Sunday Morning Showdown: Longines Hydroconquest Vs. Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome”

Good morning and welcome to another Sunday Morning Showdown. Grab yourself a nice cup of coffee and take a seat for a battle between two very popular divers. Last week, it was a fight between two Swatch group divers; this week, we pit Longines against Tudor. Both the updated Hydroconquest and the Black Bay “Monochrome” are vintage-inspired divers with a fairly modern appearance, as they lack any gilt or faux-patina. The Tudor is quite a bit more expensive, though, so let’s see if its features can offset the price difference.

The new Longines Hydroconquest, introduced in March, costs €2,200 with the stainless steel H-link bracelet, while the Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome” retails for €4,900 with the comparable three-link bracelet. That means the Tudor is more than twice as expensive as the Longines. Daan will defend the Longines, and Jorg will do the same for the Tudor. But before we get into the details, let’s take a look at last week’s Showdown results.

Last week, on Sunday Morning Showdown…

Last week, as said, it was a battle between two Swatch Group divers. The new Hamilton Khaki Scuba Auto took on the new Mido Ocean Star 200. The Hamilton Khaki Scuba charmed some of you with its more daring colorways and the wave-pattern on the dial. However, the Ocean Star 200 took home the grand prize with 65% of the votes. You appreciated its more purposeful aesthetics and more functional dive specifications. It won by quite a landslide, so we’ll have to make sure to get our hands on the new Mido Ocean Star 200 as soon as possible, to see whether it impresses us just as much in person as it does on paper.

Daan: Longines Hydroconquest

Good morning to you all, and Jorg in particular, of course. Let me start by saying that Tudor’s Black Bay collection is much more present in my mind than Longines’s Hydroconquest collection. However, what Longines offers at this price point, especially compared to the much more expensive Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome,” is impressive and renewed my appreciation for the Hydroconquest.

Impressive specs for the price

So, what does Longines offer with the updated Hydroconquest then? Well, a stainless steel diver in either 39 or 42mm and with a water resistance of 300 meters. It features Longines’ L888.2 automatic movement with a 72-hour power reserve and magnetic resistance. The updated Hydroconquest also comes with a new dial design, without those quirky, oversized Arabic numerals at 6, 9, and 12. Finally, it kept its ceramic bezel insert and the heavily engraved case back.

The Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome”, by comparison, comes in only one 41mm size and one color, and again, it’s more than twice the price of the Longines. However, when you look at its specs, you start wondering why. It’s less water-resistant at 200 meters and comes with an aluminum bezel insert instead of a ceramic one.

The one area where the Tudor might stand out in terms of specs is its movement. Like the Longines, it comes with an in-house movement. The automatic MT5601-U has a 70-hour power reserve and is also resistant to magnetic fields. So, up to now, it’s quite comparable to the Longines. However, Tudor’s movement is both COSC and METAS-certified and thus comes with Master Chronometer status.

So yes, the Tudor runs more accurately, at 0 to +5 seconds per day, while the Longines is officially rated at -5 to +15 seconds per day. But would you really pay €2,700 more for that difference? It’s not like the movement in the Longines can’t be regulated.

It’s not all about specs

Of course, when comparing watches, it’s not all about the specs. You also want your watch to look good on your wrist. I’d almost say: of course, the Tudor looks good on your wrist. Ever since the Black Bay collection was introduced, it’s been a hit. The Black Bay “Monochrome” features the same classic diver’s layout with circular, elongated, and triangular markers, the signature snowflake hands, and the typical dive bezel. It just works and looks great. If only they could take the faux rivets off the three-link bracelet.

The Hydroconquest also has a combination of circular, elongated, and triangular indexes; it just orders them differently. The layout feels a bit weird at first, but you get used to it over time. A round date window could’ve been nice opposite the other cardinal markers, but still, the dial looks good. I also like the font used on the ceramic bezel insert. So, in the end, these watches don’t even look that different.

The all-black, black and gray, and turquoise Commonwealth Games versions are missing

The great thing about the Longines, though, is that you can get both the 39 and the 42mm versions in seven different color options. If you want to do the same with the Tudor, you have to switch sizes to either the 43mm Black Bay 68, the 39mm Black Bay 58, or even the 37mm Black Bay 54.

Is it really worth it?

Sure, the Longines’ finishing might be a little less refined than the Tudor’s, which features sharply polished bevels and more significant brushing. But again, is that really worth the extra €2,700? Both these watches feature bracelets with on-the-fly micro-adjustment, perfectly functioning dive bezels, and screw-down crowns. And did I already mention the Hydroconquest has blue lume on both the minute hand and the lume pip for quicker reading in darker situations, which the Black Bay lacks?

The 42mm model on my 18cm wrist

I don’t know about you, Jorg, but I think I’d go for the Longines Hydroconquest in one of the funky two-color versions and buy another great watch with the cash I saved by not buying the Tudor Black Bay. But I’m happy to hear why you’d go for the Tudor.

