Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’: Blue Has Never Looked Better

The Tudor Manufacture is making a bold statement to mark its post-confinement comeback with the release of its first novelty for 2020: the Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue.’ It was simultaneously revealed to all international press outlets on July 1 at 7:00 a.m. (GMT+1), and made available the very same day in boutiques around the world.

By Nicolas Yvon, Chloé Redler

*Unveiled at the same time all over the world, the new Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’ is already the watch of the summer*

An emblematic watch from Tudor, the Black Bay generates real affection among fans of beautiful vintage mechanisms. Offered in numerous variations since its creation in 2012, the icon is now making heads turn with a new blue navy version: the Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue.’ The first model of the year 2020 to be unveiled by Tudor, this instrument created a buzz with a simultaneous worldwide presentation to the media on the morning of Wednesday, July 1 at 7:00 a.m. Paris time. The gossip was complete for customers, who were given the possibility of buying the watch on the same day, as soon as shops opened all around the world.

*Aesthetically vintage, the Tudor Black Bay does not forget to be a real technical instrument dedicated to diving.*

An Assertive Vintage Style…

As of today the Black Bay is undoubtedly the most iconic piece of the Manufacture. It was inspired by the Tudor diver’s watches that were designed between the 1950s and 1970s, and this one was declined in different variations. With a reduced diameter of 39 mm—a size close to that of period timepieces—and a voluminous crown, the ‘Fifty-Eight’ version of the Black Bay is a tribute to a 1958 model, the reference 7,924—nicknamed ‘Big Crown’—which was the first Tudor diver’s watch to be water-resistant for up to 200 metres. This variation is the one the Maison has chosen to dress in navy blue (aluminium insert, dial and leather or fabric straps) to create the new Navy Blue edition. A beautiful chromatic nod to the models worn by French Navy divers in the 1970s. Their instruments also already featured at the time the famous and so very special ‘snowflake’ type hands, whose angular silhouette is indeed reminiscent of a snowflake, and which asserts the Black Bay’s retro spirit.

*The blue color in heritage between the old model of the divers of the French Navy and the new Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue*

*Aesthetically vintage, the Tudor Black Bay watch does not forget to be a real technical instrument dedicated to diving*

…For A Real Tool-Watch

For a watch as stylish as the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue, it sure does not lack for technical achievements. This real instrument remains perfectly suited to the depths. It is water-resistant up to 200 metres, has an oversized crown and a screw-down case back, a 316L stainless steel case (surgical steel), a unidirectional rotating bezel with a luminescent marker and a 60-minute scale for calculating dive times (decompression stops for example), as well as indexes and hands visible in the dark that guarantee an excellent readability of the indications in all conditions. The role of the seconds hand here is vital, to put it mildly. Its luminescence allows it to act as a running indicator—an indispensable tool that enables the diver to check at a glance that his watch is working properly in any situation.

*The final assembly of the watch is a delicate step which takes place in a dust-free environment*

A Manufactured Calibre

An aesthetic and technical success, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’ houses a Manufacture Tudor (MT5402) automatic movement with bidirectional winding that offers a comfortable 70-hour power reserve. This beautifully crafted calibre, whose high precision is certified by the highly demanding COSC has a balance spring made out of silicon: a high-tech material that is entirely insensitive to magnetic disturbances.

*Handcrafted fabric, steel with riveted links or soft touch material, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue is available on different bracelets*

The Choice of the Bracelet

One can combine the watch case with different bracelets. It is up to the buyer to choose, between a 316L steel bracelet—which takes up the riveted link architecture of the period models—or a brand new bracelet made from a blue ‘soft touch’ synthetic material that offers a very soft, flannel-like touch. Unless, of course, one would prefer to combine it with a handmade bracelet of navy blue fabric with a silver band, woven on a 19th-century Jacquard loom in the Julien Faure workshops in France near Saint-Etienne. It should be noted that this family business and Tudor have been partners for ten years. It all began with the design of the blue, white and orange tricolour strap of the Heritage Chrono Blue model, which was presented at Baselworld in 2010.

*Sign of recognition, the winding crown is decorated with the Tudor rose*

The Warranty

The Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’ benefits from a new five-year warranty that was implemented on 1 January 2020, and applies to all new Tudor watches purchased from that date. The arrangement is transferable and does not require any specific registration or intermediate checks, though the manufacturer does recommend that maintenance be carried out every 10 years. In addition, watches sold between 1 July 2018 and 31 December 2019 benefit from an eighteen-month extension, which extends their warranty to three and a half years.

Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’ – steel bracelet – €3,460 – Where t o find it? – Technical sheet

Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’ – blue ‘soft touch’ strap – €3,160 – Where to find it? – Technical sheet

Black Bay Fifty-Eight ‘Navy Blue’ – blue fabric strap – €3,160 – Where to find it? – Technical sheet