The New Tudor Black Bay 54, Small Or Perfect?
Yesterday, Tudor announced their novelties for Watches & Wonders 2023. One of them being something nobody expected. A revised Black Bay 5... Nope! Not a 58 but a 54.
Tudor Black Bay 54 in a new retro 37mm size
When I handled my Black Bay 58 for first time, it was truly a huge improvement compared to the Black Bay 41 in terms of overall wearability from 41mm to 39mm case. A huge factor was also shorter lugs. And so I thought how else would Tudor refine an already appealing vintage inspired dive watch from the past that's so dearly loved by the watch community?
And so Tudor kicked off Watches and Wonders 2023 in style by making the Black Bay line ever more attractive with the newest offering - the 54.
Why is this so special? Rolex and Tudor are sister companies that have a rich history & heritage with many models that are sought after by collectors all over the world. Very rarely you will see a brand go to re-issue a watch based on a model that is quite rare like the model it is based on - the Tudor Submariner ref 7922.
Tudor Submariner 7922, courtesy of https://www.ap-watches.com/
Undoubtedly, this will give the Black Bay line a new balance and have a particular appeal for people who either desire a dive watch that is really smaller or who want a contemporary, sturdy Tudor but nevertheless has a vintage feel. This model will for sure be a fan favorite for the purists. I have mentioned that Tudor has further tweaked the Black Bay 54 compared to the Black Bay 58. But what are some of the new characteristics?
A gorgeous watch to wear is produced by the combination of tiny detail adjustments (such as the new crown, a simplified bezel, and a slightly different handset all reminiscent to the Tudor Submariner 7922.
Not to be disregarded is the incredibly thin case profile. In the instance, a few significant modifications include: Compared to the Black Bay 58, this watch is 0.70mm slimmer and a 1.5mm shorter lug-to-lug. On paper, the watch has a vintage 37mm case diameter, 11.24mm thickness, and 46mm lug-to-lug measurements. Minor details, indeed, but now you have a watch that is more intentional in both its historical inspiration and the pursuit of a smaller wrist presence that so many watch collectors tend to love. Vintage done right. If I would have to sum it up.
The Black Bay 54 maintains its 200 meter water resistance in spite of its smaller casing. It comes with a smooth 60-click bezel, a luminous pip at 12 o'clock on the bezel. Speaking of that, time increments are now shown every five minutes to the likes of Tudor Submariner 7922's bezel design. It's more versatile and has a cleaner appearance, in my opinion, because of how sterile it is.
Bracelet or a rubber strap? Both options are available to you. A steel bracelet or a black rubber strap both tapering from 20mm to 18mm at the clasp. What's cool is both the rubber strap and the bracelet include clasps with Tudor's T-Fit micro-adjustment for that perfect fit.
Inside the stainless steel casing we find Tudor's in-house MT5400 movement, which is COSC certified, ticks at 4 Hz, and has 70 hours of power reserve. On top of that, features a silicon balance spring to give you a peace of mind. In case your watch is surrounded by magnetic fields in your everyday life.
Tudor's in-house MT5400 movement
The Black Bay 54 will retail for $3,850 on the steel bracelet or $3,625 on the rubber strap. Given the pricing, the Black Bay 54 continues to be a force to reckon with, similar to the steel Black Bay models, but the 54 has entered a new space of its own. If you love the upgraded small details, smaller dimensions, this new offering from Tudor should be definitely on your list.
This has to be one of my favorite picks from Watches and Wonder this year. While some may have criticism for the lack of creativity in the Black Bay line up, Tudor managed to do something really good this year with the 54 bringing a smaller size dive watch to the market. The question is, are we going to see more of retro sizes from other brands?
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