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Tudor Black Bay 42mm Steel Case Black Dial Automatic Mens Watch
Ref. M70150-0001
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Stepping up in Tudor's range
The Black Bay P01 exists because of a prototype that never made it into production. In the late 1960s Tudor developed a dive watch concept — known internally as the "Commando" — for potential US Navy use, and it was shelved. When Tudor finally brought it to Baselworld 2019, the design decisions that would have seemed eccentric on any other watch suddenly had a rationale: the crown sits at 4 o'clock because that is where it stops pressing into the wrist during use, and the bezel locks via a hinged end-link mechanism at 12 o'clock, a patented system that flips up to allow rotation and snaps down to fix it in place. Neither of those things exist anywhere else. On the wrist, the 55.7mm lug-to-lug tells the real story of the fit — the hinged apparatus adds presence beyond what 42mm alone suggests, and the watch sits with a slightly elevated, elongated stance that reads more like a tool than a dress diver. The movement behind it, the COSC-certified MT5612, runs on a silicon balance spring and a free-sprung balance at 28,800 vph, with 70 hours of reserve — enough that leaving it off over a weekend causes no disruption. The brown hybrid leather-and-rubber strap is the right call here: supple enough for daily wear, and honest about what the watch is.
- Reference
- M70150-0001
- Brand
- Tudor
- Collection
- Black Bay
- Case size
- 42mm
- Case thickness
- 14.4mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Bidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- MT5612
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Folding clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Ex-display
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 55.7mm
- Power reserve
- 70 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 6 collections
This watch appears in Stainless Steel Watches (2,996), Automatic Watches (1,368), Leather Strap Watches (958), Sports Watches (700), Dive Watches (484) and Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (154).
Manufacturer’s guarantee
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 200m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 70-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Sits in the lower half of Tudor's range as we list it
Worth knowing
- 14.4mm thick, so it will not disappear under a cuff
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | M70150-0001 | WBP2150.FT6210 | 129766 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,020 | £3,360 | £3,035 |
| Case size | 42mm | 40mm | 42mm |
| Water resistance | 200m | 200m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Rubber strap | Rubber strap |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | 38 hours | — |
| This watch |
|
|
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 200m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational 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 70 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. 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.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 55.7mm, which suits wrists from roughly 18.5cm (7¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £3,020, ex-display. 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 ex-display only, at £3,020 from Goldsmiths. Ex-display watches are unworn shop stock rather than second-hand — sold below the recommended retail price, and with the manufacturer’s guarantee intact.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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