Jorg: Tudor Black Bay “Monochrome”

Thanks, Daan, and a good morning to you too! And thanks for pointing out what makes the new Longines Hydroconquest such a great series. I agree that it is an impressive update that immediately packed a punch. Of the two sizes, the 39mm is the one to have, as the 42mm is simply too big for many people. Even on my 18.5cm wrist, the 42mm looks big. As Thomas explained, the 39mm is the sweet spot because it wears like a 40-41mm watch thanks to its modern, beefy case profile. That’s why it is the perfect contestant to go up against the 41mm Tudor Black Monochrome despite the 2mm diameter difference.

Let me first give Longines a compliment for the well-executed redesign of the Hydroconquest, drawing inspiration from the brand’s classic Admiral diver from the 1990s. It’s a look we already know, as Longines also used it for the current Hydroconquest GMT. It’s a watch I like quite a bit, so seeing that same style applied to the regular diver is both logical and a great step forward from the previous design. Add the friendly price tag of €2,200, and it is hard to beat.

What makes the Tudor Black Bay Monochrome objectively better?

So why would I choose the Tudor instead and pay more than double the money? Well, it is part specs and quality and part emotion. In regard to quality, all it takes is holding and wearing the two watches. Tudor truly is a step up in build quality and tolerances. On top of that, you’ve already explained that the caliber of the Black Bay is superior to the Hydroconquest’s movement. As most of our readers will know, Tudor has taken significant steps in the last few years to up the quality of its caliber with Kenissi. As a result, an increasing number of Tudor models come equipped with movements that are nothing short of impressive in terms of specs. The brand has raised the bar in terms of precision, and you simply cannot find another brand that has pushed the limits like Tudor did at the same price point. Even if that price point has shifted upwards.

It makes me wonder why Longines hasn’t equipped its Hydroconquest with at least a COSC-certified caliber. The brand does that with some of its other offerings, like the Zulu Time GMT. Why did the brand not do the same for its flagship diver? It would have been a logical step because it ups the specs, increases desirability among watch fans, and gives the brand the opportunity to raise the price. My best guess is the mass appeal of a dive watch under €2,5K by a heritage brand like Longines. If you move upmarket, you risk losing the commercial potential of a large audience of watch buyers who are not dedicated fans or collectors…

Why I have a stronger emotional connection to the Tudor Black Bay Monochrome

…And that is where the emotion comes in. What am I buying when I buy a Longines Hydroconquest? This is the third generation of Hydroconquest, a series first introduced in 2007. At that time, it was a new series of divers loosely connected to the brand’s Conquest name, which dates back to 1954, and it featured a water-resistant case that also protected the movement from magnetic fields and shocks. But unlike Omega’s Seamaster series, which historically grew into the brand’s dedicated series of dive watches, the Conquest wasn’t that for Longines. That’s why the Hydro was added to the Conquest name. As a result, it feels like a construct. Add a design that was inspired by the Admiral divers from the nineties, and you can question where the romance is.

With Tudor, that romance is directly traceable to the brand’s dive watch roots. Those roots are obviously built on the back of its bigger brother, Rolex. While cynics are always ready to point out that connection as a weakness, I think recent history has shown that Tudor has plenty of history to connect to watch enthusiasts, including myself. I love what Tudor has done with the Black Bay line, and it directly inspired me to read more about the brand’s rich diving history. It’s a colorful story shaped by the Tudor Submariners that inspired the current Black Bay lineup. As a result, you can trace back the roots of the Black Bay Monochrome to the first Tudor Submariners from the 1950s.

The current Black Bay is the modern Tudor Submariner

I think the Tudor Submariner is a great classic. More specifically, the Subs tied to the Marine Nationale that feature the signature Snowflake design are among my absolute favorites. That’s where Tudor found its signature style that we know and love today. Having said that, I do love old Submariners that use the classic Submariner design. It’s hard not to love a design that has become the blueprint for modern dive watches. It’s also why many watch enthusiasts love to see a modern Tudor Submariner. I was one of them, and I felt the Black Bay never really delivered that until the Monochrome was unveiled.

As I explained in my review of the Black Bay Monochrome, my biggest gripe with the Black Bay line has always been the injection of vintage cues. While the Black Bay 54 was a great step in the right direction, the Black Bay Monochrome loses all the fauxtina and gilded mimicking. As a result, it truly is a modern version of the classic Submariner, which is why I love it. If you want the charm of a classic Tudor Submariner combined with an impressive set of modern specs, this is your pick.

Which brings me to why I would cough up twice the money to buy the Tudor instead of the Longines. For me, buying a watch is not defined by numbers. So I don’t think about buying two watches for €4,900 instead of the Black Black Bay Monochrome. I want a watch I love for its looks and history, and that I will connect with emotionally. That’s why my pick in this week’s battle is the more expensive Tudor Black Bay Monochrome.

Time to cast your vote

There you have it, another Sunday Morning Showdown. Which watch would you pick as your favorite daily diver? Would you go for the modern Longines Hydroconquest or the vintage-inspired Tudor Black Bay Monochrome? It’s time to cast your vote below, and don’t forget to tell us why you voted the way you did in the comments below.