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For years, two-tone watches were dismissed as a garish eighties fad – most watch enthusiasts saw the once-popular trend as too loud, too flashy. Over the past few years, however, bicolor editions have been staging a gradual comeback, and no timepieces prove it better than the S&G models from Tudor. The motto: stylish variety instead of gaudiness. S&G stands for Steel & Gold. With the new Black Bay Chrono S&G, the Geneva-based brand now aims to refresh the segment of rugged chronographs as well, betting on a surprisingly elegant blend of yellow gold and stainless steel.
From Fashion to Faux Pas: The History of Two-Tone Watches
Quirky, exotic, and in hindsight sometimes downright embarrassing: anyone who lived through the lifestyle and fashion trends of the eighties will probably never forget them. Yet it wasn't just carrot-cut pants and loud makeup that shaped the look of the streets in that memorable decade – extravagant watches did too.
If you wore one of those coveted combinations of stainless steel and gold, you were practically king. From Wall Street to Hollywood, two-tone timepieces became the number-one trend. By the turn of the millennium at the latest, however, nothing was left of this horological adventure. Quite the opposite: anyone who still dared to step outside with a two-tone Submariner or the famous Datejust Ref. 16013 needed a healthy dose of self-confidence.
The days of Dirty Dancing and Miami Vice were over for good, and with them the era of shiny bicolor models. Shiny is the key word here, as the glaring brightness of eighties yellow gold demonstrates. That excessive polish only hastened the rapid decline of these two-tone exotics.
"Steel & Gold" at Its Most Elegant
Perhaps that is precisely why Tudor opted for a decidedly dark shade of gold on the new Black Bay Chrono S&G: on this dive watch, priced at around €6,500, the precious metal comes across not as garish but as pleasant and harmonious. A good thing, too, since every element of the diver has been treated to this regal material – from the grippy "Big Crown," as Tudor fans call the crown, to the chronograph pushers and the black tachymeter scale, yellow gold with a bronze-toned touch dominates the entire look.
A practical plus of the case is its relatively compact 41 mm diameter, which keeps the Black Bay S&G well proportioned even on slimmer wrists. Two straps are included to support wearing comfort: while the solid metal bracelet with gold center links stands out as the clear favorite and is what makes the successful two-tone look possible in the first place, the black fabric strap feels a bit staid. A direct comparison makes it clear that without its metal bracelet, the Tudor S&G loses part of its character.
70-Hour Power Reserve: Convincing Mechanical Performance
Nowhere is that character more evident than on the dial. Here, Tudor has managed to refine the excellent contrast of the other Black Bay editions with appealing yellow gold details: not only the chronograph's 60-second and 45-minute counters, but also the outer minute track, the edges of the hour and minute hands, and the brand and chronometer lettering appear in this regal hue.
Rounded out by a clear but somewhat too conspicuous date display at six o'clock, the dial notes the 200-meter water resistance in red lettering. A respectable figure, but not an impressive one. More impressive than the S&G's robustness is its movement: the automatic caliber MT5813 delivers a well-above-average 70-hour power reserve.
Derived from Breitling's in-house B01 movement, it carries the same chronometer certification and adds an advanced silicon hairspring to its technical foundation from Grenchen.
It beats at 28,800 vibrations per hour, allowing the large chronograph hand to sweep smoothly. That hand features a red tip, which, combined with the domed and therefore magnifying sapphire crystal of the Black Bay Chrono S&G, ensures excellent legibility.
Tudor S&G: A Growing Family
Unveiled at Baselworld in 2019, this confident chronograph is far from the first member of the S&G family. Two years earlier, Rolex's sister brand had already ushered in a new era of two-tone editions with the Heritage Black Bay S&G – a bold move, but one that was largely well received. Unlike in the eighties, the designers of the bicolor versions were well aware of how polarizing steel-and-gold combinations can be: if you fail to strike the right balance between appealing fashion and timeless elegance, you embarrass yourself these days.
Accordingly, the Black Bay 41 S&G is just as appealing. Unlike the Chrono, it pairs the two-tone look with maximum simplicity – no complications, not even a date. In return, the diver scores with a visual refinement that most other dive watches lack.
From certain angles, it could easily pass for a dress watch. The same goes for the smaller 36 S&G, which brings the striking two-tone design to women's wrists and enjoys star-studded support: none other than American pop icon Lady Gaga promotes this luxurious masterpiece from Geneva.
To keep things fair, a famous brand ambassador also enters the race on the men's side – David Beckham. We can only vaguely speculate about how expensive this advertising strategy must have been. One thing is certain, though: two-tone watches are back and stand an excellent chance of a triumphant run in the years to come.
