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Tudor Black Bay One 31mm Stainless Steel
Ref. 01830003291
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Stepping up in Tudor's range
The Black Bay family has always carried a diver's bones — rotating bezel, broad lugs, pronounced crown — but the One 31 makes a different argument. Tudor stripped the bezel to a fixed, polished ring, curved the case, and brought the diameter down to 31mm, producing something that sits closer to a dressed-up sports watch than a tool. The sunray-finished anthracite dial reads dark and deep in flat light, then catches cooler, more silvery tones at an angle, with the Snowflake hands and applied geometric indices cutting clearly through either reading. The movement inside is not a repackaged ébauche: the MT5201 is Tudor's own manufacture calibre, COSC-certified to -3 to +5 seconds per day, and its 50-hour reserve is generous enough to survive a weekend off the wrist. At 9.5mm, the case is slim for an automatic with this rating, and the five-link bracelet — alternating polished and satin finishing — integrates closely enough that the watch feels like a single piece rather than a case dropped onto a strap. The T-fit clasp lets the bracelet be adjusted by several steps without a tool, which is a quietly useful thing when a sleeve or temperature changes the fit mid-day.
- Reference
- 01830003291
- Brand
- Tudor
- Collection
- Black Bay
- Case size
- 31mm
- Case thickness
- 9.5mm
- Lug width
- 17mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Anthracite
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Fixed
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- MT5201
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Stainless steel bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 50 hours
Learn more about Tudor
Tudor exists because Hans Wilsdorf wanted to sell a Rolex to people who could not afford one. He registered the name in 1926 and relaunched it properly in 1946 as a separate company: Rolex cases, Rolex bracelets, Rolex crowns, but bought-in movements — usually ETA — at a fraction of the price.
For decades this made Tudor the practical choice for organisations buying in bulk. The French Marine Nationale issued Submariners to its divers. The US Navy tested them. Tudor's military history is arguably richer than Rolex's, because navies bought Tudors.
The watches developed their own identity regardless. The snowflake hands fitted to Submariners from 1969, specified by the French navy for legibility, became a signature the brand still uses. The Monte Carlo chronographs of the early 1970s, with their orange and blue dials, look nothing like anything Rolex made.
The brand withdrew from the US market in 1996 and spent a decade in relative obscurity before returning in 2013 with the Heritage Black Bay, which mined the archive rather than chasing modernity. It worked. Tudor now develops its own movements through a partnership with Kenissi, supplies calibres to Breitling, and holds METAS Master Chronometer certification — a technical position it never had when it was simply the affordable Rolex.
- 1926
- Hans Wilsdorf registers the Tudor name.
- 1946
- Montres Tudor SA is established as a separate company.
- 1969
- Snowflake hands appear on Submariners for the French navy.
- 2012
- The Black Bay revives the brand internationally.
- 2015
- The first in-house Tudor calibre is released.
Also in 5 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,616), Watches Under 37mm (1,375), Automatic Watches (1,362), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (235) and Grey Dial Watches (197).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- 31mm wears small and slips under any cuff
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Tudor's range as we list it
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | 01830003291 | L23210876 | WBP2451.FT6200 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,250 | £2,995 | £3,080 |
| Case size | 31mm | 30mm | 30mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 30m | 200m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Stainless steel bracelet | Stainless steel bracelet | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 50 hours | 45 hours | 40 hours |
| This watch |
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Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 50 hours fully wound — enough to survive a night off the wrist, but not a full weekend.
What size strap does it take?
17mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as unisex, and at this size it suits any wrist that takes the dimensions.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £3,250, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £3,250 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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