Watches and Wonders Edit: Tudor unveils new Black Bay models and the monumental 59,000 sq ft Tudor Manufacture complex in Le Locle, Switzerland – with David Beckham in tow

May 8 , 2023

The new Tudor Manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland. Photos: Tudor

The biggest buzz around Tudor at Watches and Wonders was about its new dedicated manufacture that transforms its capacity to develop models such as the new Black Bay.

No watch brand has seen such a meteoric rise on the back of a single exceptional new model as Tudor has after the Black Bay was launched in 2012. Since then, it has gone from strength to strength, coming to a head at this year’s Watches and Wonders. There, the house unveiled new Black Bay models to universal acclaim, and you may have already heard the furore over the reprised burgundy bezel, in addition to new dress models, a GMT, and the new Black Bay 54 at 37mm.

David Beckh am even made an appearance at the Tudor booth to top off the festivities.

David Beckham at the new Tudor Manufacture.

However, the most important news from the maison may be the opening up to the world of the Tudor Manufacture, begun in 2018 and located in Le Locle, Switzerland. The four-storey complex spans over 59,000 sq ft in total and promises to take Tudor’s production process to the next level.

The facility is dedicated to the making of the house’s timepieces, helped in part by the nearby Kenissi Manufacture, set up by Tudor to produce ever more refined watch movements in 2016. All of this means Tudor can keep tabs on the entire watchmaking process, ensuring the future only holds ever better Black Bays, Pelagos and Royals.

Tudor’s latest Black Bay with burgundy bezel was made and tested in the Tudor Manufacture.

The transition began five years back, as Tudor began the process of moving from Montres Tudor SA in Geneva to Le Locle, sat in the Jura Mountains and near many of the brand’s affiliates and suppliers. Boldly decked out in Tudor red, the manufacture underlines its position as a leading name in Swiss horology.

A peek at the new Tudor Manufacture in Le Locle, Switzerland.

Tudor’s attention to detail is literally on display in the new manufacture: the facility’s windows are made of “sage glass” that works in tandem with the solar panels on the roof to regulate energy consumption by controlling the transmission of natural light. Care was also taken to minimise the facility’s impact on its surroundings, with construction undertaken in a way to not harm the biodiversity of the Jura or the flow of the nearby Bied river.

Tudor’s latest Black Bay with a burgundy bezel was made and tested in the new Tudor Manufacture.

To say the manufacture’s unveiling at Watches and Wonders 2023 is a milestone is a huge understatement. The brand has gone from its beginnings under the Rolex umbrella in 1946 to becoming one of the foremost names in the industry to use third-party movements, to now fully manufacturing and testing the new Black Bay at the Tudor Manufacture. Enthusiasts can rest assured this new facility promises ever bigger releases from the brand to come.

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Watches and Wonders Edit

Tudor generated plenty of buzz at Watches and Wonders 2023, when the Rolex-owned watchmaker revealed details of its new Black Bay models and Tudor Manufacture
The complex will elevate the production of its Black Bays, Pelagos, Royals watches, marking a monumental moment that brings all of Tudor’s productive excellence under one roof