This watch ($2,595) might look like a retro timepiece, but in truth that label is way off the mark. You could call it the aspiring Rolex spin-off’s “reinterpretation” of the diving watch. With design flourishes like the dome-shaped black dial–a throwback to Tudor’s classic 1954 diving watch, the Submariner–the latest Heritage variant evokes much stronger memories of the past than the also-available red and blue models. Spec-wise, though, it’s very much a nod to the present. The robust 41mm-diameter steel case can, as you’d expect, withstand water pressure up to 660 feet, while the interior ticks away at 4 hertz thanks to the ETA 2824 mechanism–a self winding, double-sided rotor. Then there’s the black rotatable bezel with luminescent markers (which, for safety reasons, is unidirecitonal, reducing the chance of potentially dangerous timing errors while under the sea). But despite all the modern tweaks, the dials and hands have, as always, been designed with optimal readability in mind, whether in or out of the water.
Another distinguishing factor of the new Tudor Heritage Black Ray is the strap, or rather, straps. Black fabric comes as standard, and buyers also receive their choice of either the steel bracelet or elegant aged-leather strap.
