The Evolution of the Tudor Black Bay Takes a Surprising Turn by Stephen Watson

A relaunch in celebration of 50 years of Tudor chronographs, two new Black Bay models feature the latest technology while showcasing exceptional attention to historical design details. Contrasting black and white dial designs look back to Tudor’s early days, with a 41 mm brushed and satin-finished stainless steel case, black tachymeter scale on the bezel, and terrific vintage-style pushers and crown. The recessed subdials indicate seconds on the left and a 45 minute counter on the right at three with a small date window at six. The hallmark snowflake hands reference Tudor’s Black Bay divers watches introduced in 1969, now made luminescent with Swiss Super-LumiNova. Inside, you’ll find the COSC certified self-winding Manufacture Calibre MT5813 with silicon balance spring, a 70-hour power reserve, and column wheel with vertical clutch, a powerhouse movement for the money. Optional steel bracelet, black fabric, or black leather strap with removable bund provides a genuine vintage appeal and cool versatility.

Tudor’s Black Bay’s level of success seems to increase exponentially with the launch of each new edition. The blue variant introduced in 2020 was a runaway success, so where does Tudor go next? Let’s start with the name. Fifty-Eight refers to 1958, the year Tudor’s first diver (ref.7924 a.k.a. “Big Crown”) was introduced, and, of course, 18K acknowledges the astonishing 39 mm solid yellow gold case, a first for a Tudor dive watch. Another first, a see-through exhibition case back, reveals the Manufacture Calibre MT5400, a COSC certified chronometer with a remarkable 70-hour power reserve. Yellow gold snowflake hands make a traditional Black Bay appearance, contrasting beautifully with matte “golden-green” dial and bezel. Two optional straps switch up the look, a matching green alligator strap and green fabric with golden stripe. Where does Tudor go from here? The answer is clearly, up.

Another surprise from Tudor in the Fifty-Eight collection is the release of the 925, a Black Bay Fifty-Eight reinterpreted in 925 sterling silver. Historical Black Bay details abound, the 39 mm case, the snowflake hands, the 200 meters (660 ft) water resistance. Like the gold version, 925 silver is used here for the first time in a Tudor dive watch, along with the see-through exhibition case back, another first for the brand. A matte taupe bezel and dial combine beautifully with the icy silver, especially when paired with a brown-grained leather strap or optional taupe fabric strap with a silver stripe.

CREDIT: Stephen Watson serves as an authority within the US watch industry. He was most recently the Editor in Chief of Revolution following his post as the Editor in Chief of Watch Journal and Executive Editor of Surface Magazine. Stephen Watson is a GPHG academy member.