Hands-On With The Handsome Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

The Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT was one of the most commercially interesting releases of this year’s Watches and Wonders. Unlike most of the exotic Haute Horlogerie releases at the fair, this was a watch we might actually go out and buy. At the same time, it was such a long-awaited and aesthetically predictable watch that we weren’t that impressed. “Ah, there it is,” is how I remember responding to seeing the first press images and the real deal a bit later. I hardly paid it any mind.

That doesn’t seem entirely fair. The Black Bay has lifted Tudor to new heights over the past 12 years. Fans have cried out for a modestly sized GMT watch in the Black Bay line for ages. So I felt it was about time I gave the 58 GMT a fair shot. I spent some time with it to see how it stacks up in today’s crowded market. Read on to see how we fared!

A few more words on that initial impression

My initial underwhelmed response was not caused by any technical flaw or shortcoming. After all, Tudor rules this segment in this sense, in my view. If you cap your budget at €5,000, I don’t think you can do much better than to pick a Tudor of your liking. I have seen watches costing twice as much with lesser construction and finishing.

My response, then, was fed more by aesthetics and expectations. We all knew a Black Bay 58 GMT was coming sooner or later. We also knew it would be covered in a thick vintage sauce. Gold accents, rivets, old-timey colors…it was all expected. So when it finally dropped, there was little surprise. It felt as if it might have been in the catalog all along. Well, except for the limitations in calibers that kept previous efforts rather thick.

You cannot blame Tudor for this. After all, it was a surefire hit. The brand would be crazy not to do this or to mess with the concept. Sure, some nerds like me would have applauded an evolved, more modern look. But why would Tudor ever betray the concept of its most popular line of watches when there is still milk in the cow?

The Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

So, what did Tudor do, exactly? Well, for starters, the brand utilized a brand-new COSC- and METAS-certified(!) movement. Caliber MT5450-U is a GMT movement based on the 5400 series. Like its older brother (the MT5652), the new caliber is a flyer GMT and runs at a 28,800vph (4Hz) frequency. The MT5450-U’s power reserve comes in at 65 hours versus the older one’s 70 hours. More crucially, Tudor shaved about 1.4mm off the thickness of the caliber found in the regular Black Bay GMT and Black Bay Pro.

Tudor found another 0.4mm elsewhere, slicing the overall thickness down to 12.8mm versus the bigger watches’ 14.6mm. Paired with the 39mm diameter and 47mm lug-to-lug, this puts it extremely close to the beloved five-digit Rolex dimensions. The 200m water resistance even survived the slimming diet. Completing the case is the more classically knurled bezel and flush-fitting crown we know from the Black Bay 54. This is a departure from the rest of the BB58 line, which still carries the larger, more modern-looking crowns. You can have your pick of a version with a steel bracelet for €4,670 or on a rubber strap with end links for €4,450. My pick would be the bracelet as I feel the strap looks a bit too modern compared to the watch head.

Although the design may feel familiar, the color scheme isn’t directly lifted from any vintage Rolex GMT reference. The Black Bay 58 GMT pairs black and burgundy with strong rose-tone accents. This is in line with the approach taken for the Black Bay Pro. That watch referenced the Rolex 1655 but gave it a little twist. This time, I see quite a bit of gilt Rolex 1675, but if you put them side by side, the similarities are much smaller than in my mind’s eye.

Wearing the Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT

As a reviewer, I have to admit to some bias on my end: I find myself a little fatigued with overly vintage-looking modern watches. I owned an original Black Bay and a similarly retro Oris Divers Sixty-Five and fairly quickly lost interest in both. So I am not proud to admit my mind closed a bit when I took the Black Bay 58 GMT out of the box. I had to tell myself to give it a fair shot. “Just strap it on and see where it goes,” I told myself. Surprisingly, I found myself gazing at the watch quite a lot. I find it much prettier on the wrist than in pictures. I have grown to thoroughly appreciate its fun style while spending time with it. It doesn’t take itself so darn seriously, but it still has the substance to feel worthwhile.

Of course, whenever a familiar watch receives a downsizing, the first things you look at are its proportions. I often find that reproportioned watches look off. It is much harder than you may think to maintain a design’s balance while changing its dimensions. I am happy to report I had the exact opposite experience here. The Black Bay 58 GMT is so perfectly proportioned that it instantly feels like it should be the standard for Tudor. There is enough steel to make it feel assertive, sporty, and confident, but it looks elegant and sits comfortably at the same time. That, to me, is perfect for an everyday sports watch.

The second thing I always enjoy when handling Tudor watches is the build quality. This is no exception. The watch feels substantial, rugged, and solid. From the construction of the bracelet to the operation of the crown and bezel, it has a luxurious feel to it. To put it simply, this is just a very well-made watch. The clasp is particularly good thanks to its smooth T-fit micro-adjustment mechanism and soft, confident click when closing it. My one gripe is the shield on the locking lip, which is so sharp that it stabs me under the nail every time I open the clasp.

Is the Black Bay 58 GMT the usurper or the jester to the crown?

It feels a bit stale to keep coming back to Rolex/Tudor comparisons. Still, Tudor keeps hinting at its sibling brand so clearly that I’d be remiss not to touch upon it. So, the question is: how should we see this within the realm of vintage and modern Rolex?

I think the Black Bay 58 GMT found a unique spot between the other options. You get quite a lot of the charm of a vintage GMT-Master but with modern construction and reliability. You get the dimensions of a five-digit Rolex but, again, with a modern, non-rattly build. On the other end, you get a more modest, less flashy look compared to a current GMT-Master II. You also get to experience the law of diminishing returns as the Rolex is even more refined but, arguably, not 2.4 times so. In fact, any of the GMT-Master options described will set you back at least double the Black Bay 58 GMT’s price.

That said, I always wonder how these strong vintage-inspired aesthetics will age. I expect that they aren’t exactly as timeless as true vintage classics. So, how does this relate to the crown? Is it its jester? No, that doesn’t do it justice by a long shot. The usurper? No, it poses no threat. Perhaps it is just the king’s handsome younger brother. It may not be nearly as powerful, but it is probably more fun to go clubbing with.

What do you think of the Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT? Let us know in the comments below!