As Baselworld 2017 opened, all eyes – as ever – were on Rolex and Tudor. You can read our expert analysis on every watch released by Rolex here; now we’re looking with the same critical eye at everything that’s new from Tudor in 2017
By James Dowling

Tudor introduced several new watches, but none of them were as much a surprise as the announcement that the new Tudor Heritage Black Bay Chronograph was to be powered by a movement made by Breitling. Just as the Home Plate and Monte Carlo watches of yesteryear were powered by Valjoux movements, Tudor has never made a chronograph movement of its own, merely bought them in and signed them. But not now: the new movement is thoroughly 21st century Tudor, with a silicon balance spring, aerodynamic balance wheel & Tudor’s own escapement all fitted to the base of Breitling’s B01 in-house chronograph calibre.  
But it isn’t just that Tudor is buying some movements from Breitling. In a quid pro quo, Tudor is supplying Breitling with versions of its own in-house MT 50- series automatic calibre for Breitling’s 3 hand watches. It’s a perfect swap, on the face of it – each brand has an in-house movement that answers a need of the other. As the MT 50 is already chronometer certified, it is perfect for Breitling, who proudly claim that all their watches are certified by the COSC, a claim only made by one other Swiss firm, Tudor’s older sibling...