Five Years Later - Would I Still Buy The Tudor Black Bay 58?

So as you collect watches, you can look at some of the pieces that you collect, and you can be returned to a different chapter of your life, and just serves as a reminder of that period. I had a recent experience when I looked down at my Tudor Black Bay 58 Blue and thought, wait, I've owned this thing for five years, and it was shocking. I didn't recognize it's been that long. So what I wanted to do is reflect on this watch, talk about what I think of this piece five years later, after owning it for a long period of time, what are some things I like, some things that if I could change, I would change them, and some of the other maybe points of hesitation. If I was going to buy this watch again, what would be going through my mind when doing so? So we're going to go through that and a lot more in this video, just providing this perspective as an owner. Also, as we get into this video, if you've not checked out our digital book for the top 40 watches thus far in 2025, link will be in the description down below. We put a ton of time into this. The entire team collectively put our minds together, and we decided on what were the best watches so far this year. This is an actual book that we've created. Yes, you can get it in PDF form, but I am now contemplating, should we make this a physical copy book? But if you want to check it out, link will be in the description. You can download it in PDF version. You can also view it in the additional viewer, where you can go through each page. We've spent a lot of time designing the page layout for this. So please do check that out. Love to hear your feedback as well, if you'd want us to continue this and maybe do a second half of the year later in 2025. My time of maturing as a watch enthusiast nearly directly coincided with Tudor's rise in the watch industry. In the early days of my collecting, the Black Bay was a pretty well regarded model, but it would have been impossible to predict how much of an enthusiast powerhouse it would eventually become. Vintage was a significant part of my journey when I was in the early stages of collecting. It presented an idea that I appreciate in any valuable item I decide to own. Quality wears in, while lack of quality wears down. Most of my fascination was with the classical dress genre of vintage Omega featuring models like the 30T2s, you have the Constellations, Seamasters that predated those Seamaster 300s, as well as IWC with their caliber 89s, and of course, the Rolex Datejust. Now, along with all of these was another interest, which ran adjacent, vintage Submariners. It might seem a little strange to be interested in vintage dress watches, but also vintage Submariners, but it made sense to me. But what adds to the strangeness is I'm not referring to Rolex, instead, vintage Tudor Submariners. Now, don't get me wrong, if you tell me I have to wear a 5512, a 5513, or 1680, we're going to have no problem. There was just something about Tudor that drew me in more, with its slight reveal of quirks compared to its sibling brand Subs. The Snowflake Hand was a subtle yet enticing attribute, but I know myself well enough to realize that I was really simple in my brain and how I was captivated came down to blue. And yes, I'm a simple creature at times. 1970s Tudor Subs like the 7016 with a mildly ghosted blue bezel are about as cool as a watch can look as far as I'm concerned. At the time when I was getting interested in these watches, I didn't have the budget for a nice example, but I did dabble with 1990s Submariners like the 75050 and 79090. That era of Tudor though with the 1990s does feel slightly stripped of the 1970s character, feeling more in the shadow of the Rolex identity. The existing 41mm black bays of this era were not quite to my sizing preference, although I did strongly consider adding a smiley 41mm to my collection in blue. Then 2018 happened, which I would argue is one of the most crucial years for Tudor in the 21st century, as it unveiled two key pillars in the collection that transformed the black bay from a model into a burgeoning collection that would encompass nearly every watch collecting proclivity. The Black Bay GMT was a winner, changing the luxury GMT market. My eyes though were set on the new Black Bay 58, a heritage dive watch with mid 20th century wearing dimensions reminiscent of classic Submariners that I loved, paired with modern specs to match. The first chapter of the Tudor Black Bay 58 was the Black Gilt model, and it's still likely the image that people imagine when they hear the phrase Black Bay 58. I still waited for my time to pounce, knowing very well if a blue model was to come, I would quickly add one to my collection. Well, two years later, on July 1st, 2020, Tudor dropped the Black Bay 58 Blue. It is essential to consider the context of this release. Watch trade shows were all canceled that year. We were in the middle of the pandemic, and on a random Wednesday, Tudor used social media as the only platform to make the watch world aware of its most significant release of the year. The second Tudor Black Bay 58 ever, I might add. The watch delivered on much of the same as the original 58. It had a 39 millimeter case, a tidy case height of 11.7 millimeters, and a lug to lug measurement of 47.2 millimeters. It differed in its collective approach due to the absence of vintage touches, making it more modern as a result. All of this was enough to get me to quickly make a decision to get one, as it was exactly the Tudor watch I was waiting for. So there's been a lot of discussion about the wearability