{"id":5251,"date":"2020-09-18T12:56:14","date_gmt":"2020-09-18T12:56:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/TheWatchClub\/?p=5251"},"modified":"2022-09-23T08:59:48","modified_gmt":"2022-09-23T08:59:48","slug":"tudor-pelagos-vs-black-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.swisswatchexpo.com\/thewatchclub\/2020\/09\/17\/tudor-pelagos-vs-black-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Tudor Pelagos vs Black Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n
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For many decades, the Tudor watch brand<\/a> was known to many as Rolex’s more affordable sibling brand. In the 2010s, Tudor stepped out of Rolex’s shadow using a simple formula: to take inspiration from Tudor’s vintage watches and combine it with modern design and technology. Tudor launched hit after hit, and was back in the luxury watch game.<\/p>\n

Two of its releases are now perennial favorites: the Tudor Heritage Black Bay and the Tudor Pelagos<\/a>. Both signature diver’s watches, and launched in 2012, these two always present a conundrum for collectors who want a Tudor timepiece.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Here’s a simplified guide on\u00a0what sets the two apart:<\/p>\n

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Tudor Heritage Black Bay Steel Watch VS\u00a0Tudor Pelagos<\/a> Blue Dial Titanium Watch<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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CASE AND BRACELET<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

While the Pelagos<\/a> has remained largely the same since 2012, Tudor has released several different models under the Heritage Black Bay family since then – such as GMT and chronograph versions. For this review, we’ll be comparing the basic dive watch versus the Pelagos<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Black Bay<\/strong><\/h3>\n

The original Heritage Black Bay release (ref 79220) comes with\u00a0a stainless steel construction\u00a0and a 41mm case. It also features a large screw-down crown,\u00a0a feature taken from the famous Tudor “Big Crown” ref 7924 from the 1950s.<\/p>\n

The Black Bay eschews crown guards and features a unidirectional dive bezel with anodized aluminum inserts. The first model came in burgundy, promptly followed by black and blue bezel choices.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Tudor Pelagos<\/a> 42mm LHD Titanium Mens Watch<\/em><\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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Pelagos<\/strong><\/a><\/h3>\n

The Pelagos<\/a>, meanwhile, comes with\u00a0a titanium construction. In fact, it’s the first titanium diver within the Rolex brand. With a 42mm case, it’s larger than the Black Bay and even the traditional Submariner, but its lightweight material provides comfortable wear. In keeping with the contemporary look,\u00a0the Pelagos<\/a> is equipped with a ceramic bezel with luminous markers.<\/p>\n

While you can also dive with the Black Bay, the Pelagos<\/a> was certainly created for this purpose. Compared to the Black Bay’s 200m depth rating, the Pelagos<\/a> has 500m depth capability, so\u00a0Tudor added a\u00a0helium escape valve on the side of the case to enable saturation diving. It also comes with a diver’s extension rubber strap to use over a wetsuit.<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Tudor Heritage Black Bay Steel Mens Watches<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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DIAL<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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The Pelagos<\/a> comes in bright blue or classic black, with white details; while the Black Bay comes in a steel case with burgundy, black or blue bezel inserts and domed black dials.<\/p>\n

Being dive watches, both possess lume on the dial. The Black Bay comes with round hour markers with gold surrounds, while the Pelagos<\/a> comes with square ones. Depending on the model, the Pelagos<\/a> may come with bright white markers or vintage-looking\u00a0lume as seen in the Pelagos<\/a> Left Hand Drive (LHD) model. These details give the Black Bay a more vintage vibe, and the Pelagos<\/a> a more contemporary one.<\/p>\n

Both the Black Bay and the Pelagos<\/a> come with the snowflake-style hands that Tudor has been known for, but the hands, inverted triangle and baton markers are thicker on the Pelagos<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Tudor Pelagos<\/a> 42mm LHD Titanium Mens Watch<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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MOVEMENT<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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The original releases of the Black Bay and Pelagos<\/a> used to come with ETA movements – the standard 2824 for the Black Bay and the Tudor modified 2824-2 for the Pelagos<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Since 2016, all models of the Black Bay and the Pelagos<\/a> have been equipped with the in-house Tudor Manufacture Movement MT5612. With this development, the Black Bay was also given the date function.<\/p>\n

The MT5612 automatic movement gives\u00a0a power reserve of up to 70 hours, and of course\u00a0this Tudor movement has the coveted COSC certification.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Tudor Heritage Black Bay 43 Bronze, Blue Bezel, GMT Pepsi Bezel Steel Mens Watches<\/em><\/h5>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n\n\n
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VARIANTS<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n
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Since 2012, the Pelagos<\/a> has kept things simple with only 3 models: the black or blue versions\u00a0with bright white lume,\u00a0or the\u00a0LHD (left-hand drive) version with aged lume.<\/p>\n

In contrast, a\u00a0lot\u00a0has happened with the Black Bay since its first release. Today, there are more than 30 Black Bay three-handed diver watches; as well as\u00a0GMT, chronographs, PVD coated styles, steel and gold styles, and even a design based on a military prototype.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Both watches possess the design DNA of the Tudor brand’s divers from yesteryears, but the Black Bay has a more vintage feel to it, and the Pelagos<\/a> has a more contemporary look. For a more rugged, retro design and a wider selection, go for the Black Bay; for a more contemporary tool watch, go for the Pelagos. Either way, you can’t go wrong with these Tudor divers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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____<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

SEE MORE OF THE WATCHES IN OUR VIDEO:<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n

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