TUDOR Black Bay Fifty-Eight BRONZE

Tudor has introduced a new version of its famous Black Bay Fifty-Eight heritage model realized entirely in BRONZE with a full bronze bracelet to boot, and it’s utterly bronza’licious or is it, and does this questionably tasty new BB Bronze tick all the boxes or has it ticked just one too many? Bronze Black Bays are nothing new, Tudor has released a few bronzed BBs over the past 5yrs, they debuted the Heritage Black Bay Bronze back in 2016 but ones that feature full bronze bracelets are something new even within the niche within a niche that bronze watches like this find themselves. So Tudor has some experience using bronze, which is why this newcomer created as a Boutique Edition with its high-performance Al Bronze case, components and bracelet, its rich new brown-bronze color palette that adorns its domed dial will likely be snapped up.

Btw, here’s a quick point by point summary of all the watch’s key features for all our ADD afflicted friends. 

* 39mm satin-brushed bronze case whose color evolves to match its user's habits 

* Shaded matt "brown-bronze" dial with applied hour markers and Arabic numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o'clock 

* Manufacture Calibre MT5400, certified by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) with a hairspring in silicon and a 70-hour power reserve 

*“Snowflake” hands, one of the hallmarks of the TUDOR divers’ watches introduced in 1969, with grade A Swiss phosphorescent Super-LumiNova® coating 

*Bronze bracelet with TUDOR "T-fit" clasp with rapid adjustment and an complimentary "brown-bronze" jacquard fabric strap included

Okay, so did you spot Tudor’s marketing fluff above? Yes, bronze that “evolves to match its user’s habits” – gimme a break guys; it’s bronze it develops a patina – nuff said! 

Tudor’s choice of Aluminum bronze alloy though is more credible (commendable even) as it’s used in maritime engineering for those submerged components that are required to demonstrate a high level of corrosion-resistance to saltwater such as ship and submarine propellers.

Tudor say of the Black bay Bronze’s brushed finish that this was chosen in addition to offering a more toolish appearance in keeping with the maritime world that it pays tribute to, that it also guarantees are more uniformed patina to develop rather than the more mottled (fugly imo) patina that some bronze watches develop.

While Tudor has been utilizing bronze in its collection for several years, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze model marks the first time that the brand has produced a bracelet entirely from bronze. 

In fact bronze bracelets are few and far between mainly because bronze doesn’t react well with sweaty skin – this is why most bronze watches come with either; steel, PVD or some other type or more hypoallergenic case-backs.

This model actually comes with a bronze colored PVD-treated steel case-back rather than solid bronze for this very reason so how has Tudor addressed this issue with the bracelet? It is unclear. 

Getting back to said bracelet, its satin-brushed links take on the style of Tudor’s historic bracelets from the 50s and '60s, with rivets, which are coordinated with the case and will develop a patina at the same pace.

Meanwhile a new bronze clasp, also satin-brushed, with a redesigned cover and TUDOR "T-fit" rapid adjustment system for the length, completes the full bronze look. 

Easy to use, requiring no tools and offering 5 positions, this practical system allows wearers of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze to carry out a fine, instant adjustment on an adjustment window along the entire length of the 8mm bracelet.

In the spirit of an aesthetic tribute to the brand's naval heritage, Tudor provides a complimentary strap with its Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze model. 

Historically the French Navy had their Tudor diver’s watches delivered without bracelets and so fitted them with their own straps, handmade or otherwise.

One of them, found on a vintage dive watch and conserved in the brand archives, is made of elastic recovered from a French rescue parachute. 

It is to this ultra-functional relic, recognizable by its central yellow thread that the brown-bronze textile jacquard strap recalls.

Finally this watch is powered by the Manufacture Caliber MT5400, which equips the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze, displays hour, minute and second functions. It has the finish typical of Tudor Manufacture Calibers: 

Its rotor in tungsten monobloc is openwork and satin-brushed with sand-blasted details, and its bridges and main-plate have alternate sand-blasted, polished surfaces and laser decorations. 

MSRP is 4'525USD. Not a fan of bronze – how bout’ CERAMIC?

Thoughts? On its full bronze bracelet, I find the watch a little too full on but on its textile strap it looks as good as any other BB Bronze has done. 

There’s some nice contrast from the dial and bezel inlay but again I think the crown would benefit from a touch of color such as a dial colored sleeve or inlay. 

Getting back to the bracelet surely this won’t feel particularly great against your wrist especially in the warmer weather unless it benefits from some sort of plasma coating? But what do you think – can you handle this much bronze?