Top 3 Sport-Tool Watches of 2023

Tudor Black Bay 54

Tudor unveiled the BB54 in March this year. Similar to the 39mm BB58, but in a smaller 37mm size and with a cleaner-cut overall design. Unlike the other Black Bay models, the 54 has no graduation marks on the bezel between 12 and 3 and lacks the red accent arrow at 12 o’clock on the bezel. This makes for an even more wearable and under-the-radar dive watch than the already versatile Black Bay Heritage and 58.

Rolex Yacht-Master 42 In RLX Titanium

While we at Tool Watch Project had waited with baited breath for a fully titanium Rolex, the new Yacht-Master didn’t seem to garner much more than a few articles in the watch world after its release this year. Perhaps some fans lament the characteristic Rolex heft, absent in this watch due to the lightweight titanium; or perhaps it’s no longer an exciting material like it once was. We, however, love the new titanium Yacht-master - the clean, cold colour combined with the utility of titanium and its large lume plots surely make it an instant classic. Seeing a prototype over the neoprene cuff of olympic competitive sailer Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie solidified it as a sports-tool watch classic.

Rolex Daytona ‘Le Mans’ 100th Anniversary

This is perhaps the closest Rolex has come to a heritage-inspired model. The Les Mans 100th Anniversary takes the panda sub-dials and red accents from the so-called ‘Big Red’ reference 6263 from the 70’s and the sub-dial’s markers allude to the Singer dial of a Paul Newman. This, housed in a white gold case reminds me of John Goldberger’s controversial uber-rare white gold reference 6265 which sold at a Phillips auction a few years back. This watch isn’t just a whim - Rolex apparently advertised the Daytona under the name ‘Le Mans’ before ‘Daytona’ in print media. Un overlooked detail of the Le Mans Daytona is the 24hr sub-register, meaning the Le Man’s 24hr race can be timed using the watch (the other Daytona models usually only time 12 hours).