Still the BEST DIVE WATCH for £3500??

#ninefortyfour #tudor #blackbay - So this is the Tudor black bay 58, one of the most talked about watches of modern times! Its a 39mm vintage inspired time only dive watch, offering 200m of water resistance, 70hrs of power reserve and an excellent in-house movement

The watch is now coming up for 6 years old, so the questions simple! Is this still the ultimate vintage inspired dive watch for under £4000? And is it still worth considering over the ultra vintage black bay 54? Let’s talk about it!

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Rolex Yacht Master 40mm Review:    • A LUXURIOUS Dive (sports) Watch from ...  

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///WRITTEN REVIEW///

Size -

So the 58 comes in with a bezel diameter of 38.8mm, and a case diameter of 39, It has a thickness of 11.8mm, made up of a 1.3mm case back, 6mm flat midcase, 3mm bezel and 1.5mm crystal

The lug to lug dimension comes in at 47.5mm and has a 20mm spacing between the lugs. The weight on the steel bracelet comes in at 134 grams

This overall dimension set is pretty much perfect, especially if you have a wrist of 7inches or less! The balance, weight and the overall way this sits on wrist is simply phenomenal! Compared to the larger 41mm black bays, this is just in another league for me personally!

Design -

The case design is mid century Tudor/rolex, meaning flat case sides, no crown guards and delightedly beveled lugs. Made from 316L steel the sides of the case and bevels are all of high polish with the lug tops stain brushed

The overall quality of the case construction has been incredibly well executed! One point to note is that the ends of the lugs taper to a point! This is actually quite sharp when you run your finger over it,

That being said it can’t be felt when the watch is on your wrist!

Movement -

Powering the black bay 58 is the Tudor MT5402, a scaled down version of the movement used in the 41mm black bay range, designed specifically for this watch. Fair play to Tudor for doing this. Manufacturing new movements isn’t easy or cheap, but the pay off has been more than worth it!

People far and wide were calling for a more compact, thinner black bay! Tudor listened and did what what’s required to make it happen! The MT5402 is thinner, measuring 6.5mm. It has the same 70hr power reserve as its bigger brother along with a silicon hairspring for protection against magnetism

We also get the same 28,800 vibrations per hour, 27 jewels and COSC certification. Tudor rates the watch as being able to run no worse than -2 to +4 seconds per day, beating the COSC’s -4 to +6!

It certainly isn’t high horology, finishing is pretty much no existent! But it is touch and ridiculously accurate for the price! When it comes to time keeping Tudor are never going to out do Rolex on paper… but seriously, in the real world the difference is negligible!

I’ve been lucky enough to wear a variety of Tudor models for extended periods of time and I’m always shocked at how well they perform!

Wearability -

So wearability! I’m going to be slightly biased as this is my personal watch, which I’ve owned for just over two years! On my six and a half inch wrist its simply perfection! The 47mm lug to lug, 11.7mm thickness and 39mm diameter are just that, perfect!

For me its the bench mark of fit that I compare all other watches too when I consider adding something else to my collection! Things like the female articulating end link, amount of bracelet taper and the size of the clasp only add to the wearing experience!

Vintage styling isn’t for everyone, but in-terms of wearability this is seriously hard to beat for any who has a wrist between 5.5 and 7 inches. The closest Rolex would be the 40mm yacht master in my opinion!

Verdict -

So what’s the verdict! And how does it compare to the recent Black Bay 54! Well it comes down to this. Is the 37mm diameter of the 54 too small for you? And do you already own a 58?

If you don’t own either, and you can make 37mm work, id personal say get the 54! That watch IS the perfect homage to early Tudor and Rolex watches! It features all the modern Tudor tech and a near spot historical dimension set to the very first submariners!

Plus it has the T-fit adjustment and no gilt/gold bezel markings! If I didn’t own a 58 the 54 is the one id probably buy! I say probably as it would take me some time to get used to the smaller diameter!

But I do own a 58! And I’m not going to swap it! 39mm is spot on for my wrist, and although T-fit is excellent and I do prefer the silver bezel markings, they don’t amount to enough to justify the upgrade! If 37mm is too small for you then the 58 is without doubt the one to go for!

Its a modern watch icon!

Links:
Rolex Yacht Master 40mm Review:    • A LUXURIOUS Dive (sports) Watch from ...