of the 58 in the past on this channel, and I'm sure elsewhere. Now, in terms of where I was at when looking at a new Tudor Black Bay in this era of my collecting journey, this was a perfect middle ground of size. Since there's been some further complication added to the mix, because you now have the 54 that introduced a 37 millimeter case, and the 41 millimeter cases of the Black Bay have been refined. My response to what Tudor Black Bay could work best for me, or could work in general for all three of these, would be all the above. That said, the 58 splits the difference and is probably my sweet spot still. It wears like a 40 millimeter vintage Submariner from the late 60s to the 90s, and has other characteristics to remind one of its look back to the past. The aluminum bezel is especially enjoyable, and I know some people might not be as much of a fan of that. It just creates this possibility that one day, this bezel will eventually fade over time, showing more of its wear. I'm not somebody that has a strong opinion about the riveted bracelet design, like many people out there, and I welcome its inclusion without much friction. This clasp predates the T-Fit introduced in the Black Bay 58 Bronze, instead featuring a fold over shield lock design with three points of micro adjustment in the clasp. As someone who has owned this watch and has seen the T-Fit come out after the fact, I find it mildly comical how much people overplay on the fly adjustment. In my time wearing this watch for over five years, I've probably switched the position of the spring bar in the clasp once or twice. Would the T-Fit be preferred? Of course. Would that point alone be enough to deter me from buying this watch again? Absolutely not. If anything, the only new progression to Tudor bracelet design that I wish was available when I purchased this watch is the inclusion of the five-link bracelet, as that is my favorite attachment configuration. And unfortunately, it's not something you can order either for this watch, because apparently it will not fit the case. I've dabbled with putting different straps on this watch over the years, but I've just always returned to this three-link bracelet. So let's talk some case finishing. The watch is predominantly brushed with a polished bevel running the length of the case, meeting the transition to its reflective sides. The crown and bezel edge shown here exhibits the former design style. In the recent Black Bay 58 Burgundy, we saw how the standard three-hand 58 looks with some added polished facets, a style trait that I appreciate more. The dial on this 58 is straightforward if you understand the style DNA more broadly, featuring geometric superluminova filled hour markers. You have three line texts rather than two line texts as the master chronometer ones will. And you have the snowflake hand setup, which includes the intermediate loomed snowflake indicator on the second hand rather than the circle on the new models. The dial is devoid of guilt of the original Black Bay 58, which is my preference for a blue colorway. If I look at my collection, I notice a theme. I tend to really appreciate the color blue, which makes sense because I often will wear denim as part of my informal uniform, and I really like the color and its versatility. Also, for a guy who gets a mild tan in like one month of the year, it complements the paleness that happens for the majority of my days. I, as well as others, have called this watch navy in the past, but the reality is it is more of a cerulean blue than a true dark navy. In the shadows, it will appear closer to navy, but in most direct lighting scenarios, it has a drop in the darks of the color profile, which more directly mimics a mild faded Tudor sub of years prior. This level of specificity around blue probably comes across as psychotic to some. Now, I bring it up partially because I have had thoughts over the years saying to myself, I wish this was a little darker with its shade, such as a rich navy, an indigo, or midnight blue. This feeling is probably why I've always liked the blue bezel on black dial combo of the original generation Black Bays. If I was going to change a single aspect of this dial, it would just be making the dial darker. Maybe two line texts would be more balanced at six, though it is not a hill that I'm going to die on as a deal breaker on both of these points. Simply put, the MT calibers from Tudor and Kinesi are phenomenal movements. As without their contribution to the Black Bay package, this collection would not have reached the heights it has. The MT5402 was introduced in 2018 with the launch of the Tudor Black Bay 58. Its primary breakthrough was its size, being 26 millimeter in diameter compared to the MT5602's nearly 32 millimeters in diameter. This caliber is COSC certified, guaranteeing accuracy to minus four to plus six seconds a day across five different positions, with mine five years later still efficiently performing within these parameters. It comes with a silicon balance spring, it has approximately a power reserve of 70 hours, and can hack the seconds when pulling the crown out to the farthest position when you unscrew the screw down crown. In most of the 58 models now, they rely on the MT5400 series, which is larger in diameter compared to the MT5402, and has been shown off through an exhibition case back in the 925 silver 58, as the caliber can fill up more of the case back to better visual effect. It is also the architecture of the MT5400-U versions that have shown the ability to undergo the master chronometer testing. As I've stated in the past on this channel, I am not someone