FEATURE: Is the Black Bay 58 the Perfect Watch? by Charlie M (aka 'Imagwai')

 

M79030B-0001

The Tudor Black Bay 58 has become something of a 'meme' over the last year or so, such is it's popularity with the members of the TH Forums. Personally, as a tunnel-visioned TAGeristi I don't really see what all the fuss is about, but Charlie M (known to many of you as Imagwai) thinks differently and today he poses the burning question...

 

IS THE BLACK BAY 58 THE PERFECT WATCH?

Could the Black Bay 58 be the perfect watch? Obviously there is some subjectivity in answering a question like that, and if like Rob, you don’t much care for the styling, or if David Beckham irritates you, then you may have already stopped reading. You may also have seen some of the countless fawning articles and forum posts praising this watch and think I’m jumping on the bandwagon with what I’m about to say. But that bandwagon passed by quite a long time ago. Truth be told, it’s only now, about two and a half years since I bought it, that I am really falling for this watch in a big way. I’ll explain that a bit more in a moment, but first let’s take a look at some of the logical reasons why this watch is so perfect…

The first thing the BB58 gets right is the size. At 39mm diameter, 47mm lug to lug and 11.9mm thick, the BB58 hits the perfect sweet spot for a modern watch. Big enough to create some wrist presence yet comfortable and perfectly suited to pretty much everybody. If you have a monster 8.5 inch wrist, then this isn’t going to look too tiny, it’ll just look classy. But it’s equally at home on a female wrist or those like me who are of slim build. I often go on about watches being too big these days and do like my 36mm watches, but the truth is that day to day, I prefer 38 or 39mm.

Inside the watch is the Tudor caliber MT5400. You are getting an in-house movement, from the Rolex stable, with 70 hours of power reserve. It is operated by a solid-feeling chunky screw-down crown, with zero play, and a smooth yet assured winding feel. The quality here is evident and it extends to the rest of the case, with mirror polished sides that aren’t a million miles away from Grand Seiko’s zuratsu finishing and fine brushed surfaces that are ten times better than what you might get from a microbrand. The bracelet is comfortable and grown up – by that I mean a good weight and not at all jangly. I’m going to ignore the minor aesthetic issue of the faux rivets except to say they’re not that obvious in real life.

You get all this for just £3010. Slightly more than the £2560 I paid over two years ago, but still amazing value when you put it up against what you can buy for that amount from other luxury watch brands. Compare for instance to the £5000 Omega Seamaster or the £8000 Rolex Submariner. It’s also roughly the same price as a Tag Heuer Aquaracer, which contains the much maligned Calibre 5 and isn’t quite as well finished.

But none of this really means anything does it? Those of us who love watches don’t buy with our heads but with our hearts. Or do we? I think the reality is sometimes a mixture. The specs were certainly a reason for me to get the credit card out, and the fact Tudor had released the BB58 in blue was enough to see me put the OG BB58, which had been my most-worn watch for over a year, up for sale. When it arrived, however, I was a little unsure if I had done the right thing. The blue dial was a little bit muted and I was worried it might feel a little bit ordinary.

Two years on, though, I have fallen completely for this watch. It has developed into a much deeper affection which not many watches I buy end up achieving. Despite the Black Bay’s popularity, I do consider this to be a modern classic and it’s possibly the closest we’ll ever get to a reissue of the blue Tudor Sub. I love the fact that it’s a modern evolution of those vintage Subs. I love how the light catches the hands and contrasts with the dial. I love the fact that it can be a proper tool watch, but also look extremely classy at the same time. And I love that it just does everything so damn well – it’s equally at home on the beach with a pair of shorts as it is with t-shirt and jeans or a suit in the office. It does sporty, casual and formal. If I’m ever in a rush or have a doubt as to which watch to put on, then I just reach for this one.

Can any watch be the perfect watch? Well I’m still not sure about that, but if I could only keep one watch, then the Black Bay 58 certainly makes a very convincing case.

Thanks Charlie, while I know you are not alone in thinking that the BB58 is the perfect watch, I remain stubbornly unconvinced, but it was still a great post! Hope to see more from you in the future.