The success recipe of watch brands is to give the public not what they think the public needs, but what it actually needs. As soon as watchmaking houses discover the needs of their audience, they continue to improve these aspects, thereby satisfying all the expectations and demands of their loyal fans.
This is what the Tudor watchmaking brand exactly did. It launched the Black Bay collection in 2012, keeping in mind the necessities of its audience. In addition, it has done nothing but ongoingly improve this collection’s aspects. As a result, it ended up creating the Black Bay Pro series that not only surprised the public but also exceeded its expectations.
Today, I will talk about the Tudor Black Bay Pro replica watch series. At first glance, this doesn’t appear to be very different from the standard Black Bay concept. However, you will find that certain details make a huge difference. At the same time, we will reveal all the peculiarities of the Black Bay Pro replica watches, so that you can see how well these imitations suit you or not.
A brief overview of Black Bay watches
A few decades ago, the public interpreted the Tudor brand as just a “younger brother” of Rolex, without giving it much credit. That was until the launch of the first Black Bay collection. In its first collection, Tudor clearly emphasized Black Bay’s old-school and vintage language. And this design approach didn’t take long to generate applause and appreciation among watch lovers.
Enjoying remarkable success, the brand has continued to prove that it can do more than that, adding a wide spectrum of colors to the collection. At the same time, it made a huge technical leap, moving from regular to in-house movements. In addition, it began to diversify the Black Bay complications, slowly but surely demonstrating its horological competence. The audience has never questioned the technical and aesthetic capabilities of Black Bay watches. However, what created frustration were their dimensions, which never seemed to please the public.
Further on…
The typical dimensions of 41 mm seemed to create discomfort among the wearers. Such proportions seemed to not fit as ergonomically as the slightly smaller models like the 39 or even 40mm. Tudor responded to this need and launched the Black Bay 58 model with a diameter of 39mm. I think it is superfluous to mention that the audience got exactly what it wanted, greatly appreciating the brand’s effort. With the release of the 39mm case, the public couldn’t wait for the 58 lines to vary in colors, bracelets, and complications.
At the moment, Tudor is in no hurry to diversify the 58 series. For now, the brand has remained “stuck” to only 2 models, one of which is in the black shade of the dial, and the second in the blue shade. In the meantime, however, the watch house presented the Pro version of the Black Bay collection. It keeps the sacred diameter of 39mm, and also comes with slight design changes.
One week with the Black Bay Pro replica watch on the wrist
I had the opportunity to test this imitation for a week. My goal for this period of time was to test its functionality, comfort, its combination with everyday clothes, and its inclusion in everyday activities.
Honestly speaking, I have nothing bad to say about this replica watch. On the contrary, it actually scared me a little about how well I felt with it on my wrist during the test week. This replica watch was like an extremely loyal companion that did not cause me the slightest discomfort.
It is one of those watches that you just put on your wrist and wear whatever you want because it goes perfectly with all types of clothes. At the same time, it is the type of watch that offers all the necessary basic functions, without being overloaded with complications. I felt it was practical, useful, and helpful. It is not the watch that will make you look at it repeatedly just to enjoy its beauty. And it won’t appeal to you aesthetically either, because it’s not at all rich in decorations. Instead, it turns out to be a reliable partner, silent and still on the wrist, which makes you admire its loyalty in everyday life.
How exactly does a calm and quiet watch “get under the skin” in such a way?
The comfort that this replica watch provides comes from the perfect balance of its proportions. The silhouette of the case is not wide enough to interfere with daily activities. The width of the bracelet does not disturb the wrist at all, regardless of how you move your arm. At the same time, its length “ergonomically” surrounds the wrist, so that the watch does not walk “disoriented” back and forth. Also, the balance between the weight of the case and that of the bracelet plays an equally important role. They are perfectly balanced and I never felt that the weight of the case prevailed on the wrist, being somehow distributed by the weight of the bracelet. In a word, the watch feels tailor-made.
Shortcomings
I cannot avoid mentioning the fact that the Black Bay Pro replica watches have a rather pronounced height: 14.6mm. Respectively, it is not one of the watches that can easily slip under the shirt sleeve. On the contrary, it will look quite sumptuous, precisely because of its thickness. At the same time, I don’t want you to get the impression that the height is exaggerated. It is somehow on the border between thick and normal. At the same time, when you put it on your wrist, you have to consider it in an ensemble. Once you do that, you will notice that the thickness of the case somehow “dissolves” into the whole construction. Personally, I don’t consider this thickness to be a deal-breaker.
Black Bay Pro Comparison: Genuine Watch and Replica Watch
In general, the Black Bay Pro watch is more than welcome in the great Black Bay family. When you look at the more than 100 Black Bay models as a whole, it’s very easy to get lost in them and at some point, you get confused between them. With the Pro model, things are a little different. Although the watch has common features with other watches in the collection, it has distinctive elements.
