RESURFACING
Summing up the history of a brand in a single watch – this is the challenge taken up by Tudor with a model combining a timeless look and a modern, efficient mechanism.
Tudor is again inviting us to take a journey into the brand’s past. Yet, the story is not well known. The Black Bay P01 is not a reissue of a famous watch, but concludes a project that remained on the drawing board for 50 years. From the mid-1950s, the brand had been supplying the US Navy with diving watches. The authorities commissioned a new watch, and a prototype was developed in line with their specifications. But finally Navy chiefs opted for the standard model from the Swiss brand’s catalogue. Yet, the prototype had plenty of assets. And they have been incorporated in a new way on the P01. The angular “snowflake“ hands and lume-coated indices stand out clearly against the black dial. This contrasting composition is encircled by a wide, bidirectional revolving bezel. To prevent it from being moved by mistake, the bezel comes with an original stop system. The system is housed at 12 o’clock. You raise a “hood” to move the bezel, then lower it back into place to block the bezel.
The calibre MT5612, on other hand, is highly contemporary. The automatic movement comes with a silicon spiral, so that the watch is unaffected by magnetic fields. The modern structure includes a bi-directional rotor, providing 70 hours of power reserve. An off-centred crown together with a stop-second feature are used to set the precise time.
The P01 is certified as a chronometer by the COSC. It is protected by a 42mm-wide steel case and is water-resistant down to 200m. The leather and rubber strap makes for a comfortable wearing experience.
Price: 3,750 CHF
By Dan Diaconu