Tudor dresses up the Black Bay collection in new materials

Gold

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K

THE Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K is no doubt a special watch - it's the first time the Rolex stablemate is presenting a diver in precious metal and with an open caseback. And why not?

A hit right from the start, the Black Bay has undergone all sorts of makeovers over the past decade in terms of case sizes and material used, so finding one with the perfect fit and look shouldn't be too difficult.

But it wasn't until 2021 when Tudor pulled out all the stops with this 18 ct yellow-gold model.

The Black Bay Fifty-Eight needs little introduction but just in case you haven't heard, it's the slightly smaller version of the original Black Bay Heritage which measured 41 mm.

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Its 39 mm case size not only hits the sweet spot for those with slimmer wrists, but the dimension is also faithful to the original Tudor Big Crown Submariner Ref 7924 from 1958 which the Black Bay Fifty-Eight collection takes inspiration from.

Despite being a gold watch, the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K is pretty low-key and features a satin-finish for a matte effect.

Matched with the green dial and bezel, the watch exudes an old school vibe and should be a hit with those who love vintage watches.

The "snowflake" hands, one of the signatures of Tudor Divers watches introduced in 1969, round off the retro aesthetics.

Two straps are included - a green Jacquard fabric one with gold band for a sporty, casual look; as well as a brown alligator one for dressier occasions.

But the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K doesn't just look good. It movement, the manufacture calibre MT5400 is certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC), but its performance actually goes beyond the standards set by the latter.

And it's there to be marvelled in its full glory - down to the detailed finishing - through the open caseback.

Price: S$23,140

Silver

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925

SILVER is a watch material you don't see very often so jaws dropped when Tudor decided to launch a version of its Black Bay Fifty-Eight in that. Like its gold counterpart in gold, this is the first time Tudor is dabbling in this particular precious metal for the divers' watch.

Both watches not only share the same 39 mm case size, but also a similar matte satin finish so the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 looks different from steel and isn't as bling as one would imagine it to look.

The actual composition of the alloy is top secret but Tudor says it won't tarnish. To complement the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925's silver case, the watch features a frosted taupe minimalist monochromatic look.

The result is a very unusual looking diver that is best admired in real life because the pictures only tell half the story.

It comes with a choice of 2 straps: taupe Jacquard fabric with silver band to match the overall colour palette of the watch or brown grain leather for a bit of contrast. The fabric strap incidentally has become one of the hallmarks of Tudor when it became one of the first watch products in 2010.

They are woven in France on 19th century Jacquard looms by the Julien Faure company in the St-Etienne region.

The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 also has an open caseback that shows off the watch's COSC-certified manufacture calibre MT5400, which has 70 hours of power reserve.

Price: S$5,960

Bronze

Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze

TUDOR has released versions of the Black Bay in bronze before in bigger case size of 43 mm, but the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze marks the first time it is doing it not only in a smaller 39 mm dimension, but also with a full bronze bracelet.

Brand new and out of the box, it has a rich brown-like hue that almost sparkles like gold in the light, but don't expect that to last because bronze is a "living" metal.

Depending on how the watch is worn and its interaction with the atmosphere, the shade will change and patina will form over time. The aluminium bronze alloy Tudor uses is a high performance one which requires a high level of craftsmanship to work with.

It is produced in bars then cut into slugs, small cylinders of material a few centimetres in length.

The slugs are then heated to a high temperature before being stamped individually while hot using a friction screw press that applies a pressure of many tonnes so it instantly adopts the rough form of the watch middle case.

Things don't end here and no fewer than 40 additional steps undertaken by both man and machine are required to obtain the finished bronze case.

The assembly and final tests are carried out with meticulous care and according to a specific workflow because bronze can quickly change appearance when exposed to the environment. For a retro look, the new bronze bracelet has the same riveted look of Tudor bracelets from the 1950s and 60s and there is also a tool-free rapid adjustment system that allows you to get a perfect fit.

An additional "bronze-brown" Jacquard fabric strap is included and this boutique exclusive is also powered by the manufacture calibre MT5400.

Price: S$6,240

Ceramic

Tudor Black Bay Ceramic

THE Tudor Black Bay Ceramic might look all stealthy and dark as night but what is clear as daylight is its technical prowess.

It has undergone a series of rigorous tests and has passed all with flying colours for the manufacture calibre MT5602-1U to achieve a Master Chronometer certification from Metas. The standards are incredibly high and covers precision, resistance to magnetic fields, waterproofness and power reserve.

To qualify, it must function within a 5-second range of variation each day (0 +5) - 5 seconds less than the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) (-4 +6) and a second less than Tudor's internal standard, which applies to all the brand's Manufacture Calibre (-2 +4). Not only that, the level of precision has to be maintained at 2 temperatures, in 6 different positions and at 2 levels of power reserve (100 per cent and 33 per cent).

The watch must also be able to withstand exposure to magnetic field of 15,000 gauss and be waterproof to 200 m (660 ft) in accordance with ISO standard 22810:2010.

Power reserve is also set at 70 hours.

It's a truly extraordinary watch despite its discrete almost all-black aesthetic.

The matte black monobloc ceramic case is as tough and high tech as the movement, and the mix of sand-blasted, mirror-polished and sunray-satin finishes combine and contrast with each other to give this timepiece a tough and sporty look. Turn it around and the open caseback will reveal the Manufacture Calibre MT5602-1U - finished and decorated in black to keep with the overall dark theme.

Naturally, a special watch like this deserves its own strap and the one found here is made in a hybrid black leather and rubber combination with a "Snowflake" motif on the inside and folding clasp. A complimentary black fabric strap with cream band is also included.

Price: S$6,510