Introducing: Tudor’s Burgundy Black Bay 58 And Opaline Black Bay Pro
Tudor’s releases at Watches and Wonders this year were always going to be a source of excitement for me. As a Tudor owner, I like the brand’s variety of approachable watches at competitive price points. Now we have some updated models in the Tudor Black Bay line to discuss.
Today, Tudor has introduced several novelties. In this article, we’ll look at the Tudor Black Bay Pro with an opaline dial and a new Black Bay 58 with a rich burgundy dial. Let’s dive in.
Left, center, right: Black Bay 58 refs. M7939A1A0RU-0002 (€4,550), M7939A1A0RU-0001 (€4,660), M7939A1A0RU-0003 (€4,330)
The Tudor Black Bay 58 in burgundy
Let’s start with the one I am quite excited about — a revamped Tudor Black Bay 58! Tudor is introducing this watch with a five-row bracelet as an option, which also means an updated T-fit adjustable clasp. This is a fantastic improvement over the existing Black Bay 58 line.
The clasp also carries over to the Oyster-style bracelet, which is awesome news! The updated METAS-certified caliber provides resistance to magnetic fields of up to 15,000 gauss and an accuracy of 0 to +5 seconds per day.
In addition, we see an updated crown and bezel design, which reflects the changes we saw with the Tudor Black Bay 54. The watch comes with the MT5400-U movement with a silicon hairspring and a 65-hour power reserve. It is a METAS-certified Master Chronometer as well.
Just looking at the bezel, it seems like Tudor has changed the “teeth,” which should mean a better grip action. The teeth on the original Black Bay 58 were smoother and smaller, it seems. However, the watch retains its 39mm case diameter. If my crystal ball is working properly, this will no doubt serve as the updated ergonomic platform for different color variations.
The Tudor Black Bay Pro with an opaline dial
This should prove to be a fan favorite. Consider the design of this new Black Bay Pro to more closely resemble the more avant-garde Rolex Explorer II with a white dial. I can see my managing editor Nacho liking one of these because it’s reminiscent of the “Polar” Explorer II.
The yellow accents also make it pop. The watch comes in its original 39mm case and houses the MT5652 caliber. This is a COSC-certified chronometer movement with a silicon balance spring and a 70-hour power reserve. Interestingly, then, Tudor did not give this watch the METAS treatment.
Left, center, right: Black Bay Pro refs. M79470-0005 (€4,110), M79470-0004 (€4,400), M79470-0006 (€4,110)
Like its black forebear, the opaline has indexes made out of blocks of Super-LumiNova. This means they will be strong performers in the dark. Should you ever decide to take this watch diving or, perhaps, exploring in caves, its 200m water resistance rating should mean such activities will pose no problem.
Concluding thoughts
What we are seeing here is a mix of refinement in these product lines from Tudor, including technical upgrades, better clasps, and subtle changes to ergonomics. But we are also getting more fun colors. So while Tudor isn’t doing anything particularly fancy with these two offerings, I think the burgundy Black Bay 58 and opaline Black Bay Pro are still strong propositions.
But what do you think, Fratelli? Would you pick either one of these up? At the beginning of this article, I said I was excited about the burgundy Black Bay 58, but I’m now finding myself quite partial to the Black Bay Pro with the opaline dial! Let me know your thoughts in the comments.
