At this year’s Watches and Wonder Event, Tudor dropped five new models, including New Black Bay, New Black Bay 54, New Black Bay 31/36/39/41, New Black Bay GMT and lastly, the New Tudor Royal. However, today we will be diving into the New Black Bay 54 as compared to the Black Bay 58.
In recent years, Tudor has achieved incredible success by reviving its historic models and drawing inspiration from its sister brand, Rolex. One of the most notable examples is the Black Bay collection, which began in 2012 with the original Black Bay, a modern 41mm dive watch that creatively incorporated design elements from vintage Tudor and Rolex Submariners. The collection’s success continued in 2018 with the Black Bay 58, a retro 39mm watch modeled after the Tudor Submariner of 1958. Tudor has once again surpassed expectations with its latest addition to the Black Bay line, the Black Bay 54. This remarkable timepiece pays homage to Tudor’s original dive watch, the 7922 from 1954, and comes in a sleek 37mm size which is somewhat small for a dive watch these days. Despite the smaller size, this watch is equipped with an authentic unidirectional aluminum bezel and water-resistant to 200 meters.
While the Black Bay 54 and Black Bay 58 share a sub-40mm size, there are noticeable differences upon closer inspection. The Black Bay 54 is slightly smaller by two millimeters and has a more vintage-inspired design on its crown and bezel.
One of the most significant design changes on the Black Bay 54 is the aluminum bezel insert. It no longer features gilt details, minute markers, or a red triangle at 12 o’clock, all of which were present on the Black Bay 58. This alteration was made to align the Black Bay 54’s design more closely with the 1954 reference 7922, which served as its primary inspiration. Removing these details from the bezel insert gives the Black Bay 54 a cleaner and more minimalist look that complements its vintage aesthetic.
The Tudor Black Bay 54 is powered by the in-house calibre MT5400 movement, which boasts a smooth 4Hz sweep, 70-hour power reserve, and COSC certification for Chronometer standards of accuracy. It comes with a stainless-steel bracelet in Tudor’s vintage riveted style, but the modern T-fit clasp offers eight points of sliding micro-adjustment. For those who prefer a more casual look, the Black Bay 54 is also available with a rubber strap and fitted steel end links. The watch’s comfortable size and versatile strap options make it a standout in Tudor’s impressive lineup of watches.
The Black Bay 54 retails for $3,850 on the bracelet — which is $100 cheaper than the Black Bay 58 — and $3,625 on the rubber strap.