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Does Tudor’s new Only Watch hint at a forthcoming ceramic Black Bay?

We always look forward to Tudor’s unique pieces for the annual Only Watch charity auction and 2019’s entry from the Rolex offshoot once again hasn’t failed to impress. The Black Bay Ceramic One is a stealthy matte-black version of the popular diver that we reckon might hint at things to come…

Do you remember when the Tudor Black Bay One, the brand’s entry for Only Watch 2015, sold for 375,000CHF, over 100 times the price of a regular Black Bay? And do you remember what followed in the months and years afterwards? That’s right, the Black Bay Black and the Black Bay 58, watches that while not identical to the high-achieving one-off, certainly took many aesthetic cues. 

This year’s unique offering from Tudor is an all-black Black Bay with a 41mm case crafted from ceramic, a titanium PVD-coated bezel with a ceramic insert, a clear case back, and a black alligator strap. Its low-contrast colour scheme looks to have been disrupted with different finishing on the bezel and the case, the usual raised markers on the dial, and the bold snowflake hands. We know it won’t be everybody’s cup of tea, but we think it looks properly menacing.

When it goes under the hammer on 9 November in Geneva, we expect its conservative 4,500–5,500CHF estimate to be smashed within seconds. And we hope to see a ceramic version of the Black Bay in Tudor’s range in the near future… 

Photos: Tudor 

You can find a selection of vintage and modern Tudors listed for sale in the Classic Driver Market.