Tudor Black Bay P01 automatic watch black dial brown leather strap 42 mm

A historic prototype revisited

In 1967, TUDOR, which had been supplying diving watches to the US Army since the 1950s, began developing a new watch to meet the criteria demanded by the US government, and incorporated the results of its engineers' latest research into this model. Prototypes and a patent for a novel function were born. This ambitious project, codenamed “Commando”, never materialized. The TUDOR Black Bay P01 - which stands for prototype 1 - is inspired by a prototype developed during this study and preserved in the brand's archives. Its unique aesthetics finally saw the light of day 50 years after its creation. The Black Bay P01 reflects the exploratory nature of the project, at the crossroads of the diver's watch and the sailing watch.

The spirit of the prototype

The hinged mesh system of the original prototype was patented in 1968. The patent concerned a system for closing and removing the bezel to facilitate watch maintenance. The Black Bay P01 takes its inspiration from this mechanism, offering a system for locking the bi-directional rotating bezel via a movable link at 12 o'clock. The Black Bay P01 is water-resistant to 200 meters and features hour, minute, seconds and date functions. It features a domed matt black dial with luminescent painted hour markers. Respecting the functional aesthetics of the prototype that inspired it, the case is entirely satin-finished for a matte finish.

The essence of Black Bay

Like the other models in the Black Bay line, the P01 adopts the TUDOR hands with their characteristic angular shape, nicknamed “Snowflake” in collectors' circles and appearing in the brand's catalog as early as 1969. The result of subtle combinations of historical aesthetic codes and contemporary watchmaking, the Black Bay line goes beyond a simple re-edition of a classic. It offers a compendium of over 60 years of TUDOR diving watches, while remaining resolutely anchored in the present.

A hybrid leather and rubber strap

The strap developed for the Black Bay P01 model is rubber-based with a “Snowflake” motif on the back and a brown leather finish. In the spirit of the prototype of the time, mobile satin-finish steel attachments link the bracelet to the watch case.

A Manufacture caliber

The Manufacture Calibre MT5612 that paces the Black Bay P01 model displays hour, minute, seconds and date functions. Its finish is typical of TUDOR Manufacture calibers. Its openworked rotor is satin-finished with sandblasted details, while its bridges and mainplate feature alternating sandblasted, polished and laser-etched surfaces. Its construction is designed for sturdiness, longevity and reliability, as is the case with its variable-inertia balance maintained by a solid double-anchored through-bridge. Thanks to these qualities, as well as its non-magnetic silicon balance-spring and 70-hour power reserve, Calibre MT5612 is chronometer-certified by the Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres (COSC).