT
The Black Bay GMT also comes with a bi-colour bezel that rotates both ways, but the colours are deep blue and burgundy and in matt shade. It also has a larger stainless steel case – 41 mm – framing a whimsical dial in opaline. The case is waterproof to 200 metres. Like the Black Bay 58 GMT, the Black Bay GMT is a nod to the mid-century boom in commercial aviation.
Sporting a slight hint of silver, the highly legible domed opaline dial features galvanic-finished hour markers which are coated with luminescence. The red “snowflake” GMT hand indicating the additional time zones rotates around the dial and bezel in 24 hours. The 12 daylight hours are printed on the burgundy section of the bezel and the night-time hours on the blue.
The Black Bay GMT runs on a COSC-certified mechanical movement which is fitted with a non-magnetic silicon balance spring. It has 79 hours’ power reserve. The watch is paired with a steel three-link “rivet” style bracelet, or fabric strap.
Price: S$6,020
Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time”
In addition to local time and a third time zone, pilots can also keep track of “Zulu time” on the Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time”. The model was first developed for the French Naval Aviation and “Zulu time” is the standard military reference to GMT.
Time on the watch is set on a black matt dial in a 42 mm satin-brushed titanium case. The hour markers and “Zulu time” arrow head are coated with luminescence. The bezel on the case, also in titanium, rotates in both directions. It has a ceramic insert and the 24-hour gradation is also filled with luminescence.
The Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” runs on a mechanical movement with 65 hours of power reserve. The movement is certified by COSC and Metas. The timepiece comes with a flight-suit green fabric strap with titanium buckle, a tribute to the French Navy.
Price: S$6,720
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