【F】 Tudor Black Bay Vs. Seiko Prospex Marinemaster HBF001

It’s Sunday morning, which means it’s time for another epic watch battle in our Sunday Morning Showdown series. This week, Mike and Jorg go head-to-head with two popular dive watches. With the recent introduction of the Seiko Marinemaster HBF001, we want to see whether it can take on the popular Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome.” Mike will back the new Marinemaster, and Jorg will defend the Black Bay. Let’s find out which of these two watches you would pick!

When looking back at our Sunday Morning Showdown series, it quickly became clear that we have featured both the previous generation of the Marinemaster and the Black Bay “Monochrome.” Funnily enough, we have never pitted them against each other. That was mostly due to the price difference. Having said that, we have put the Marinemaster based on the 1965 Diver against the Black Bay 58 in a previous installment of the Sunday Morning Showdown series. That was a strong indication of a price increase for Seiko’s top-of-the-line Prospex divers. The new Seiko Prospex Marinemaster HBF001 comes in at €3,800, while the Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome” costs €4,820 on the Oyster-style bracelet. This brings them closer together in price than ever before, so which of these two mid-range divers will win? Before Jorg and Mike make their cases, let’s take a look back at last week’s battle.

Previously, on Sunday Morning Showdown…

In last week’s Sunday Morning Showdown, Thomas and the Tissot Visodate went up against Daan and the Baltic Hermétique. As it turns out, it was a very close battle all week. In the end, though, the Visodate won with 52% of the votes, leaving the Hermétique with 48%. Reading through the comments, we also found this balance.

Many commenters thought that the Tissot Visodate would be a great first watch, whereas the Baltic Hermétique’s fun factor would make it a better third or fourth addition to one’s collection. In the end, though, the numbers speak volumes in our Sunday Morning Showdown series, and they show that the Tissot won. With that out of the way, let’s pass it over to Jorg and Mike for this week’s battle.

Jorg: Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome”

This week’s pick was an easy one for me. Don’t get me wrong; I like Seiko’s Marinemaster series, but I much prefer the older models based on the 1968 Diver, or the classic reference 6159-7001, as Seiko fans will know it. I created a Top 5 list of five Marinemaster references in 2023, and after quickly checking that, I must admit that I much prefer the original Marinemaster SBDX001 over the current version.

It is mostly due to the dial design. I simply prefer a dive watch with oversized indexes, and they make the classic Marinemaster look much better than the last two Marinemaster generations based on the 1968 Diver. That doesn’t mean I dislike the modern Marinemasters, though. I defended the previous-generation SLA079 against the Oris Aquis in a previous installment of our Sunday Morning Showdown series, and I would make the same choice again.

This is the best version of the 41mm Tudor Black Bay

While the Seiko Prospex Marinemaster HBF001 is still a great watch, to me, it is simply not the best from the series of Marinemaster models based on the 1968 Diver. This brings me to the Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome.” When that first came out, I was immediately convinced that it was the best of the series since the Black Bay’s introduction in 2012. More specifically, this is the best of the 41mm models. If there’s any watch that comes closest to a modern Tudor Submariner, this is it.

I had the pleasure of doing the hands-on review, and I was nothing short of impressed. Gone are the faux-vintage design elements that often define the Black Bay models. Those details often keep me from loving the different Black Bay models, which is why the burgundy-bezel version of the same watch wasn’t really for me. I reviewed that as well, but it has the gold-colored dial accents that make it feel like it is trying to look like something it is not. In that regard, this “Monochrome” version does a much better job.

The Tudor Black Bay is the perfect daily wearer

Most notably, this Tudor Black Bay beats the Seiko Marinemaster in the size department. The Black Bay has a 41mm stainless steel case with a 50mm lug-to-lug and a 13.6mm total thickness. While the Marinemaster has a slightly more compact 49mm lug-to-lug, it also has a 42.6mm diameter and 14.1mm profile. Sure, a 0.5mm increase in thickness is not enormous, but it’s enough to make a difference. Also, the Seiko’s 42.6mm diameter makes it a fairly big watch. Admittedly, I wouldn’t say it is too big for occasional wear, as my 18.5cm (7.3″) wrist can easily pull it off. But for daily wear, it is too big for me, and that is a key factor for me in today’s matchup. Which watch would I want to wear daily?

