Tudor Delivers the GMT We’ve Been Asking For, the Black Bay 58 GMT

Tudor delivered in a big way this year at Watches & Wonders, introducing a GMT complication into the Black Bay 58 collection for the first time. Since the first Black Bay GMT was introduced in 2018, and the Black Bay Pro in 2022, Tudor has faced a deluge of calls for a thinner execution, with something like a Black Bay 58 GMT at the top of most enthusiast’s wish lists. This year, that’s exactly what Tudor has delivered: a 39mm Black Bay 58 with a GMT complication that’s under 13mm in thickness. As far as the case is concerned, Tudor nailed it here.

The Black Bay 58 is a well understood proposition at this point, having been initially released in 2018 as a smaller, trimmer version of the immensely popular Black Bay from 2012. That’s a watch that has faced its own criticism for its thickness, and the 58 presented the same design in a far more wearable package for many wrists, though they’ve continued to make and refine the original Black Bay 41 design over the years as well (more on that in an upcoming article). 

Since it’s release, many fans have been asking for the inclusion of a GMT complication within the Black Bay 58 collection, and they got close with the Black Bay Pro, which brought the size down to 39mm, but couldn’t quite trim the case out in the way many would have liked at 14.6mm in thickness. To solve this issue, Tudor has gone with a different movement for the BB58 GMT: the MT5450-U, which is a METAS certified master chronometer. 

The new movement is a big deal here, and should, theoretically at least, allow for the creation of many other GMT watches with far more palatable dimensions. This new case measures 12.8mm in thickness. My hope is that it will be used in additional colorways of the BB58 GMT, as the one it’s being launched in isn’t exactly in my wheelhouse, but that feels besides the point with this watch. 

The matte black dial gets gilt accents, similar to the original Black Bay 58, and is paired with a black and red aluminum insert with the 24 hour display also getting the gilt treatment. It all adds up to a decidedly throwback look and feel with the snowflake hand and round hour markers. The look is nothing new for Tudor, and folks waiting for a coke bezel release from Rolex will likely find this an encouraging sign, but the manufactured vintage look has, in my view, run its course.

On that note, they are also using the ‘riveted’ style bracelet which adds to the overall effect. This is also being offered with a rubber strap set into a steel link at the case. Unfortunately, it’s not shipping with both, as was the case with the Pelagos 39 released 2 years ago. 

This is an exciting release from tudor the movement and case dimensions and bodes well for the future of the BB 58 collection. One note here, the time only BB 58 in steel has still only been released in two colorways, and while every year I expect that to change, they manage to keep fleshing it out in meaningful ways, and this release certainly does just that. 

The Tudor Black Bay 58 GMT is priced at $4,400 on a rubber strap, and at $4,600 on a steel bracelet. Tudor