TUDOR Northflag Returns With A New GMT Chapter

A new generation of the iconic Northflag combines its adventurous heritage with an integrated GMT function, a Manufacture movement and METAS Master Chronometer certification.

The TUDOR Northflag is back. Almost as if rediscovered frozen in ice, the new generation of the model continues the spirit of the pioneers and adventurers that helped establish TUDOR’s reputation for robust tool watches, while introducing a significantly more contemporary technical package.

At the centre of the new Northflag is the Manufacture Calibre MT5652-U, an automatic movement integrating a GMT function and certified both by COSC and METAS as a Master Chronometer. The watch combines this movement with a 40mm 316L stainless steel case, an integrated bracelet and the distinctive black dial that has become part of the Northflag identity.

A Legacy Born In The Ice

The Northflag’s story is closely connected to one of the most demanding environments on Earth. During the 1950s, TUDOR watches were worn by members of the British North Greenland Expedition while working on the Greenland ice sheet for two long and extremely cold years.

That experience helped cement the reputation of TUDOR watches as “bullet-proof” tool watches. The new Northflag carries that legacy forward, now adding a GMT function that gives the watch a new dimension of practicality.

This is particularly relevant to the extreme conditions associated with polar regions, where the polar night and midnight sun can create months of darkness, twilight or continuous daylight. The 24-hour display provides an additional way of reading time in such environments.

A Familiar Design, Reworked

The second-generation Northflag retains the general lines and distinctive design elements associated with the model that inspired its original design: the 1973 Ranger II.

The integrated bracelet remains one of its defining characteristics, while the black dial retains the bold and highly legible personality of the original concept. The large hour markers have now been rendered in monobloc luminous ceramic, while the dial incorporates a 24-hour graduated rehaut angled at 45 degrees.

The hands reinforce the Northflag’s visual identity. Arrow-shaped 24-hour and hour hands are joined by an angular seconds hand and baton-shaped minute hand, creating a design that feels both functional and unmistakably distinctive.

The “Northflag” hands and hour markers use Grade A Swiss Super-LumiNova, while the dial includes a date display at 3 o’clock.

Integrated Into The Bracelet

The 316L stainless steel bracelet is not simply an accessory attached to the case. Its two-link construction is integrated directly into the design of the watch and combines satin-brushed and polished surfaces.

The bracelet also incorporates TUDOR’s T-fit rapid adjustment clasp. Five positions provide an adjustment window of up to 8mm, while ceramic ball bearings are used within the adjustment mechanism.

The case itself measures 40mm in diameter and 12.7mm in thickness, with a 48.8mm lug-to-lug measurement. Its surfaces alternate between different satin-brushed finishes and polished chamfers, giving the otherwise utilitarian case a more refined character.

The fixed 316L stainless steel bezel follows the same combination of brushed and polished finishes. A subtly conical, matte-finished screw-down winding crown completes the side of the case.

At the back, the Northflag features an open caseback with a slightly domed sapphire crystal, revealing the Manufacture movement.

The Manufacture Calibre MT5652-U

The technical heart of the new Northflag is the Manufacture Calibre MT5652-U. Rather than relying on an additional module, its architecture integrates the GMT function directly into the movement.

The automatic calibre displays hours, minutes, seconds, date and a central 24-hour GMT hand. The date changes instantaneously at 3 o’clock and can be rapidly adjusted without a non-correction period.

Inside, the movement features a variable-inertia balance wheel secured by a traversing bridge with two-point anchoring, together with a non-magnetic silicon balance spring.

The bidirectional rotor is made from tungsten and features an openworked design with radial laser grooving and sandblasted details. The bridges and mainplate combine sandblasted and polished surfaces with laser decoration.

The movement operates at 28,800 beats per hour, or 4Hz, and provides a 65-hour power reserve.

Master Chronometer Certification

The Northflag goes beyond COSC certification with METAS Master Chronometer certification.

The certification covers several key areas of performance, including precision, resistance to magnetic fields, waterproofness and power reserve. The movement is tested at two temperatures, in six positions and at two different levels of power reserve.

The watch is also tested against magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss and is certified waterproof to 100 metres. Its 65-hour power reserve is likewise part of the certification.

In terms of precision, TUDOR specifies an internal standard of -2/+4 seconds per day for fully assembled watches, while the METAS Master Chronometer certification requires a performance of 0/+5 seconds per day.

Built At The TUDOR Manufacture

The movement is produced within TUDOR’s Manufacture infrastructure in Le Locle, Switzerland. The facility was completed in 2021 after three years of construction and covers 5,500 square metres across four levels.

The Manufacture brings together the development and production of TUDOR watches and movements, while being connected to Kenissi.

A Northflag For A New Generation

The new TUDOR Northflag takes one of the brand’s most distinctive modern designs and gives it a new technical purpose.

Its combination of a 40mm steel case, integrated bracelet, black ceramic-luminous dial, GMT display and Master Chronometer-certified Manufacture movement creates a watch that remains connected to the adventurous origins of the Northflag while moving the concept firmly into a new generation.

The result is a Northflag that is recognisable at a glance, but technically very different from the watch that first appeared in 2015.

Technical Specifications

For more information, visit the official TUDOR website.

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