Every Tudor GMT: The Definitive Guide

Before getting into the Tudor GMT guide, let's put the brand in context as it has experienced a modern renaissance since returning to the U.S. market with the Black Bay collection in 2012. No longer content as a mere sub-brand of big brother Rolex, Tudor has established itself as the de facto tool-watch manufacture in the $3,000 - $6,000 range, and the brand has done it through methodical progress within the Black Bay, Ranger, and Pelagos families. In 2016, Tudor introduced its first in-house caliber in the North Flag, and has since established its own movements throughout the portfolio, allowing Tudor to approach complications in its own way. Arguably, the most important of these complications is the GMT, which made its modern debut with the Black Bay GMT in 2018. But that’s not the first GMT from the brand. 

In this guide, we’ll take a look back at what may be some forgotten GMT references from Tudor, and make our way through the now expansive modern stable of watches boasting the reference today. A GMT is likely the most most requested feature when it comes to new Tudor watches, and lately, the brand has been particularly in tune with those demands — to the point where it’s safe to say that we’re spoiled for choice these days. That’s not to say that there aren’t a few expressions of this complication that we’d still like to see, and I’ll outline some of those in closing. 

The GMT complication is a foundational part of the Rolex identity, with Tudor's parent brand having first brought it to market in 1954 at the behest of PanAm pilots. Launched at the dawn of the Jet Set age, the original GMT-Master allowed those pilots to track two separate time zones at once, though it's worth noting that this wasn’t the first watch to attempt this feat: Glycine released its own take on the concept in 1953. The GMT-Master has been in continuous production since the first Reference 6542, and while Tudor watches were often released alongside their Rolex counterparts, the movements themselves never made the jump. As a result, there was never a Tudor GMT analogous to the Rolex GMT-Master until 2018. 

Since releasing the Black Bay GMT, Tudor has steadily expanded its GMT offerings in a range of sizes and materials. Today, GMT watches are a key part of Tudor’s identity, with a strong foundation to build on. With that, let’s look back at just how we got here, starting in a somewhat surprising place. 

Tudor Aeronaut GMT 20200

In 2007, Tudor introduced the Aeronaut, including the GMT Reference 20200. This watch marks Tudor’s first foray into the GMT complication, and it finds itself in rather interesting territory thanks to the era in which it was released. The Aeronaut GMT used a 41mm steel case with a very muscular lug design. This was kind of a trend at the time, as larger watch styles had just started to take hold.

The Aeronaut was unique for a few reasons, from its colorful dial options, to the subdial at 6 o’clock displaying the date. The 24-hour index was relegated to the bezel, leaving room for an oversized set of Arabic numerals at the 2, 4, 8, and 10 o’clock positions. The numbers kind of dominate the dial, but with a slight re-proportioning I think this watch would be perfectly suitable to today’s audiences. It’s a bit refreshing to look back at watches of this era, as there isn’t really any hint of throwback design cues. They are largely forward-facing, modern expressions, and while they didn’t always work, they are at least creative, and boast big personalities as a result. The Aeronaut GMT is just such a watch, and it is Tudor’s first take on the GMT. 

Tudor Iconaut GMT 20400

The mid ‘00s were a strange time for many brands both in, and out of, the watch industry. My head immediately goes to the Thierry Nataf era of Zenith, but that’s a story for another day. Tudor was not immune to something of an identity crisis in this transition period, and the Iconaut GMT reference 20400 represents its second take on a GMT- equipped watch. The Iconaut is very much a product of its era, at 43mm in diameter with a hulking bezel indexed to 24 hours, and an equally robust lug design. The case and bezel make a strong impression here, leaving the dial to fill a relatively small area at the center, but it has its own quirks just the same. 

The Iconaut GMT was also a chronograph, and the dial features a rather peculiar layout to ensure each of the subdials is treated as unique, including a contrasted portion in red or black at the 9 o’clock side of the dial to house the running seconds. This watch was many things, but being derivative was not one of them. Tudor has its own unique history when it comes to the design of chronographs, and again, that’s a story for another time. This one just happened to include GMT hand thanks to the Valjoux 7754 inside. 

In total, the Iconaut GMT 20400 is a unique part of Tudor history, and while it may not align with the tastes of many enthusiasts in 2025, I could easily see Tudor taking inspiration from portions of this design. Perhaps not from its proportions, but there’s plenty else going on here that could be worth preservation.

Tudor Monarch GMT 38080

The Tudor Monarch collection made its debut way back in 1991, and while it isn’t around today, it’s a name that I wouldn’t be surprised to see at some point in the future. Toward the end of its lifespan, the Monarch received a GMT in the Reference 38080 that was available only in Asian markets. The bezel itself, which came in a variety of configurations, featured the signs of the Zodiac, with the 24-hour index moved to the dial. This watch was far more modest in design and in dimensions compared to the previous pair of watches, measuring 36mm in diameter with a far more svelte lug. 

This watch landed around 2010, and was thus just prior to Tudor relaunching in U.S. markets with the likes of the Black Bay. This, of course, marked a turning point for the brand, so the Monarch in this stage was relatively short-lived. Again, this is a rather interesting design that doesn’t exactly feel like anything else in the brand’s catalog. Just how Tudor might come back to this collection, if at all, remains to be seen, but a more formal expression of the GMT would likely be a part of it. 

Tudor Black Bay GMT

The 2018 Baselworld fair was a momentous year for the GMT in both the Rolex and Tudor houses. Not only did Rolex release a long-awaited steel GMT-Master II reference with a "Pepsi" bezel in the 126710BLRO, but Tudor also took the opportunity to release the Black Bay GMT, using the brand’s own manufacture Caliber MT5652, a "true" GMT movement. One was modern and forward-looking, the other was decidedly throwback in feel, using an aluminum bezel and slightly throwback shades of red and blue. The release by Tudor was widely lauded by enthusiasts, and represented a big step for the Black Bay collection as a whole. 

