Tudor watches date back to 1926 when Hans Wilsdorf, the founder of Rolex, decided he wanted to offer the world a watch that had the quality and reliability of a Rolex at a better price. In the event, these robust, striking, sporty watches found a niche with those who wanted something tough and dependable for active pursuits – climbing and diving among them.

The latest launch by the firm in many ways epitomises what it does so well. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue is a mechanical diving watch that has a neo-vintage look. At 39mm, it has the scale of a 50s timepiece, and is indeed named after the year, 1958, that Tudor launched its first watch waterproof to 200 metres. It is in blue, with a navy grained matt domed dial, the latest in Tudor’s long line of blue sports watches.

It was 1969 when Tudor first introduced a diver’s watch in what became known as Tudor Blue. The blue dial and bezel on that piece influenced other sports watches in the collection, and the colour became a signature. Indeed, since the arrival of the very first Tudor diver’s watch in 1954 – the Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner – the firm’s waterproof watches have been used by professional divers.

To enhance the “functional” appearance of the new watch, there are two fabric straps to choose from, in addition to a riveted steel bracelet. One has the look of a leather strap in navy, while the other is a woven piece with a faint white nautical stripe down the centre. The latter is woven on 19th-century jacquard looms by the Julien Faure company, from the St-Etienne region of France and, this year, Tudor celebrates 10 years of making straps with them.

The Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue is available at Tudor’s newly opened store, its first in Europe, which is located at Westfield in White City. On sale for years in specialist watch stores around the country, Tudor now has its own home where nearly every piece the firm makes is offered. Run in partnership with the Watches of Switzerland Group, the Tudor store is designed to reflect the red, black and grey that are the colours of the brand, and in future will also display vintage pieces from the Tudor archive.
The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Navy Blue,

£2,760 with steel bracelet and £2,520 with fabric strap; the Tudor store is at Unit 1105, Westfield London, Ariel Way W12; tudorwatch.com