Adding to the daily comfort is the Master Chronometer Tudor MT5602-U. The automatic caliber operates at 28,800 vibrations per hour and offers a 70-hour power reserve. As it is certified as a Master Chronometer, the caliber offers superior accuracy of 0/+5 seconds per day, easily beating the Seiko 8L45.

Crucially, the Black Bay “Monochrome” also has an overall style and refinement that would easily make me want to wear it every day, while the Seiko Marinemaster would be one I’d wear occasionally. Both in size and presence, the latter is much more of a dive tool than a general daily wearer. While that might be a reason for some to pick the Seiko, it always leads me to the Tudor. Sometimes, things are easy to pinpoint, and in this case, the Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome” wins this battle for me.

Mike: Seiko Prospex Marinemaster HBF001

Yes, it’s another Sunday and time for another bout with my favorite foe, Jorg. This week, the hard-to-dislike Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome” takes on the latest Seiko Prospex Marinemaster. Folks, as a long-time Seiko collector, I’ve witnessed the nonstop begging from fans for a world-beating dive watch from the brand. Much like Tudor’s parent company, Rolex, the Japanese brand tweaks its wares slowly. Seiko is well known for making improvements, but these updates infamously often fall just short of what folks want. However, I’d argue that we, as watch nerds, are a very tough bunch to please.

Let’s forget the Tudor for a moment and keep our focus on the Marinemaster. Until the latest releases came more than a week ago, the reservations with the watches could be summed up in a relatively short list. People typically have concerns with the dimensions of a Seiko diver, at least until trying one on for size. Then, the brand’s bracelets have typically missed the mark in terms of bulkiness. Finally, and this was objectively the biggest bugaboo, the movements weren’t accurate enough.

Change has come, finally

The great news is that Seiko has finally responded with an 8L45 automatic movement that’s accurate to within +10/-5 seconds per day and has 72 hours of power reserve. Yes, that’s still a far cry from Tudor’s amazing 0/+5 seconds per day, but it’s a step in the right direction. Why can’t we have what we really want? The world may never know. Regarding the bracelet, Seiko finally gave us a toolless micro-adjustment feature that makes it more competitive. Here again, it is as smooth and slinky as the Tudor bracelet? Probably not, but we’re no longer rushing to remove it or saying we love the watch with a caveat.

Yes, we do love the new Marinemaster

And that’s truly the case; we really do love the new Marinemaster. It has a familiar shape that takes its inspiration from the late-’60s 6215-7000 and 6159-7001 divers. I think this is key to note because it’s an original design, whereas one could argue that the Tudor licenses its looks from a pricier relative. Then, Seiko throws some nice tech at the watch with a hardened steel case and bracelet. A ceramic bezel insert also keeps pace with the competition and one-ups the Tudor as far as durability. Then, Seiko’s Lumibrite is still the most torch-like material in the business. Light-sensitive sleepers should put this baby in the nightstand! Finally, the Seiko is a professional-grade dive watch with a 300m depth rating, whereas the Tudor makes do with 200m water resistance.

Seiko makes size nothing more than a number

There’s no doubt that the Marinemaster is larger than the Black Bay. However, while the Tudor lies flat, making me wish for the smaller 58, the Seiko masks its size by hugging the wrist. Being just half a millimeter thicker, it’s genuinely hard to tell the difference. If anything, the highly formed case sides on the Seiko give it a slimmer appearance than the slab-sided Tudor.

Classic looks

Regarding the Marinemaster and its appearance, this watch, like the Black Bay, trades heavily on its heritage. The Marinemaster has looked this way for decades, but it’s timeless. Bold, brushed hands work seamlessly with highly legible applied, luminous indexes. The bezel’s design is easy to read. Above all, this is a classic diver with no-nonsense looks that should never feel dated or out of sync. In my opinion, it’s less of a retro-looking watch than the Tudor, although I find that extremely attractive too.

Show me the money!

At €3,800, the Marinemaster HBF001 undercuts the Black Bay “Monochrome” by a healthy €1,020. While price is not the only differentiator in this battle, I do think it’s significant. The Tudor boasts a Master Chronometer certification and a more elegant bracelet, which helps explain the price gap. The question for you, our dear readers, is whether these attributes are enough to sway your vote toward the Tudor. Or, irrespective of these differences, would you choose the Seiko? Let us know your thoughts on these two classics by voting and leaving a comment about your choice.