The Tudor Black Bay 58 – The only watch we need? | VARIO

We, the true nerds and watch fans, always have tons of requests/complaints to any watch brand, the date is in the wrong place, is too big, is too thick, the bracelet is not up t the task, but then sometimes, sometimes they will listen to our prayers, and we finally get what we want. Tudor created the Black Bay line a while ago and started with a 41mm case, a thinner version with an ETA movement, people couldn’t believe how good looking this new offer was, then they jumped into in house movements, adding thickness and creating a bit of controversy, but then, some years after, they decided to reduce the size and started that Tudor Hype we all know and dislike. This was the first time I’ve seen people on waiting lists for a Tudor, yes, the GMT version was incredible but the BB58 hype was out of this world, why? It had everything that we wanted: a no date vintage inspired watch with an in-house movement under 3K GBP retail, I can imagine the faces of the executives at Omega, Breitling and Longines thinking: ‘’how on earth are we going to sell our divers? ‘’. Then something strange happened, people started to sell it, there was a huge margin to be made, but the big question is why would you sell a perfect watch? it fits like nothing, it looks vintage with a twist, its reliable and from the Rolex family, so, are we missing something? just like everyone else, I had to buy one and to be a complete rebel, I went for the blue.

Tudor BB58 with Vario Italian leather watch strap

The specifications

The Tudor Black Bay GMT is a beauty, with a 39mm case and a lug to lug of 47.5mm you can really say it has the golden ratio of watches. The snowflake hands are incredible and the monochromatic scheme (at least on the blue model) is perfection. The watch unlike the other offerings from the catalogue is very thin at 11.9 mm, this means you can wear it on a Nato, strap or the bracelet that comes with, it’s a chameleon. The watch has the in-house caliber MT5402 which is COSC certified and lives up to the task. I’ve been very lucky to use many divers in my time and I have to say this is the one that fits the best, the submariner is too big, the Seamaster is too shiny and the Superocean feels a bit overpriced, the Tudor Black Bay 58 feels just right, price, specs and looks.

On the wrist

Nothing but praises on this paragraph, the shade of blue makes the watch look sporty but elegant, is legible and easy to pull, I’ve been wearing on several different Nato Straps from Vario, but it can really be worn with anything you want, leather, rubber, you name it. The watch also has lovely details like the oversize crown with a rose motif, a lume that can only be matched but not surpassed by Seiko models and a water resistance of 200 meters, I suspect it can go further but we will never find out. Tudor also did a great Job with the sapphire crystal, it distorts the edges, but it allows you to see with clarity thanks to the AR coating, by avoiding a date aperture on the dial, the BB58 feels more focused, easy to wear and quite a charmer.

Tudor BB58 with Vario Twill Nato watch strap

Conclusions

I am still not sure why people were selling this watch; it is true that the hype was big, and they were hard to get but now they are really coming down in prices so there is a good chance that you might be able to get one on the secondary market under retail. To me and to everyone who appreciates what Tudor is and how their watches are made, it’s a great opportunity to add a true icon to your collection without breaking the bank, yes it might not have the snowflake markers like everyone is asking for, but I think is a perfect evolution of the Tudor Submariner, and in blue, it just looks as classic as a Speedmaster or a Rolex Submariner, believe me is that good. It odd to say that the Tudor BB58 is a hidden gem but it is true, there is a lot of them out there but to be hones there is nothing quite like it.

Written by Robbie from Robbie & Watches

Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the author and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated.

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