Is the Tudor Black Bay GMT with an opaline dial a reincarnation of a legendary, extremely rare piece?

It's as if it has been reincarnated from another world into the real world. The opaline dial model of the Black Bay GMT, unveiled by Tudor at this year's Watches & Wonders Geneva 2023, may have been relatively understated among the many new releases that were literally part of the Black Bay festivities. However, from the moment I laid eyes on this model, it immediately brought to mind the legendary model from its sister brand, and I couldn't contain my excitement. We explore another story behind the opaline dial model of the Black Bay GMT.

An unexpected surprise from the unbeatable Tudor, which has the perfect combination of quality, specs, and price.

　Looking back at Watches & Wonders Geneva in 2023, some people around me say it was "drab," while others say it was "fulfilling." Different people had conflicting impressions, but the differences seem to stem from their respective positions. It's not hard to imagine that those who actually went to the Watches & Wonders Geneva venue and those who only participated online would have completely different impressions.

　In this regard, from the perspective of someone who covered Watches & Wonders Geneva on-site in both 2022 and 2023, there were far more people this year than last, and the venue was very lively.

　One notable difference was that last year there were no visitors from mainland China due to the "zero COVID" measures, but this year those restrictions were lifted at the end of last year, meaning many Chinese journalists and retailers were seen at the venue. Of course, Japanese people were no exception, and last year there were only around 10 Japanese journalists, editors, and other members of the press who actually covered the event, but this year there were at least 40. Perhaps the maximum number was around 50?

　Additionally, news was heard at the venue that while last year admission for the general public was only available on the final day, this year it was extended to the final two days, with 10,000 tickets sold out over those two days.In fact, as so many general public visitors entered the venue on the final two days, entry was restricted at some booths, and lines of people waiting to get in were seen in front of several brands' booths.

　In particular, there was a long line snaking around in front of the Rolex booth, something unthinkable at Baselworld. This lively crowd of ordinary visitors reminded me a little of the bygone Baselworld that effectively disappeared after its last event in 2019, and it was a bit painful to see.

　Tudor is a sister brand of Rolex, and is also very popular. The exhibition area open to the general public was packed with people, and there were also long lines for the events available on the upper floors (the former SIHH brands only had booths on the first floor, but some of the brands that moved from Baselworld have repurposed their booths and have multiple floors above).

　This year's new releases from Tudor can be described as a "Black Bay fest," as already mentioned in the article "2023 Tudor New Watches Summary" published on webChronos on March 30, 2023. As Masamasa Hirota, editor-in-chief of Chronos Japan, already wrote in the article "Tudor's New Black Bay 54: A Look at the Hands-On! A Diver that Appeals to Both Geeks and Regular People" published on April 7, the highlight is the "small" diver's watch, the Black Bay 54.

　In addition to the black ceramic model, a Master Chronometer certified stainless steel model was also added to the Black Bay lineup, which also attracted attention. Furthermore, the movements of the stainless steel Black Bay models, available in four sizes (31mm, 36mm, 39mm, and 41mm), have been changed to manufacture calibers, further improving the specifications and enriching the lineup.

　This year, brands that expanded on these classic, popular, and best-selling models stood out, so some people may have seen their "safe" as "plain." Moreover, as the fair was held after the COVID-19 pandemic finally began to subside and travel within and outside of Switzerland was finally fully permitted, it was even more so for those who could only participate digitally, unable to experience the excitement and enthusiasm of the venue in person, which surpassed last year's.

The Black Bay GMT with an opaline dial evokes the legend

　Of these new Tudor models, the one that personally caught my eye the most was the Black Bay GMT, which now features an opaline dial. To put it simply, the Black Bay GMT now comes with a white dial.

　At first glance, this new model immediately reminded me of the legendary "Albino model" from a sister brand. I'm sure others have had the same impression. It's the first Rolex GMT-Master, the white-dial Ref. 6542, which is said to have been issued to the ground staff of the now-defunct Pan American World Airways (Pan Am). (Apparently, the white dial, more suited to administrative work, was issued to distinguish them from the pilots, who were issued black dials.)

　This "albino model" can now be called a "legend" or even a "myth." On page 52 of "World Mook 503 Rolex Sports Watches" (published by World Photo Press), it states, "Pan Am's official watch, the GMT-Master for ground crew (quote) model, had a custom-made white dial to distinguish it from the pilot's model," and includes a photo of the watch (in this photo, the bezel is all black). In fact, in the early 2000s, a collector showed me a different early GMT-Master with a white dial and blue-red bezel. The authenticity of this is uncertain, though...

　Needless to say, there has never been a white dial model for either the GMT-Master or its successor, the GMT-Master II, nor any of their predecessors or current models. While there have been brown and green dials in the past, the only current models available are the white gold GMT-Master II with a midnight blue dial (Ref. 126719BLRO) and a meteorite dial (Ref. 126719BLRO). In a sense, the meteorite dial model is the closest in appearance to a white dial.

　Because of this experience, when I saw this Black Bay GMT with an opaline dial at the Tudor booth at Watches & Wonders, I was filled with a mixture of surprise and joy, and my excitement rose in an instant.

　While it is certainly a new model, the opaline dial model is positioned as a new dial model of the existing "Black Bay GMT." As the name "opaline" clearly states, this new dial is not completely white, but has a subtle silver tint.

　This matte white-gray texture is achieved by roughening the dial and then applying a galvanic treatment. While the existing black dial gives a bold impression, this opaline dial model creates a refreshing contrast with the popular burgundy and deep blue bezel, giving it a lighter impression.

　The matte finish of the dial means that visibility is not hindered by reflections, and the hour markers and hour and minute hands are outlined in a dark color, and the second hand itself is also dark, making it clearly legible on the same white opaline dial. Furthermore, the seconds and minute tracks on the outer edge of the dial, which are used to read the seconds and minutes, are also clearly printed in black, so there are no problems with visibility.