More than that, I consider this model to be one of the most “wearable” of all those in the Black Bay range. The reason would be the uniqueness of the design as well as its versatility.
Comparing the genuine watch and the replica, the first obvious similarity is, clearly, their diameter. Both share the size of 39mm, just like the Black Bay 58 model.
The original model works on the basis of an in-house mechanism that is known as Kenissi. The mechanism is COSC certified. I am not surprised that Tudor requested the certification of its mechanism. With such a solid “older brother”, Tudor somehow had to prove that it is a “younger brother” worthy of all trust.
On the other side of the barricade, the Black Bay Pro replica watch runs on a Swiss ETA2824-2 automatic mechanical movement. I think it is unnecessary to mention that this mechanism is one of the best, if not the best one. Of course, its accuracy has not been confirmed by COSC certification, but it is a mechanism whose reliability can be confirmed by any replica watch enthusiast.
Technical details
Black Bay Pro timepieces have all a black matte dial, r you will find a generous variety of colors. These replica watches are available in both stainless steel bracelets and fabric straps. Options with fabric straps have a special aesthetic charm. These make the watch look more nonchalant and “libertine”. However, I must note that once the case is coupled with a fabric strap, the weight falls significantly more on the case. With the bracelet models, the weight is spread evenly over the entire surface of the wrist.
In order to make a clearer conclusion about the technical profile, I will stop at a specific model: the M79470-0001. The steel of this replica watch is 904l-grade and the case is covered with anti-reflective and anti-scratch sapphire crystal. The closing mechanism of the bracelet is a folding clasp type. All Black Bay Pro replica models come with traditional dots instead of hour markers. The dots shine brightly in the dark. If I look carefully, it seems to me that the brightness of these replica watches is slightly weaker than that of the Pelagos replica watches. But the difference is not exactly critical.
A common aspect of all the replica watches in this collection is the presence of the GMT function on the bezel. The bezel is fixed and features a brushed finish. To highlight the GMT hand, the brand countered it with a yellow frame, in contrast to the pale white of the other hands.
Also, the Black Bay Pro line has a functional date frame at the 3 o’clock position. This aperture is quite subtle and its background has the same shade as the hour markers.
Similarities to the Rolex Explorer II
Those familiar with Rolex watches will recognize many common features with the Black Bay Pro replica watch. The common aspects between these 2 imitations are the fixed bezel together with the 24-hour indexes on it as well as the hour markers at 12 and 6 o’clock in a specific shape. The GMT 24-hour hand of the Rolex imitation is also highlighted by a different shade from the other hands. At the same time, its shape differs from the Black Bay Pro one. With Rolex, this hand has the shape of a sharp arrow with orange edges, while the Black Bay Pro replica version has a snowflake silhouette very similar to the other hands.
An obvious difference between these 2 replica models is the data aperture. We see an expressive, generous opening and cyclops-type aperture in the Explorer II imitation. All these aspects are missing from the Black Bay Pro model. In my opinion, the accuracy and modest size of the Black Bay Pro date window is a real advantage for the watch that wins many aesthetic points. The date aperture model from the Explorer watch does not find a place in my heart. But, it’s a purely subjective opinion.
On the whole…
Even though these 2 replica models are so close from an aesthetic point of view, the Rolex Explorer II (1655 reference) imitation looks more solid and somewhat more severe than the Black Bay Pro replica watch. I would recommend the Explorer II ref. 1655 for people who are more serious and more complex in spirit. In contrast, the Black Bay Pro is more suitable for “younger” and more active spirits.
Dial specifications of the Black Bay Pro replica watch
You probably won’t notice the attractive details of the dial of this knockoff at first glance. I didn’t notice them right away either. But, it is worth paying more attention to it. I came to greatly appreciate the work of the manufacturers on the hour/minute/second/24-hour hands. What I actually like is that the snowflake on the second and 24-hour hands don’t “interfere” with each other, as I remember noticing with the BB GMT watches. That is, they were placed correctly and were reproduced according to the standards of the original model.
At the same time, I notice that the shade of the 24-hour hand is identical to the first row of inscriptions on the dial. If the manufacturers were not professionals, the shades would be different for sure, as we have seen with other manufacturers with whom, fortunately, we do not collaborate.
A final gratifying element in this imitation is the homogeneous matte texture on the dial. I don’t see transitions between lighter to darker black, which would mean a drastic reproduction error.
Final thoughts
I like to see “PRO” elements in this imitation, as its name implies. The main advantage of this replica is that it can be the most loyal friend for daily activities. It is not exactly the most “beautiful” friend, but it is certainly the most faithful. I would not have been upset at all if it were a few mm thinner. Still, this shortcoming is eclipsed by the versatility and comfort that this replica watch provides.