who is overly concerned about having the most accurate watch. There's nothing I do where a second too soon or too late is going to impact my day, so the chronometer certification is more than enough for my daily circumstances. Although it can't be debated though that there are more perks with the master chronometer. At the time of recording this video, this watch retails for $4,300 on the 3-link bracelet, whereas the Burgundy 58 that was released earlier this year with its master chronometer certification on the same bracelet retails for $4,625. As mentioned, there are subtle differences between these models, with the master chronometer being the largest of these differences. Marketing buzzwords aside, it can't be disputed that there are upsides that come with master chronometer certifications, and for less than 10% more, there is a compelling case to be made that value is absolutely there. So I don't think it would be hyperbolic to say that the Tudor Black Bay 58 has been one of the most discussed watches among enthusiasts online over the last 5 years. I don't have any inside knowledge on what sells best for Tudor, I just have a feeling that the 58 is among the best selling collections, if not the leader for the brand. The evidence to why I've arrived at this conclusion are how often I see these watches mentioned, how frequently I see them on fellow enthusiast wrists, and how much the collection has expanded in such a short period of time. We now have different case materials, complications being introduced with the 58 GMT, and master chronometers coming into the fold. When I decided to buy this watch, it was a no-brainer, and I would likely buy it again if I had it years ago. This considered, the purchase would come with more hesitation than it did previously, mainly as a result of Tudor being at a point of clear transition. The 58 collection has models that include T-fit, some do not include it. Some come compatible with a 5 length bracelet, and some do not. Additionally, you have master chronometers coming into the fold, and being available in a couple of models. There have also been some mild case changes, especially with the Burgundy. It does seem to be inevitable that an update will come to the Black Bay 58 Blue, we just don't know when it will arrive precisely. Tudor is responsible for creating this conundrum, because they've just come out with so many improvements to this line in a short period of time. Remember, it took us 2 years to see a second Black Bay 58 all together. Now 5 years later, we have seen 5 new additions, not including the additions of the 54, as well as the pleasing adjustments to the Black Bay 41 Metos versions. There are times when brands incompleteness in its collection can be a blessing, making the deliberation in the decision that much easier. If you're in my shoes though, and are set on the Blue being your leading choice for a Black Bay to start, you are in more of an enviable position. There's no Pelagos 39 in Blue, the 41mm Black Bay doesn't have a Blue Metos version, and the 54 went in a different direction, but an exciting one with the Lagoon Blue. With all of this considered, I still don't think there is a Tudor Black Bay model, or maybe just a Tudor in general from the dive genre, that better fits what I am looking for. However, if I have learned anything about Tudor in the last decade, it is how quickly a statement like that can be outdated with just a single release. I am actively looking to see what Tudor does next. They are pretty good at teasing us, not giving us fully what we want or expect at a moment, but eventually getting there in due time. So I still really love this watch, and I wear it all the time. It's something that becomes a chapter too for me in my collecting journey in that COVID era. It's a fun reminder of that time and growing this channel too. So I've always really appreciated this watch, and I don't plan on it ever leaving my collection. If you guys enjoyed this video, especially these perspectives from more of the owner side of things in my collection, if you like this, please give this one a thumbs up, subscribe, hit the bell icon. I really do appreciate that. It's always helpful for me to know how much you guys want to see of my personal journey, rather than just talking about watches that I'm reviewing. A lot of this, when I'm talking about this channel, I want to provide you guys insight and being able to help you guys make the best decision possible. So sometimes when I'm talking about my own watches, I feel like I'm maybe going off that path at times, and I only have so many watches in my collection to cover. So that's the other challenge with that too. But if you want to see more of this, please let me know in the comments, give this one a thumbs up. Also, definitely check out teddyballisher.com, full authorized dealer of over 35 brands. Every purchase from our website comes with quick and fast fulfillment, dedicated customer support, and a full factory warranty for all the products we offer. In addition, if you're ever in the Cleveland, Ohio area, looking to buy a watch, stopping through the city, or if you're based locally or regionally, please do stop in. We have a whole team there dedicated to helping you try to find your next watch. We have events throughout the year. You can head to our events page on our website to see what's coming down the pipe. And whether online or in store, we'd love to be able to help you out with your next purchase. It allows us to keep doing what we're doing here. We love what we do. Guys, thank you again so much for watching. Be well, and I will see you all very soon.