Tudor is adding to their Black Bay 54 range this week with a new reference featuring a vibrant Lagoon Blue dial, and a polished steel bezel piece. The summer ready diver is not exactly what I had envisioned a new Black Bay 54 might look like, but this isn’t the first time Tudor has gone to left field with an off season release. This is just the second member of the Black Bay 54 range, which was introduced back in 2023 to an initially muted reaction. In time, the 54 has grown a dedicated fan base thanks to its exceptional presence on the wrist, and subtle aesthetic charm. Today, it could be considered the ‘thinking man’s’ Tudor, which makes the newest addition all the more surprising.
I want to first point out that Tudor isn’t afraid of going big on vibrant colors. That fact alone isn’t what’s surprising here. The Black Bay Chronograph has seen similarly bright blue and even pink renditions of its dial. What is a surprise is that Tudor has gone this route with arguably their most demure diver in the 54. This execution lands it on the opposite ends of the spectrum from the original 54, which uses a matte black dial and bezel, a three link bracelet, and gilt accents in classic Tudor style. The newest 54 dials things up to 11, not only with the lagoon blue dial, but even more so thanks to the polished steel bezel insert.
At its base, the new Black Bay 54, reference 79000N, uses the same wonderful 37mm case with a mix of polished and brushed surfaces. This is a seriously good case, and is about as close as you’ll get to a modern rendition of a five digit Rolex from the brand. Inside remains the Tudor manufacture caliber MT5400 in COSC trim. From there, almost everything is different with this reference, but that’s a great starting point, all things considered.
The big move here is the lagoon blue dial, which isn’t only vibrant in nature, it also gets a grain like texture at closer inspection. This is a new detail from Tudor, and one that evokes the feeling of sand in this package, but it’s a texture I wouldn’t mind seeing used elsewhere. The polished bezel gets a similar texture within each of the markings. Like the original 54, there are no minute indexes to be found (a subtle but powerful detail on the original). Just as importantly, this watch is being fit to a five-link bracelet and a T-fit equipped clasp. This will undoubtedly be a highly requested item for owners of the original, and that goes for many of the newer watches receiving this bracelet.
Overall, this Black Bay 54 represents a new path for the simple diver, and shows that Tudor isn’t afraid of taking some risks with their core collection. I suspect it will be a polarizing watch, but it’s certainly nothing new in the big picture (in fact, Oris has made a very similar Diver Sixty-Five in recent years). I personally think it would work better with a black bezel and black hour surrounds, but I’m far from the target market with this one. Tudor
Leave a Reply