Blackbay Pro

[Snow-Dweller]

Good evening One and All.

A while ago I had a BB GMT. To begin with I adored the watch, but (in spite of being a GMT man) after a while I found I couldn’t live with the thickness….and so it left my small collection.

I have had a BB58 for two years now, which I love. For me it’s only imperfection is the lack of an easy link (or equivalent).

I now have the possibility of buying a BB Pro. I love the look of the watch but have never seen it in the flesh.

I would love to hear from fellow members how this watch wears on the wrist, and in particular any and all thoughts on its thickness.

Thank you




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[Snow-Dweller]

Anyone?

[7enderbender]

Originally Posted by Snow-Dweller

Anyone?

Much nicer than any of the current Rolex dive watches.

[GGGMT]

I can only say that my bb58 is also perfection, I too am a major GMT guy, and I’m not getting the pro. Leaving gmt to Rolex in the form of a polar







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[Mr Ben]

Originally Posted by GGGMT

I can only say that my bb58 is also perfection, I too am a major GMT guy, and I’m not getting the pro. Leaving gmt to Rolex in the form of a polar







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+1 on this. I considered the BB Pro when I couldn’t get my hands on an Explorer II. Love the 39mm and the dial but the thickness and “top-heaviness” was too much when I tried it on. I might have been ok with it if I hadn't tried on the Exp II and loved the slim feel which completely spoiled me.

I really like this BB58/ Exp II combination.

[GGGMT]

Originally Posted by Mr Ben

+1 on this. I considered the BB Pro when I couldn’t get my hands on an Explorer II. Love the 39mm and the dial but the thickness and “top-heaviness” was too much when I tried it on. I might have been ok with it if I hadn't tried on the Exp II and loved the slim feel which completely spoiled me.

I really like this BB58/ Exp II combination.

Thku! It’s a solid combo


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[JetDad]

I've had my BB Pro now for a little over three months. It hasn't left my wrist once.

Honestly I think all this talk of it being too thick or too heavy, it's a bit over blown. If your normally wearing a really thin light dress watch, then yes your going to notice the BBPro. All I know is i look at my wrist and see a real cool piece of steel thats not cumbersome or too thick whatsoever.

I got a call from my local Rolex AD recently, they had a black dial Explorer II in that I was on the list for (No purchase history, three months on the list), and I politely declined it actually. Several reasons, first 42mm is too big for me for a daily wear, I dont feel like parting with $10,000 right now, and I am completely satisfied with my BB Pro.

[JDR888]

Tried on the BBP but passed on it. Really wanted to love it but it came down to liking it at best.

Two reasons - case thickness & faux rivets. The faux rivets I could probably live with but the slab-sided nature of the case made it a no for me.

I guess these are the main reasons why people may pass on the BBP so it’s nothing you won’t already know.

[Watchsprings]

I have a BB pro and it wears very well but it is thick. I enjoy it as part of a rotation and expect it to be a chunky beast. That said I prefer my P39 as the lighter weight and thinner case it is a perfect Tudor IMO.

[Cru Jones]

Hi Clive! Nice to see you posting. :-)

I believe the BB Pro is 14.6 mm thick. Not sure how that compares to your previous GMT.

[Snow-Dweller]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Hi Clive! Nice to see you posting. :-)

I believe the BB Pro is 14.6 mm thick. Not sure how that compares to your previous GMT.

Hey Ondrej. It’s been a while. How’s life?

I love the look of this piece…..it’s just that I know how quickly I fell out of love with the BB GMT….

[Cru Jones]

Originally Posted by Snow-Dweller

Hey Ondrej. It’s been a while. How’s life?

I love the look of this piece…..it’s just that I know how quickly I fell out of love with the BB GMT….

Hi Clive. Doing great, thanks! I was in London with this kids this past weekend, which was fun.

Is Meribel still treating you well?

As for the watch, I've not personally handled either of the watches, but from feedback on this thread, it seems like the BB Pro could be a good fit for you. If you go for it, please post a photo with your lovely dog.

[cornerstore]

The Pro and the GMT are the same thickness . The smaller case size of the Pro makes all the difference. The Pro is a great travel watch. It feels substantial on the bracelet, fairly light on the highbred strap.T fit clasp makes for a great fit on bracelet . I found the GMT too large at 41mm and never got a good fit on my BB 58’s even with a half link. Overall Thickness is about same as a Rolex 5513 and .5mm less than Sea-Dweller.

[Snow-Dweller]

Originally Posted by cornerstore

The Pro and the GMT are the same thickness . The smaller case size of the Pro makes all the difference. The Pro is a great travel watch. It feels substantial on the bracelet, fairly light on the highbred strap.T fit clasp makes for a great fit on bracelet . I found the GMT too large at 41mm and never got a good fit on my BB 58’s even with a half link. Overall Thickness is about same as a Rolex 5513 and .5mm less than Sea-Dweller.

Thank you

[MickCollins1916]

Originally Posted by cornerstore

The Pro and the GMT are the same thickness . The smaller case size of the Pro makes all the difference. The Pro is a great travel watch. It feels substantial on the bracelet, fairly light on the highbred strap.T fit clasp makes for a great fit on bracelet . I found the GMT too large at 41mm and never got a good fit on my BB 58’s even with a half link. Overall Thickness is about same as a Rolex 5513 and .5mm less than Sea-Dweller.

All of this

I’m a big Sea-Dweller guy and the BB Pro wears similarly. I am a big fan of mine.

