Of all the bronze watches that have proliferated over the last decade, the Tudor Black Bay Bronze is one of the most memorable. Now, the downsized Black Bay Fifty-Eight offers all the same appeal but in the 39mm package that makes it our favorite dive watch for the money. The Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze, however, isn’t just a smaller version of an existing watch, but offers a chocolate-colored dial and bezel as well as a full-bronze bracelet.
Most bronze watches feature a steel (or other metal) case back to prevent the metal from turning your skin green (or other reactions for people with nickel allergies), and Tudor has here given its steel case back a bronze-colored PVD treatment. The metal’s properties are why more brands aren’t offering their bronze watches on matching bracelets, but Tudor has gone all the way, and the full-bronze look sure is striking. (While bronze watches are popular, to say the least, bronze bracelets are rare.)
The brown matte dial and aluminum bezel insert complete the monochromatic effect. This color looks good when the brushed case and bracelet are brand-new with a shiny gold-like hue, but it seems that Tudor has also considered how it’ll present when the metal has taken on its patina. It’l be interesting to see how the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze’s bracelet — which includes a new quick adjustment system for its clasp — ages.
The Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze is otherwise very much what it sounds like: the now familiar 39mm dive watch but with a new case material. It features the same superb construction and finishing expected of Rolex’s sister brand as well as its own excellent in-house movement. As usual, it also offers a strong value, with the Bronze version bumping up the price by just a couple hundred dollars.
While the Black Bay line has been around a while and has expanded into numerous models, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight is still catching up. Many fans might hope to see the most compelling Black Bay models simply downsized to 39mm to fit in the Fifty-Eight family, but Tudor has clearly signaled that it won’t do exactly that: each Black Bay Fifty-Eight will do its own thing. A GMT sounds amazing, for instance, but you should expect it to have an aesthetic distinct from its larger siblings. In any case, fans have a lot to like already and more to look forward to.
The Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze is available only in select Tudor boutiques and has a price of $4,525. In addition to its bronze bracelet it also includes a fabric strap.
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