Tudor’s latest addition to its Black Bay collection is your new holiday wearer
Tudor’s latest launch is a vibe. A “we’re on a beach somewhere exotic” vibe. The whole timepiece has been designed to evoke crystal-clear seas and white-hot sands. The first thing you notice is the particular blue of the dial that Tudor has appropriately dubbed “lagoon”. It’s no exaggeration to say that the purity of the shade is like looking into the Aegean Sea. It’s also been given a sand-like texture in case you didn’t get the point that Tudor has set out to create your perfect holiday watch. Surrounding it is a mirror-polished bezel that gives the effect of a tropical island surrounded by sun-flecked sea.
Tudor Black Bay 54 "Lagoon Blue"
However, just because the vibe is all pool loungers, sundowners and Cuban shirts, this is still a Black Bay 54, which means there’s some serious watchmaking hidden behind that beach-bar exterior. First launched in 2023, this is a riff on Tudor’s 1954 Oyster Prince Submariner ref. 7922. This was a timepiece designed specifically for professional scuba divers who needed something robust. It was this watch that started the brand’s relationship with the French Navy, the Marine Nationale, whose Toulon-based Underwater Study and Research Group – or Groupement d’Étude et de Recherches Sous-Marines (GERS) in French – received a consignment of 7,922 watches for evaluation.
This rich dive history is channelled into in this modern model. It has the same “small crown”, 37mm case and the white, rather than red, triangle at 12 o’clock. The hands have changed from Mercedes-style – a round end bisected by what is ostensibly a peace symbol – to Tudor’s signature snowflake because of sibling Rolex’s association with the former design.
However, they are pinched at the base like the 1954 original, and luminescent. Other updates include the five-link steel bracelet that is fitted with Tudor’s proprietary “T-Fit” clasp, equipped with a system for rapid length adjustment. No need to pack your tools alongside your toiletries, you can easily change the circumference of your strap in five different positions over eight millimetres of extra length. Thanks to the clever use of ceramic ball bearings, the clasp has a smooth and secure closure.
Tudor Black Bay 54 "Lagoon Blue"
Just as still waters run deep, behind that serene lagoon-blue dial lies an absolute powerhouse of a movement – Tudor’s own Manufacture Calibre MT5400. Launched in 2015, it was Tudor dipping its first toe into the waters of in-house movement-making; something it has expanded upon, even opening its own manufacture in Le Locle in 2023, another first in its 100-year history. Its balance spring is made from silicon, which, due to its insensitivity to temperature variations, magnetism and oxidation, has improved accuracy, provided greater stability and enhanced durability. It also has a “weekend-proof ” power reserve of 70 hours, so you can take it off on Friday evening and it will still be ticking on Monday morning. Though why you’d want to take off this gorgeous timepiece is anyone’s guess.
The Black Bay 54 may have its origins in more professional waters, but this new edition has swapped that seriousness for something far more relaxed – think fewer grey wetsuits and more inflatable pink flamingos. And in doing so, Tudor might have just made its best Black Bay yet.
£3,590; tudorwatch.com