It wasn’t all good news with this watch, however. Many complained about the 41mm case’s rather robust 14.7mm thickness measurement (this will be a recurring theme here), and the new movement displayed some troubling issues with the date change function. It took some time to work out these issues, but that’s exactly what Tudor did, and this watch remains a staple of the collection to this day. 

The Black Bay GMT is currently offered in three different configurations, each with the same 41mm case, which now measures 14.6mm in thickness. The original reference with the black dial remains, and it’s been joined by a white-dial variation that was introduced in 2023. In addition to these two, there is a Steel & Gold reference that gets a gold bezel assembly and crown mated to a steel case. The dial of this watch gets gilt detailing at the hands and hour markers. The steel-only models can be had on a bracelet or textile passthrough strap, while the Steel & Gold can be had with a two-toned bracelet, a textile passthrough, or a brown leather strap.

Tudor Black Bay Pro

The next GMT to be released by Tudor was the Black Bay Pro in 2022, which featured a fixed steel bezel design. The Black Bay Pro was an all-around interesting watch for several reasons, but it also made use of the manufacture Caliber MT5652 — though here it’s been placed within the confines of a 39mm case. Yes, the thickness was once again an issue here with enthusiasts: at 14.6mm, this watch sat with a slightly tanky presence on the wrist. That said, it’s perfectly wearable thanks to the smaller diameter, and this one packs a lot of charm into the design. 

The matte black dial here uses applied blocks of lume that aren’t set within any kind of surround. The lume itself wasn’t quite aged, but it also wasn’t pure white. The addition of a yellow-arrow 24-hour hand paired with the steel bezel drew immediate comparisons to the Explorer II, but this feels like something else entirely in the metal. Despite its shortcomings, the Black Bay Pro enjoys a cult following for its unique identity. 

In 2025, Tudor introduced a second variation of the Black Bay Pro that uses a bright silver dial. Instead of the lume blocks, this reference uses lume within a black surround to provide some contrast to aid in legibility. It’s the same story with the hands, and this move brings a very different sense of character out of the watch. Both examples of the Black Back Pro are offered on a steel bracelet, as well as a fabric passthrough and a leather strap. 

Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

In 2024, Tudor addressed the longstanding criticisms of its existing GMT watches with the release of the Black Bay 58 GMT. Like the Black Bay Pro, and all other Black Bay 58s, this uses a 39mm case, only here the thickness has been trimmed to a far more palatable 12.8mm in thickness. This was the GMT fans had been waiting for, and Tudor delivered in a big (well, small) way. The Black Bay 58 GMT uses a new manufacture caliber dubbed the MT5450-U, and that U means it’s been subjected to METAS Master Chronometer certification.

As good as the Black Bay 58 GMT is, the only downside is that Tudor has only built it in a single configuration, which includes a gilt-treated dial and bezel. The throwback look can be considered divisive, as the trend in general is in a bit of a waning phase. Needless to say, this is the format that works, and I fully expect to see more modern renditions of the Black Bay 58 GMT in the years to come. What really matters with this watch is that Tudor was able to address critics by producing a thinner GMT. 

The Black Bay 58 GMT is offered on a steel bracelet with Tudor's quick-adjust T-Fit clasp system. Yes, the bracelet still has faux rivets at the edges of each link. In addition to this, Tudor also offers this watch with an integrated rubber strap fit to a steel end link, and still making use of the same clasp from the bracelet. It’s a welcome move, and this isn’t the first time we’ve seen Tudor go this route. Overall, this GMT is the shining beacon of hope of what’s to come for many.  

Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT

In late 2024, Tudor released what may be its most surprising GMT to date within the Pelagos FXD collection. This watch features a character all its own, with a highly focused design set within the fixed-lugs confines of the FXD format. One intriguing note about the FXD GMT is that it uses the MT5652-U, the same base that’s found in the Black Bay GMT, except the FXD GMT measures just 12.7mm in thickness. This tells us that perhaps Tudor has been able to place this movement in a thinner watch all along, but has for some reason chosen not to. 

The Pelagos FXD GMT uses a 42mm titanium case with a fixed-lug design, meaning only passthrough straps can be used. It’s actually the exact same frame as the time-only examples of the FXD. This watch uses a bi-directional rotating bezel that is indexed to 24 hours, and gets a dark orange 24-hour hand which tracks against it. Since the bezel rotates, this watch can actually tack three time zones, should the wearer require it. This movement is also METAS-certified as a Master Chronometer. This is certainly the most hardcore of the bunch, and it’s the first to introduce the complication within the Pelagos collection. 

What the Future May Hold

This brings us to what I’d like to see from Tudor moving ahead, and if you’ve made it this far, you likely have a pretty good idea. First and foremost, we need more references of the Black Bay 58 GMT, preferably one or two that use a clean, modern colorway such as the monotone black and white, or a black dial with blue bezel configuration. This feels like a no-brainer, and I fully expect to see additional references here in the coming years. 

Next, I think that we’re due for a second generation of the Black Bay GMT. The regular 41mm Black Bay has received refinements to its shape and design, and it only makes sense that we see the same kind of refinements make their way to the GMT. A case that remains 41mm in diameter, but sheds even a millimeter in thickness would work wonders here. On that note, we need the five-link bracelet to make an appearance on the Black Bay GMT. 

Finally, the movement from the Black Bay 58 would work quite well in a Pelagos 39 GMT, as would additional colorways. This is my biggest hope for Tudor GMTs moving ahead, and I’ll admit it may be the least likely. But when it comes to Tudor, you never know. For now, you can learn more at tudorwatch.com