Tudor Black Bay Pro (M79470-0003)

[Verdi]

So, let's start with the beginning. 

Why did I get the watch?
Several reasons:
-because none of the 3 Rolex models I am on waitlist for have not been delivered by my AD
-because I like the watch, I travel a lot and the GMT function helps. I keep the GMT hand on Zulu time, it is useful if you work in aviation and need to fill up docs.
-it is a throw back to the old Explorer 2 (ref 1655). It has a Rolex vintage feel in some way, a felling I am familiar with and a big fan of. 
-price is very competitive
 

OK, let's get into a bit more detail now. 

Case/Size 
39 mm is perfect for most of folk out there. I regard it as the perfect size after I wore my 39mm Explorer as a daily beater for almost 2 years. Mind you it wears bigger.
-Tudor has stepped up in the last few years with the quality of the finishing, imo. It ads bevels which, again, is a throw back to vintage Rolex models. 
-thickness....yes, it has been brought up by all reviews. It is there. They say you get used to it.....my take on this is that Rolex did it on purpose. If they made this watch thinner, it would be hard to justify buying a Rolex GMT watch for 3 times the price when there is a Tudor GMT. 

Dial/Hands
As I said, Tudor stepped up the quality considerably in the last few years. That is obvious when you look at the level of detail and finishing of the dial and hands, too. These details also scream vintage Rolex, only that it is made with modern materials. For a watchidiotsavant like me that is into vintage this aspect is icing on the cake. 

Movement
Tudor makes their own movements now after they used ETA for decades. Many "purists" never considered a Tudor for this reason. Tudor addressed this, although I think the move it is also related to ETA deciding not to supply movements to brands they do not own anymore. 
So, Tudor/Rolex created Kenissi which now supplies them with the movements they want...it is their “in-house movement” producer but they also supply other brands with movements. 
Coming back to BBP, this is powered by the same caliber used in the Tudor Pepsi GMT. It is common knowledge this movement had a problem with the date wheel getting stuck but it seems like they fixed this "bug".
The movement is COSC and performs superbly within the parameters. Date changes promptly at midnight. Really, no complains. It has 70 hrs power reserve so it is on the par with the modern movements Rolex uses on their models. 
Again, the thickness is the "problem" of this moment but as I said...I think this is on purpose. 

Bracelet
It comes with 3 options: 
-metal bracelet
-NATO
-rubber strap


The best option is by far the metal bracelet which is with rivets (again, vintage vibe) and it has micro adjustment. You get this bracelet for only a few hundred bucks extra so it is a no brainer. You get this and can buy any other aftermarket nato straps later on if you wish to.
The nato strap supplied by Tudor is called Jacquard woven fabric strap. It is very comfy and if you do not want to get the watch with a metal bracelet, I would chose this option. The reason why is because the rubber strap is less comfortable than both the other options. I find it a bit rigid and not that comfortale on the wrist. The only advantage of this strap is that it comes with a nice Tudor buckle which you could use with other straps, including leather ones. 
The one (more) complain I have about the rubber strap is that it is almost imposible to remove without scratching the lugs. It is so tighlty fiited to the watch...I think Tudor uses a brain surgeon to do this job. 

Conclusion
Tudor BBP GMT is a true tool watch. It delivers something that modern Rolex sport models are getting farther from: a solid watch you can use and abuse without thinking it is a 10k usd, the ceramic bezel could break or the polished surfaces will scratch easily.

In this particular case, Tudor BBP tickles the fancies of watch collectors and vintage nerds (like me) with the Rolex vintage details they incorporate in the design. 

Price wise it is hard to find another watch that packs a stronger punch and makes it a better deal. Especially with the metal bracelet. It is around 4k usd.

[carwashchris]

Great write up, thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Chris