Jewellery & Watch News
The TUDOR Black Bay 58 GMT is crowned with an iconic “Coke” bezel that has sent the watch-collecting world crazy.
The TUDOR Black Bay 58 GMT watch has to be one of the most talked about releases of the Watches & Wonders 2024 showcase this year. People are calling it the “Coke” version because of its striking red and black bezel insert, crafted from anodised aluminium material. Since this watch reads multiple time zones on one dial, it is classed as a GMT complication. Although this new watch honours the very compact and manageable proportions of the Black Bay 58 watch collection (for those who don’t know, that’s a 39mm diameter), it does wear a tiny bit larger and that’s all to do with the case’s 0.9mm thicker case depth. That small difference doesn’t seem like much to write home about but it does give the watch a slightly bulkier and more substantial feel. Let’s take a deeper delve into the details of this new GMT TUDOR.
The Black Bay 58 watch was a welcomed treat for those with slimmer wrists when it launched in 2018. Finally, those who found the Black Bay’s original 41mm diameter too bulky could enjoy all its finest features in a more compact size. The same can be said for this GMT version. The company has combined the smaller proportions of the Black Bay 58 with the functionality of the travel watch complication. The 24-hour hand can be read in combination with the striking burgundy and black bezel, while the central hands are legible and bold, courtesy of plenty of luminous material.
Still Vintage-Inspired
Of course, one of the most attractive elements of the Black Bay watch is its neo-vintage charm. If you loved that aspect of the retro dive-watch-inspired design, you’ll be pleased to know that the new Black Bay 58 GMT has lost nothing in the way of character. Take a look at the bezel, for example. You’ll see how the new GMT watch sports some tanned/beige numerals applied to the contrasting red and black sections of the bezel. This colour choice gives the watch a real “throwback” feel and fits in line with TUDOR’s heritage and the first dive watches it produced decades ago. The stainless steel Oyster-style bracelet is a great addition to this design. It enables you to go from lunch in the city to a meeting in the boardroom, bridging that gap perfectly. Alternatively, you could opt for the black rubber strap, which looks killer on the new TUDOR Black Bay 58 GMT watch. Not only does it comply with the back dial and bezel colour scheme, but it also pops against the shots of burgundy!
The Height
Let’s talk about the height of the new TUDOR Black Bay 58 GMT watch. Case depth is a real sticking point for watch collectors when it comes to GMT watches. To house a complication movement like this inside a case, you have to accept that its height is going to be somewhat compromised. But a 12.8mm case height for the Black Bay 58 GMT is applaudable and total credit should be given to the brand for achieving this. Combined with this height and a 39mm diameter is a waterproofness (as TUDOR likes to call it) of 200 meters. The case is also topped with a strong piece of sapphire crystal glass, which does a great job of protecting the dial from damage caused by dust, denting, scratching, light, moisture, heat and impact. To provide a clear view into the dial of the watch, the glass has been treated with anti-reflective properties, so it won’t matter whether you’re directly under natural sunlight, or standing under artificial lighting - the dial will remain legible and glare-free all the time.
The Dial
What I love about the new TUDOR Black Bay 58 GMT watch is its faithfulness to the neo-vintage appeal of the original Black Bay series. The dial feels incredibly dive-oriented with its famous “Snowflake” hands and the lollipop second hand. That same lollipop hand is used on the Black Bay 54 and is a strong nod to the brand’s Submariner watch of yesteryear. Suffice it to say, it’s always a complete treat when a brand like this adds a real slice of history back into its design. Those gilt finishes complement the glossy bezel and the beige/guilt detailing of the 24-hour markers perfectly. Adding even more of a vintage edge to the design is the fact that the sapphire crystal glass front is also domed in profile.
Behind the dial and inside the case is a METAS-approved movement. You can read up on what it takes to be a METAS-approved watch in the article I covered on the revamped Black Bay watch a couple of weeks ago. But what you need to know is that the movement is incredibly precise and reliable. The Calibre NT5450-U has been made specifically for the new TUDOR Black Bay 58 GMT watch. The “U” in the name is a nod to the shape of a magnet, underscoring its anti-magnetic capability thanks to some silicone parts. The movement is also COSC-certified and is a fully self-winding engine with a bidirectional rotating system. If you wanted to alternate this watch throughout a weekend, you could do that too. The 65-hour power reserve will ensure the watch keeps accurate time while away from the wrist. On that note, if you tend to rotate your watches regularly, you might like to check out our range of watch winders here at C W Sellors.
So, there we have it. A “coke” GMT version of the TUDOR Black Bay 58 watch. With manageable dimensions, a crisp 24-hour bezel, and a legible dial with GMT hand and luminous details – this is a watch that will appeal to frequent travellers, dive watch collectors, and TUDOR enthusiasts like.
If you’d like to check out the watch in more detail, you can do that here at C W Sellors. Alternatively, give our sales team a call on 01335 216004 or email us at sales@cwsellors.com to make a purchase directly with us.
