Tudor Baselworld 2016 – Our predictions for the new Tudor watches (including a Pelagos GMT and a North Flag Chronograph)

We did it for Rolex this year, we also did it for Tudor last year, and we are doing it again now. Just because we love to play with your nerves and because we also think Tudor watches are kind of cool, here are our predictions for the Tudor Baselworld 2016 Novelties. Time prove us we were not that bad in predicting: we imagined the Tudor Pelagos Blue AND the Tudor Black Bay Black two years ago already – and both are now in stores. So, we have no clue if we’ll be as lucky this year but we’re sure that we’d love to see a Tudor Pelagos GMT and a Tudor North Flag Chronograph this year at Baselworld… And keep in mind: these are just predictions!

Tudor Baselworld 2016 – The Tudor Pelagos GMT (with in-house movement)

You certainly all know the Tudor Pelagos, the professional-oriented piece from the brand, with titanium case, ceramic bezel and 500m water resistance. On the contrary of the Heritage Black Bay, the Pelagos is more modern, more rugged but also more technical. Since the latest edition of Baselworld, in 2015, it also features a new in-house movement, the Calibre MT5612. And it leads us to this simple conclusion: there will be more variations of this movement in the coming years! Therefore, we imagined the first one, will be with a GMT complication, something that we know to be extremely useful and rather applauded by potential clients – and that its missing in the actual Tudor catalogue (indeed, there’s no GMT watches in the current Tudor line up). We also know that the base movement can easily accept extra-complications, like it’s the case with the North Flag, which features a power reserve.

Starting on the base of a normal Tudor Pelagos, we imagined a GMT watch in its purest form: 24h rotating bezel and second time-zone hand on the central axis (yes, just like a Rolex GMT Master II… but most of us know how easy and practical this display is). For the rest, our potential Baselworld 2016 Tudor Pelagos GMT remains equal to the normal edition, with a 42mm case made in grade 2 titanium (fully brushed, with crown protection, helium escape valve in the caseband and chamfers on the lugs), clean dial with squared-indexes and snowflakes hands and a choice of a black and blue dial / bezel.

Inside our Baselworld 2016 Tudor Pelagos GMT could tick a GMT edition of the Calibre MT5612, modified to add a central GMT hand, of course adjusted by the crown. This watch could easily mix the technicality and robustness of the Pelagos, with the practicality of having a second time zone displayed – without losing the diving roots of the watch (that will still be water resistant to 500m).

Tudor Baselworld 2016 – The Tudor North Flag Chronograph

Last year, at Baselworld 2015, Tudor surprised us with a really unexpected watch, the North Flag. Unexpected because of its in-house movement first but also because of its design, creating a huge break with the rest of the vintage-oriented watches of the brand – like the Heritage Chronograph or the Black Bay. With the North Flag, Tudor wrote an independence letter to its owner, Rolex. To say the least, this is a profoundly important timepiece for the brand, as we explained to you when introduced. On the other hand, the watch is now in stores, it sells and it has been accepted even by most of the hardcore collectors. Thus, it’ time to see more iterations, including a possible Tudor North Flag Chronograph.

Considering the sporty and toolish aspect of the Tudor North Flag, we thought that the addition of a chronograph could easily make sense. In order to keep the balance of dial intact, we’d prefer to see a classical bi-compax layout – like the Tudor Heritage Chrono – with a 30-minute counter and a small second sub-dial. With the same idea in mind, and to keep the large 6 numeral on the dial, we decided to remove the date feature. Finally, considering the sharp angles and rather squarish shape of the Tudor North Flag, our chronograph edition could feature rectangular pushers instead of normal, round push-pieces.

For the rest, the design of our Baselworld 2016 Tudor North Flag Chronograph remains faithful to the time-only edition, with yellow accents on the second hand and minute track, as well as on the hand of the 30-minute counter. And just like the existing one, it could be delivered on a perforated leather strap with yellow stitching or on the integrated metallic bracelet. The main question remains: if it’s going to happen, will Tudor develop a new in-house chronograph movement?

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