Review: Tudor’s Black Bay 54 Captures the Spirit Of the Brand’s First-Ever Dive Watch

After nearly six decades of crafting high-end dive watches, Tudor introduced its now-iconic Black Bay range in 2012. Since its debut, the Black Bay lineup has consisted of modern ocean-faring timepieces that draw various levels of inspiration from Tudor’s dive watches of yesteryear. Known as the Tudor Black Bay 54, the latest addition to the “BB” lineup, however, takes a more direct approach with the influence of its design, having been closely modeled after the Swiss brand’s very first dive watch — albeit with a modern twist. From the outside looking in, the new B54 makes for an incredibly attractive horological proposition, though it isn’t until actually getting a watch on-wrist that one often learns the true merits and shortcomings of a timepiece. Wanting to discover what this new Black Bay model has to offer — and how it actually performs in day-to-day life — we’ve gotten a hold of this new Swiss-made dive reference in order to deliver this hands-on review of the Tudor Black Bay 54 watch.

At the 1954 BaselWorld show in Switzerland, Rolex introduced the horological world to the now-iconic Submariner dive watch. Tudor — which was created by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf in an effort to deliver high-quality watches at more accessible prices — followed suit later that same year with its own similarly-styled diver known as the Ref. 7922 Submariner — a watch that shared many of its components with its Crown-logoed counterpart, including its Oyster-type case. Slimmer than the case on Tudor’s Black Bay 58 — at 11.24mm for the BB54 versus the BB58’s 11.9mm sizing — the Black Bay 54 takes ample inspiration from its 1954 predecessor with a classic Oyster case brought to life in ocean-ready, corrosion-resistant stainless steel. Like the 1954 model, this Oyster case features a knurled, fully-unprotected Rose-logoed crown (albeit with a shorter stem), and a 60-minute unidirectional-rotating coin-edge stainless steel bezel that now comes equipped with an aluminum insert. 

Water resistant down to 200 meters — the water rating that’s been Tudor’s standard since 1958 — the case sports meticulously-applied vertical brushing on top of the lugs that extends into the bracelet, before ultimately being punctuated by rows of high polish that wrap around the side of the case. The biggest and most notable update to this case, however, is almost certainly its dimensions. Though it features a fairly standard 46mm lug-to-lug and a 20mm lug, the case’s width has been produced in a more compact 37mm size — the same case width found on Tudor’s Ref. 7922 from 1954, while offering twice the water resistance. It is worth pointing out that the BB54’s case comes paired with a solid steel case-back — in lieu of the exhibition caseback found on some of the family’s other watches like the Black Bay 58. And, if it wasn’t already clear, this dive watch’s name pays homage to the year the Ref. 7922 was released, and does NOT denote its case size like other members of the ever-growing Black Bay range.

A monumental part of what makes the Tudor Black Bay 54 so special is its dial. Drawing clear and ample influence from vintage divers — the Ref. 7922 more specifically — this classic diver-style face features gilded framing for its hands, indices, and markers, as well as on its dial text above 6 o’clock and below 12 with Tudor’s shield logo and text prominently on display. Protected beneath a domed sapphire, this dial follows in the footsteps of Rolex’s Submariner, though sees the company’s sister brand put its own unique spin on the layout in the form of its signature snowflake hour hand— which admittedly didn’t appear until 15 years after the debut of the 7922, but nonetheless seem more than appropriate on the BB54. Completing the hand-set is a lollypop-style seconds hand and a sword-style minute hand.

The dial also features classic Submariner-style baton markers at 3, 6, and 9, a triangular marker at 12, and circular items at every other hour — indices that, like the dial’s hand-set and bezel’s 12 o’clock insert, have been generously painted in Super-LumiNova lume. It may not look at that different from other Sub and retro-inspired dive watches, though upon closer inspection the dial on the Black Bay 54 is markedly more true to its predecessor than most other references currently on the market. 

At the heart of Tudor’s Black Bay 54 is an exceptionally capable motor. In place of the 1954 Ref. 7922 Submariner’s Cal. 390, Tudor has opted to bestow its homage to the 7922 with the markedly more modern Manufacture Calibre MT5400 movement. COSC-certified, this Swiss-made automatic movement was developed in-house by Tudor and features  a bidirectional rotor system,  an open-worked tungsten monoblock rotor, and a traversing balance bridge. Armed with 27 jewels and a beat rate of  4Hz (28,800vph), the Calibre MT5400 ultimately generates a healthy 70-hour power reserve. Measuring just 6.5mm thick, this seriously impressive three-hand movement undoubtedly make this already special dive watch all the more noteworthy — and all the more conducive to everyday use. 

We’ve long been particularly impressed with the overall comfort and adjustability of Tudor’s bracelets, and the unit on the Black Bay 54 lives up to these standards — and does so in spades. Similar to the three-link items found on other members of the Black Bay family, the BB54’s bracelet sports a super crisp fit and finish along with the Swiss brand’s T-Fit adjustment clasp. This simple-looking clasp setup conceals ceramic ball bearings for the closure’s mechanism plus boasts an integrated extension system, making it all the more noteworthy. Mating to the BB54’s 20mm lug, this watch’s bracelet does feature Tudor’s decisive retro-inspired faux rivet design — which can be a plus or minus depending on your personal taste, though we happen to appreciate this vintage-style motif, plus it feels all the more appropriate on a watch that pays direct homage to Tudor’s Ref. 7922 diver. Tudor also sells the Black Bay 54 with an even more comfortable — and dive-ready — rubber strap, as well. 

When it comes to modern-day remakes of iconic films, one of the biggest factors that determine the overall quality of the flick will be the original source material that it’s drawing from. In this same sense, Tudor was already setup for success with the BB54, as the watch’s “source material” just so happens to be an incredibly attractive and thoroughly iconic vintage dive watch — giving the BB54 a major advantage right out of the gate. Boasting Tudor’s typical top-notch level of fit and finish, the Black Bay 54 offers a beautiful amalgamation of modern and vintage visual themes. Upon first glance the watch can even pass for a genuine vintage dive watch, though on closer inspection its more contemporary aesthetic elements begin jumping out at you. 

The Black Bay 58 is simply a stunning-looking watch made all the more attractive by its surprising level of versatility, with the ability to easily be dressed up or dressed down using a different band or strap. Also a great candidate for everyday/GADA use, the BB54 has an authentic appearance that strikes the perfect balance between old and new. Additionally, with its more compact dimensions — which are also more true to Tudor’s vintage divers — the Black Bay 54 also makes for a stellar choice for wearers with smaller wrists, or for anyone seeking a smaller, more sublet-looking timepiece. 

It is crucial to point out that, despite its top-notch build quality, generous 200-meter water resistance rating, and classic diver-style, the Black Bay 54 is largely a diver in look and name only. So, while capable of some casual use beneath the waves, the BB54 wasn’t engineered to be a true diver’s tool watch like many of its more purpose-built Omega and Doxa-made diver counterparts. Aside from that — and a largely unprotected crown — Tudor’s Black Bay 54 is otherwise devoid of shortcomings, and not only genuinely stands as one of the most impressive vintage-style divers we’ve ever seen, but simply one of the very best vintage-style watches, period.