[nauti1us]

I recently traded a Seamaster 300C for the BB Pro and am very happy with it - runs about +2secs/day if I leave it dial up at night. Purchased on the NATO, but I grabbed the bracelet, which works really well for me. Looked at the GMT as well, but the snowflake at the end of the GMT hand felt very unbalanced; the Pro has an overall better dial as a GMT, IMO.

Case size is right @ 39mm and matches with me going down in case size over the last year or so. Thickness isn’t an issue, but I’m used to wearing 14mm watches - no issues going under a dress shirt though. You should try one on if you can, I don’t think they’re particularly scarce these days.

[rg9390]

I have the BB Pro of the 'leather' (more plastic feel) strap and also the BB GMT as well. Both have the same thickness (maybe BB Pro is less than 1mm thinner), but with the 39mm dial, the BB Pro wears a lot more comfortable than the BB GMT.

IMHO, the BB GMT is chunky... but since I don't have a Rolex GMT, and the 2nd hand market for BB GMT is rather low, I keep it and wear it on the day it suits my outfit.

[RogerOP]

I have the BBP and it weights the same as the Submariner Date but is thicker due to the glass.

Honestly once you wear it it’s fine after a few days. It’s like getting a scratch on your watch and it’s the worse thing, and then a few days later it’s in the back of your mind.

The watch is also smaller at 39mm so for me it feels a lot more manageable than the GMT

[Scapegoat]

Went from BB58 (Black) to BB Pro.
The watch is much more substantial on the wrist and you will be familiar with the thickness, since you previously owned the GMT.

My gut feel is with the T-Fit clasp, you will get a better fit which will make the wearing experience much much better.

But to go back to the point, yes it is a watch that could be slimmer.

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[Snow-Dweller]

Thanks everyone

[nick800]

Why not go try it on and see what you think?

[CPZorro]

I had a black bay pro for a little while. I loved the look of the watch, but couldn't get over the thickness. I also didn't like the bracelet rivets. I felt they were unnecessary and cheapened the overall feel of the watch. Overall, it is a very handsome watch, but the thickness drove me to pass it along.

[nighthawk77]

I too had the GMT (twice) and just couldn't make the thickness work either. A shame, as I did love that watch and often wonder if I should add another.

I can't comment on the Pro too much as I've only tried once or twice. I didn't like the thickness though; with the smaller size, it felt a bit 'stubby'.

Re the extension for 58, I have also thought the same while contemplating picking up the 58. I have seen these;

https://steel-reef.com/products/blac...sion-half-link

Can't comment on the product itself, but have heard some good things about it!

[Snow-Dweller]

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

I too had the GMT (twice) and just couldn't make the thickness work either. A shame, as I did love that watch and often wonder if I should add another.

I can't comment on the Pro too much as I've only tried once or twice. I didn't like the thickness though; with the smaller size, it felt a bit 'stubby'.

Re the extension for 58, I have also thought the same while contemplating picking up the 58. I have seen these;

https://steel-reef.com/products/blac...sion-half-link

Can't comment on the product itself, but have heard some good things about it!

Thanks for this link, which I will be using

[Snow-Dweller]

I received my “easy-link” extension from Steel Reef….. excellent quality and does what it says on the tin…

Originally Posted by nighthawk77

I too had the GMT (twice) and just couldn't make the thickness work either. A shame, as I did love that watch and often wonder if I should add another.

I can't comment on the Pro too much as I've only tried once or twice. I didn't like the thickness though; with the smaller size, it felt a bit 'stubby'.

Re the extension for 58, I have also thought the same while contemplating picking up the 58. I have seen these;

https://steel-reef.com/products/blac...sion-half-link

Can't comment on the product itself, but have heard some good things about it!

[carwash66]

Originally Posted by Snow-Dweller

I received my “easy-link” extension from Steel Reef….. excellent quality and does what it says on the tin…

Thanks for the update. Going to order one and give it a try.

[samson66]

If you got rid of the GMT due to the thickness, I'm not sure why you would consider the BB Pro? I believe the thickness is identical. If a watch is thick, I think it looks better with a larger diameter case - more poportional if you know what I mean. I don't own a Pro but I did own a GMT. The thickness didn't bother me but I know it does bother a lot of folks. Putting the same thickness on a smaller watch just magnifies the thickness IMO.

[MJZRolex]

Originally Posted by samson66

If you got rid of the GMT due to the thickness, I'm not sure why you would consider the BB Pro? I believe the thickness is identical. If a watch is thick, I think it looks better with a larger diameter case - more poportional if you know what I mean. I don't own a Pro but I did own a GMT. The thickness didn't bother me but I know it does bother a lot of folks. Putting the same thickness on a smaller watch just magnifies the thickness IMO.

I have the BB Pro and the BB GMT. If you aren't happy with the thickness of the GMT, you'll probably feel the same with the Pro. In my opinion, keep the BB 58. It is a great watch.

[brandrea]

Originally Posted by samson66

If you got rid of the GMT due to the thickness, I'm not sure why you would consider the BB Pro? I believe the thickness is identical. If a watch is thick, I think it looks better with a larger diameter case - more poportional if you know what I mean. I don't own a Pro but I did own a GMT. The thickness didn't bother me but I know it does bother a lot of folks. Putting the same thickness on a smaller watch just magnifies the thickness IMO.

This makes a lot of sense to me

OP I can’t chime in on the specific reference you asked about, but I’ll say the Mike’s logic above, applied well to my SD/SD43 experience

[DJFanUK]

I was deciding whether to go BB Pro as a GMT option but for me it's a very similar asthetic as the bb58 personally. I was lucky and get offered an exp ii polar Dial so i grabbed it.

I don't think the bbpro is too thick....it's proportions are pretty nice on wrist i must say