I'm reviewing the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight and tell you about the top 5 things you should be aware of before buying this watch!
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1) The case size
With the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Tudor has introduced a classic diver with a 39mm diameter, a height of 11,9mm and a lug to lug width of 47,5mm, making the 58 the actual homage to the 7924 Oyster Prince Submariner!
This makes the Fifty-eight a perfect watch for smaller wrists, especially within the 150 to 180mm range BUT everyone with bigger wrists should definitely try on the watch in person as this could be the first diver that might look too small for you!
2) The durability
When looking at the BB58, we can see a beautiful, anodized matte black bezel, with a 60 minute warm-toned, rosegold graduation printed on it. On top sits a little pearl filled with superluminova on a bright red triangle for better legibility.
The grooves on the bezel are rather small making it feel a bit slippery when trying to turn it. So To twist the bezel I recommend pushing down with both fingers and then turning it instead of trying to grip its sides. I like that they added some type of locking mechanism at the 12 / 0 minute mark and also a 60-clicks- turning instead of the 120 we know from a lot of other divers which makes it easier to lock it into the standard position.
As I said, the bezel is anodized which means that it has to be made from aluminium in order to be anodized. And this is where you have to be a bit more careful compared to the often used ceramic bezels in modern divers: This bezel is way more prone to scratches. Those of you who prefer the ‘brand new’ look on their watches should either take very good care of their BB58 when wearing it or consider a different watch with a more robust material.
3) The 'incomplete' dial
Tudor continued its rosegold theme from the bezel onto the dial and gave us an overall very warm looking watch with the 58. The dial itself is matte black and when you look close enough, you can see that it is very finely grained.
The chapter ring imprinting as well as the hour markers and the lettering on the dial have the same exact rose gold color.
The seconds, minutes and hour hand are not made from solid gold (like for example in rolex watches) but are plated - depending on the light, the hands tend to look a little more yellow gold than the rest of the watch.
But Even though Tudor did absolutely amazing with all their dial parts, they missed a big opportunity in my opinion: Putting in a date!
3) The bracelet issue
First of all, you can get the BB58 in 3 different variations: With a full steel bracelet, with a leather strap or with a fabric strap.
The steel bracelet on the BB58 has a nice satin finish to it, consisting of 3 links with a little grove on the side of the outer links.On each link you find two little rivets attached to it - and I say attached because they are not actual holding anything together. Those rivets are just there for design purposes. Of course this is a matter of personal perference, but I have to admit that I find the whole idea of the rivets rather silly as they do not really serve a purpose other than making the watch look a bit rougher.
So in case you plan on buying the full steel version of the BB58, make sure to look at the bracelet in person to see if you like the design of it!
Additionally you should also consider the clasp on the BB58. It feels well made, and the satin finish looks very nice with the round edges of the clasp BUT there is one thing I am disappointed by. Even though the folding steel clasp has a safety catch there is no quick adjustment.
5) Not a crown
When was the last time you wanted something very specific but it was either too expensive, not available or you thought you wanted it but it was really not actually 100% what YOU wanted!? All of what I just said for some applies to the BlackBay58 and I am going to tell you why:
First of all, many see the BB58 as a good alternative to the more expensive and right now pretty much unavailable Rolex Submariner. Even though the BB58 and the Sub might seem quite similar on the first look but when you look at both for more than 5 seconds you can clearly tell that these two divers are completely different. The Sub is extremely cool toned with its stark contrast between the silver, white and black colors compared to the 58, the case is chunkier and the bezel with its edge is more prominent.
The two differ also in terms of their perception and the overall - lets say - character of the watch. Because lets be real: Nowadays wearing a Sub isn’t always perceived in a good way. The Sub has become sort of the embodiment of flex culture in terms of watches but the BlackBay 58 appears to be the antidote to it. An equally high- quality diver with amazing proportions without all the negative connotations that come with the Rolex.