Watches and Wonders: Tudor’s New Black Bay Models Add Functionality AND Luxury to the Collection

When Tudor originally launched the ubiquitously popular Black Bay steel dive watch in 2012, and its crowd-pleasing aesthetic/athletic form continues to undergo material and design tweaks, line extensions, and heritage-inspired iterations that have only served to increase the estimable appeal of the watch.

This year, at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, the Black Bay beat goes on.

The 2024 Black Bay stays true to the potent 41mm, black-and-white monochromatic classicism, METAS-tested reliability, and design detail snowflake-y goodness of its lineage, but sports a slightly slimmer profile.
 

So, the most obvious visual innovation attention-getter here goes to the new choice of a wonderfully slinky five-link steel bracelet to the standard “rivet-style” three-link steel bracelet and rubber strap options.

While the two extra links may be an expected evolution and even familiar in appearance to Tudor fans, the presentational gravitas of the new look is actually fairly dramatic. It serves as a “high five,” if you will, to add some pizzazz to the Black Bay’s 200m of water resistance and its manufacture calibre MT5602-U’s 70 hours of power reserve.
 

This year’s versions of the Black Bay list for $4,225 on the rubber strap, $4,425 on the three-link steel bracelet, and $4,550 on the new five-link steel bracelet.

The heritage-inspired 39mm Black Bay 58 (the “58” refers to the year Tudor’s legacy dive watch, the reference 7924 “Big Crown,” was introduced) receives an additional GMT-function hand to grace its inky black dial and stunning burgundy and black bezel this year.
 

Injecting a bit of jet-setting panache with a second time zone to the Black Bay story feels like a natural addition to this vintage-looking, rakish timepiece. Fortunately, getting one won’t break the bank.
 

Available for $4,400 on a rubber strap and $4,600 on the three-link steel bracelet, the new Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT is ready to serve as not only your wrist companion under the waves but also your stylish traveling companion in the air.

Part of the revived story of the Tudor brand centers around offerings that are universally appealing but also relatively accessible. Therefore, when an 18K gold model enters the story, well, price sensitivity flies like water flung out of a mining-for-gold pan.
 

Case in point, the new solid gold Black Bay 58 18K. While it may make a big impact on the eye, with a price tag of $32,100 it will definitely put a dent in your wallet. That isn’t to say this new piece isn’t worth every penny.

The muted, matte green dial and bezel just play so well with the satin-finished yellow gold case and three-link bracelet. Moreover, the golden bezel numerals and dial detailing kick in an additional dose of sophistication, marrying the rich green hue to the chunky metallic timepiece without taking away from the Black Bay 58’s inherent vintage and technical tool watch design DNA.
 

Finally, the Black Bay 58 18K sports an open caseback to provide a view of the new manufacture calibre MT5400 movement with a 70-hour power reserve.

To find out more about Tudor’s novelties, visit the brand’s website.

(Photography by Pierre Vogel)