Certified Master Chronometer Watch by Tudor

Black ceramic topped off with perfect precision.

A succession of models were presented during April's Watches and Wonders trade show before it was the brand Tudor's turn to unveil its new watch — the Black Bay Ceramic — Tudor's first watch to be awarded the status of Master Chronometer by METAS, the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology.

This means its MT5602-1 manufacture movement which already boasts the more widespread COSC certificate has passed even more rigorous tests (along with the watch it's housed in). One of the tests which stands out involves subjecting the watch to magnetic fields of 15,000 gauss to ensure this does not reduce timekeeping accuracy. Daily losses and gains in terms of accuracy should be no greater than 0 to +5 seconds.

Just for comparison, the Earth's total magnetic field is about 0.4 Gauss on the surface. Other tests examine how the watch holds up when subjected to different temperatures, and guarantee it's fully waterproof up to 200 meters.

The only watches to have gained double COSC and METAS certification before the Black Bay Ceramic were Omega models. The METAS testing laboratory for certifying watches is indeed located at the Omega manufacturing site in Biel, although it claims to be open to all Swiss brands. Tutor took advantage of this.  The manufacturer hasn't raised the price, which now makes the offer look like an absolute steal.

Tudor has become a bigger and bigger name over the past few years, so much so that experts predict the brand will be a repeat of Rolex's glorious story, with collectors spending years on waiting lists to get their hands on popular models. The steps Tudor has taken so far prove the brand really has set its ambitions high. The movement itself also looks impressive.

Equipped with a silicon hairspring and offering a 70-hour power reserve, the Caliber MT5602-1U has gone black and been given a futuristic-looking rotor. The black ceramic model's overall look has been maintained with a matching black dial. Back in 2013, the company already had the Fastrider Black Shield chronograph with a similar appearance.

Yet this is the first time black ceramic has appeared in the bestselling Black Bay collection excluding the one-off Black Bay Ceramic One watch. Tudor assembled that watch for the Only Watch 2019 auction, which went under the hammer for CHF 350,000  —eighty times higher than the estimate.

The new watch’s dial has kept the brand’s trademark look. The signature snowflake hour hand rotates around the familiar round and rectangular markers. With its classic style and the advanced technology used inside its movement, the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic has every chance of becoming a massive success.