BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
I believe I’ve mentioned a few times in the past year or so about watch brands purposely downsizing their models recently. In fact, one of our newest articles covered the new 38mm Blancpain Fifty Fathoms watches which is just one example of many. When I first started writing about watches in 2014, brands were determined to increase the diameter of all their models to meet market demand. However, as more and more brands are realising, there is a reason to offer more watches with smaller cases. The newest addition to Tudor’s watch collection, the Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue” ref 79000, is the latest example of this.
This colourful watch debuts just in time for the beginning of summer with a 37.0mm x 11.2mm stainless steel case offering 200m of water resistance. A true diver, then. Being a Tudor, it needs to be interesting and offer good value for money. I don’t think of a Tudor as a “poor man’s Rolex”, however, they clearly set out to offer colour and sizing combinations that the Crown just won’t make. That creative freedom is something to cherish.
The sand-textured dial coloured blue is the star of the show, conveying all the necessary information while also appealing to the eye. I also really like the polished bezel, which features a sand-textured finish on its markers; it reminds me of the old 2000s-era Omega Seamasters, which also looked great with a polished bezel. The brushing and polishing extend to the case and the Jubilee-style multilink bracelet.
Inside the case is the self-winding calibre MT5400 which was designed and built by Tudor. It features a 4Hz beat rate, the industry standard today, and a long 70-hour power reserve. I appreciate that they omitted any date indication on this model; it makes the dial cleaner.
Tudor’s new Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue” ref 79000 is not a limited edition model and is available now for $4,350 / €4,240 / £3,590.
