(#defsoneanddone) One & Done - Chapter Six (Tudor)

defsNOTgenta

10 months ago

Foreword

Welcome and welcome back! If you're new here, I'm exploring the 20 best-selling watch brands of 2022 (as seen on GQ Australia) and answering the question: If I could only have one watch from this brand FOREVER, which would I pick?

Today we are looking at Tudor, but if you want to see my previous article where I covered Panerai, follow #defsoneanddone or click the link here!

As always, tell me what you think! What watch from this brand would YOU want forever? I'd love to hear from you!

#15: Tudor – Black Bay Chrono S&G

Since I already own a Tudor Black Bay GMT (thanks, authorised dealer!) I felt that it would have been a bit of a cop-out for me to say “Oh, since I already own it, I would love to wear it forever!”and just completely skimp out on having to write something here. Two reasons why:

1) I rotate through my watches very regularly, and I am still very much in the honeymoon stage of owning the GMT, and

2) I believe that I love it the most only because of the immense price tag (in comparison to the rest of my collection), so if I didn’t love it the crushing reality of spending AUD$6,090 on a mechanical watch would send me careening straight into Bummerville.

Anyways, the Black Bay Chronograph, S&G (Steel & Gold) Edition! 41mm case size with 14.6mm thickness and 50.1mm lug-to-lug. I find that even on my small-ish-but-somehow-wide 6.25in wrist this still wears just fine on me, as does the white GMT.

Sorry, Tudor. Yes, I did mean to say opaline, I- oh, why is David Beckham here? And why is he holding a gun?

Though one of my coworkers voiced their displeasure with the S&G, citing it to be “too big,” I think it’s because the watch is 0.4mm thinner than the GMT whilst retaining the same lug-to-lug, which I believe makes the S&G look a bit flatter and more spread out on my wrist in comparison if that makes any sense.

Yes, an extra 0.4mm matters. Someone, please tell my girlfriend that. Also, just wear what you want! Get the Invicta Sea Hunter if you want to! I don’t care.

In lieu of being either unable or unwilling to wear a watch that is full yellow gold, I think that the black dial variant of this watch really helps to tone down the gold-ness and garish-ness of the golden accents, which can very easily come off as pretentious or overcompensating (at least in my opinion).

I also much prefer this watch on a black fabric or leather strap (but not a bund - can't quite get used to one yet), as it really helps to class up the watch like crazy and further tones down the generally ostentatious themes of yellow gold pervasive throughout. Finally, specs-wise I’m also very much a fan. Though it borrows a Breitling movement, the S&G’s water resistance ranks it much higher than Breitling in my mind, with most of their chronos having an anaemic 30-50m compared to Tudor’s 200m – optimal for SUPREME WETNESS, and everyday use.

Yes, I know 200m water resistance is more than any average Joe would ever need, but it mostly serves as a testament to how much punishment the Black Bay Chrono can take. Hint: Way more than Breitling.