In an exclusive first look, The Sandton Times tried TUDOR’s 2025 collection – a bold blend of Swiss precision, daring design, and ongoing innovation.
- TUDOR’s 2025 line-up proves once again that heritage and high-performance aren’t mutually exclusive – they’re masterfully fused.
- From carbon-fibre chronographs to 1’000m dive beasts, TUDOR isn’t just keeping time – it’s moving it forwards.
- Whether you’re a globetrotter, deep-sea diver, or speed junkie, there’s a TUDOR ticking with your name on it.
- Visit www.sandtontimes.co.za for more stories.
The Sandton Times had the privilege of joining an exclusive circle of luxury media for a hands-on preview of TUDOR’s 2025 collection – an intimate affair where legacy met innovation in the most refined way possible. While we’ve yet to make it to the hallowed halls of Watches & Wonders Geneva, this closer-to-home encounter offered a front-row seat to the essence of Swiss watchmaking mastery. And with TUDOR, that essence is audaciously wrapped in the brand’s enduring ethos.
Before diving into the 2025 releases, it’s worth pausing on what makes TUDOR tick – literally and metaphorically. Born from the mind of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf in 1926, TUDOR was established, marrying Rolex-quality watchmaking with accessibility. Over the decades, it’s grown into an emblem of precision, resilience, and adventurous spirit – favoured by divers, explorers, and even military forces for its robust performance and remarkable value.
Manufactured entirely in Switzerland, TUDOR’s timepieces don’t just look the part – they’re engineered to perform under extreme conditions. Add to that a five-year guarantee (no registration or routine maintenance needed) and you begin to understand the confidence TUDOR has in its creations. And after getting hands-on with the new 2025 releases, that confidence is well-founded.
Black Bay Chrono – 50 Years of Chronograph Heritage
To celebrate five decades of chronographs, TUDOR introduces the BLACK BAY CHRONO in stainless steel with a redesigned 41mm case and two dial options – matte black or opaline – with contrasting sub-dials that echo classic motorsport design. Inspired by TUDOR’s first chronograph from 1970, the Oysterdate, this modern reinterpretation balances functionality with vintage charm, featuring “Snowflake” hands and a 45-minute counter with date at 6 o’clock.
Engineered for both land and sea, the BLACK BAY CHRONO features a fixed bezel with tachymeter scale, a domed sapphire crystal, and 200m water resistance. Two bracelet options – either a 3-link “rivet-style” or 5-link steel – include TUDOR’s “T-fit” rapid adjustment clasp with five positions and ceramic ball bearings. This blend of heritage aesthetics and cutting-edge mechanics underscores TUDOR’s commitment to precision and performance. With meticulous finishing, robust construction, and a five-year guarantee, the BLACK BAY CHRONO stands as a bold tribute to TUDOR’s legacy of adventure – on the racetrack and beneath the waves.
Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” – Performance on the Wrist
If there was one showstopper in the room, it was the Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” – a horological pit stop between race-bred heritage and cutting-edge design. Limited to just 2’025 individually numbered pieces, this chronograph is a celebration of TUDOR’s deep-rooted relationship with motorsport, going back to the 1950s. And for 2025, TUDOR shifts gear by collaborating with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team.
With a 42mm case entirely forged from carbon fiber – including the tachymeter bezel and strap end-links – this is no mere design exercise. It’s a statement.
Beneath the hood, you’ll find the COSC-certified MT5813 chronograph calibre, delivering 70 hours of power, a silicon balance spring, a column wheel, and vertical clutch—engineered in collaboration with Breitling. The “Carbon 25” doesn’t just honour TUDOR’s chronograph lineage; it tears through it with futuristic finesse. If ever there was a timepiece ready for both podium finishes and boardroom bravado, this is it.
Black Bay 58 – A Neo-Vintage Icon, Perfected
The Black Bay 58 continues to be a darling in TUDOR’s stable – and this year, it earns its crown with a prestigious Master Chronometer certification from METAS. This elevates the 39mm beauty into rarified air, with confirmed anti-magnetic resilience and chronometric precision.
Design-wise, the Black Bay 58 maintains its vintage-inspired proportions, harking back to the original 1958 dive watch. The star of the show is a deep burgundy dial and bezel combination – a colourway inspired by a never-produced prototype from the 1990s.
Inside ticks the MT5400-U calibre with a 65-hour power reserve, silicon hairspring, and a no-fuss durability designed to last decades. Whether you opt for the steel five-link bracelet, the classic rivet-style three-link, or the sporty black rubber strap, each comes with the ingenious “T-fit” clasp for quick adjustment. It’s the kind of watch you could wear diving in Sodwana or sipping wine in Stellenbosch – confident, versatile, and distinctively TUDOR.
Black Bay Pro – The GMT for the Global Adventurer
Designed for the travel-savvy, the Black Bay Pro returns in 2025 with a standout opaline dial and heightened legibility thanks to black-outlined ceramic markers and Super-LumiNova -infused “Snowflake” hands. Its 39mm stainless steel case and fixed 24-hour bezel retain the rugged charm of the original, first launched in 2022.
The in-house MT5652 calibre sets this GMT apart, featuring a true GMT function integrated into the movement itself – a detail appreciated by horological purists.
Whether you’re strapping it on with a French-woven fabric strap, hybrid rubber-leather combo, or the steel bracelet, the Black Bay Pro speaks to TUDOR’s travel-savvy adventurer – someone who wants substance beneath the style.
Pelagos Ultra – The Ultimate Dive Tool
If the Black Bay models are the urbane adventurers, the PELAGOS ULTRA is the hardcore thrill-seeker. This 43mm titanium beast is TUDOR’s most technically advanced dive watch to date, boasting a whopping 1’000 metres of water resistance and a METAS-certified Master Chronometer movement.
The MT5612-U calibre delivers not just precision, but durability in the extreme. From the unidirectional ceramic bezel and helium escape valve to the updated bracelet with a visual extension indicator and rapid adjustment system, every element screams professional-grade.
This is a watch not just built to explore the deep – it’s ready to redefine what dive watches should be. A testament to TUDOR’s ongoing relationship with professional divers and military units, the PELAGOS ULTRA earns its place as a cornerstone of the “Born To Dare” philosophy.
Every timepiece in the 2025 collection is meticulously assembled at the brand’s high-tech manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland, combining traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation. From the motorsport-inspired flair of the Carbon 25 to the extreme endurance of the Pelagos Ultra, TUDOR’s 2025 collection reaffirms why this brand continues to stand apart in the crowded landscape of luxury watches.
As we departed the private showcase, one thing became crystal clear: whether you’re racing across continents, exploring the ocean depths, or simply navigating the urban jungle – there’s a TUDOR built not just to keep up, but to capture a moment in time.
Stand a chance to WIN with The Sandton Times.
Advertise on The Sandton Times today!
Head back to The Sandton Times Home Page for more stories.
