The new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K is worth its weight in gold.
At RM64,670, the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K watch effectively smashes the glass ceiling that has kept the collection hedged in a comfortably affordable price category since its launch. As the name implies, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K is encased in 18K yellow gold, the first time Tudor has opted to feature a precious metal in the collection. The watch also comes with an open caseback that offers a view to its automatic Calibre MT5400 with 70-hour power reserve – also a first for the collection, which endows this Black Bay Fifty-Eight with a sense of high luxe.
That said, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K still looks and feels very much like the tool watch-inspired creation that it is. The 39mm gold case is satin-finished for a matt effect, resulting in a muted, bronze-y tone. Paired with a ‘golden green’ dial, with brown alligator leather and green fabric straps, the watch emanates a certain sportive ruggedness despite the gold case. Of course, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight’s trademark vintage-inspired style with features like the iconic ‘Snowflake’ hands inspired by a 1969 model and domed sapphire crystal, and well-established performance specs like 100m water resistance and COSC-certified precision, help emphasise the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K’s tool watch DNA.
One’d certainly know where his money goes when strapping on the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K – the weight of gold will not be lost on the wearer. At the same time, with Tudor seemingly taking pains to aesthetically ‘un-luxe’ its priciest Black Bay ever, it makes one wonder if the brand is somewhat tentative about the evolution.
Given the popularity of the Black Bay repertoire amongst watch connoisseurs, a deep-pocketed cognoscenti that we imagine would be hardly fiscally inconvenienced by the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K’s retail price, all the models in the current production will no doubt be quickly spoken for. If Tudor’s intention is to test the waters and see how high it can take the Black Bay collection up the luxury spectrum, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 18K would probably yield very encouraging results. We might not see a diamond-encrusted something anytime soon, but we’d also not bet against a rose or white gold something in the near future.
