I would be lying if I said I was a long-time fan of the Tudor Black Bay Dark. In fact, I am not usually a fan of blacked out watches. So, it came as a surprise when I first laid my eyes on the watch in the flesh. Then holding it in my hands confirms what I already know in my heart at the time – I have to add it to my collection.

I was already familiar with the cold hard facts prior to seeing it. First introduced at Baselworld 2016, it featured the COSC certified in-house movement with 70 hours of power reserve. I already owned the achingly gorgeous Pelagos Blue at this time. Aesthetically, an all blacked out watch seemed to pale by comparison. How wrong was I?

There are numerous things I love about the Black Bay Dark. For starters, the little red highlights on the dial and bezel suggesting a vintage feel. The PVD case feels nicely heavy and solid as if it was carved out from a single block of stainless steel. I love the tactility of the watch. Turning the unidirectional rotating bezel is strangely satisfying. The bezel is suitably tight and the clicks are precise and taut with hardly any play between them. The solid feel and tactility extend to the movement. Winding the crown may not have the knife through butter feel of Audemars Piguet’s Calibre 3120 but it is as good as Rolex’s Calibre 3130. It has a nice resistance without being overly so. Even nicer is the taut precision when adjusting the time. It’s annoying when the minute hand moves when you push the crown after setting the time. Not so on the Calibre MT5602.

My Tudor Black Bay Dark came with a grey Nato style strap and a distressed leather. Although I liked the look and feel of the Nato strap, it’s a pain in the ass to put on. I have since put on a high- quality sailcloth strap with contrasting red stitching. Works a treat with the existing red accents on the watch.