The cheap fake Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight made its way to Baselworld in 2018. The result was near unanimous praise and a watch that, in my view, is still easily the best model the brand offers. The Black Bay line contains a lot of luxury replica watches uk in all sorts of materials, sizes, and complications. Prior to the Fifty-Eight, though, all the dive models had one trait in common; they were thick! The Fifty-Eight changed all that.
The first model came with a black dial, aged lume, and looks very similar to the original Tudor Submariner from back in 1954. The diver comes with a 39mm case and has just 11.9mm of thickness. It does have a screw down crown, but loses 100 meters of water resistance to the Rolex. Still, 200 meters is more than enough for 99.9% of wearers. Versus older Tudor models with third party movements, the Fifty-Eight has an in-house MT5402 automatic complete with chronometer certification and 70 hours of power reserve. To keep things affordable, Tudor copy uses an aluminum bezel in lieu of ceramic on the Sub.
Two choices
Whereas the Rolex Submariner comes in any color you like as long as it’s black, Tudor offers choice. Last year, Tudor caused a minor internet meltdown when it released a blue version of the Fifty-Eight (on strap above). The model is identical to the black version, but lacks any aged lume. Finally, after over a year, these models are becoming easier to source. The great thing about the high quality fake Tudor Fifty-Eight, in addition to availability, is the pricing. These models retail for $3,700 on bracelet and that makes them a relative bargain.
What I’ve always liked about the blue dial copy Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight is that it feels like an earlier Submariner. What I mean by that is that it’s lightweight and feels agile if that makes any sense. It’s a lot like putting on my Submariner 14060M. As far as demerits, there are very few.
I don’t love the riveted Oyster bracelet because I think it looks a little kitschy. I am ok with the no crown guard look, but the space between the crown and case has always struck me as a bit odd. However, it has become a hallmark of the Black Bay dive lineup. Finally, I think most would love to see a basic black model with white lume, but it seems that Rolex avoids this on purpose.
Final thoughts
In my view, the steel case copy Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight is now more in keeping with the original premise of the Rolex Submariner. Essentially, it’s a no nonsense (aside from some decidedly retro touches) dive watch with good specs and an approachable price tag to boot. It has become a bona fide option for a great everyday watch that looks good in a variety of situations. The Rolex Submariner, on the other hand, brings high end finishing, great specs, and a high price tag to boot. It’s impossible to find and occupies a space with other high fashion brands more often than not. Sure, it can still perform if it needs to underwater or during fishing outings. However, it has reached such a level of exclusivity that most would probably throw on a less expensive watch for such activities. That’s a shame, but we are where we are.
