Tudor black bay fifty eight18k 1

Tudor opens Black Bay case backs for the first time

A golden edition of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight hits a new price point for Tudor at over £12,000.

The headline-grabbing piece from this week’s Tudor presentation is an olive green dialled Black Bay Fifty-Eight, in 18ct yellow gold with an open case back — the first time Rolex’s stablemate has exposed its movement for a diver’s watch.

If Tudor watches are elevated to the level of getting nicknames from collectors, the colour combination will make this the Harrods Black Bay [editor’s note: there is already an official Harrods Black Bay].

Tudor must be proud of the finish on its Manufacture Calibre MT5400, because it is also used in a taupe coloured dial Black Bay Fifty-Eight in a 925 silver case; again with a sapphire crystal back.

Both the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K and the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 come in a 39mm cases.

The COSC-certified calibre MT5400 with a silicon hairspring has a 70-hour power reserve.

Its rotor in tungsten monobloc is openwork and satin-brushed with sand-blasted details, and its bridges and main plate have alternate sand-blasted, polished surfaces and laser decorations.

Tudor black bay fifty eight18k 2

Tudor is so confident in its quality control that it now offers a 5-year guarantee and reckons these new watches will not need their first service for a decade.

 

The gold and green Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K sets a new retail price point for Tudor at £12,610. That is probably more expensive than half the watches Rolex sells every year, although an all-gold Submariner does cost around £30,000, but you get an 18ct gold bracelet for that. Tudor’s gold watch comes with a dark brown alligator strap with an additional green fabric strap.

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Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight 925.

The Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 is £3,230, a more typical price for Tudor.

Silver is rarely used these days for watch cases, probably because it tarnishes so quickly.

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Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight 925.

Tudor says its 925 silver — a first for a divers’ watch from the brand — will not darken and has “an unexpected incandescent brilliance on the wrist”.

The watch’s taupe coloured dial and matching bezel insert are designed to work with the silver case, as is the grey fabric strap that is included along with a leather strap.

Black Bay Chrono

Tudor black bay chrono 1

Tudor also added five new references to its Chrono family, all variations of a 41mm steel watch with a black aluminium tachymetric bezel.

Tudor is offering the watch on a black fabric strap, an aged leather strap with with removable bund, or a steel bracelet.

There are matt black or opaline coloured dials with contrasting subdials for small seconds and a 45 minute chronograph counter.

The manufacture chronograph Calibre MT5813, with a silicon balance sprint and 70 hour power reserve also has a date function appearing at 6 o’clock on the dial.

It is on sale now for £3,660 or £3,900 on the steel bracelet.

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