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Ushering in The Age Of Bronze: Meet the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition 

I can’t say more unless I have this strapped on my wrist except that for only 6’160 AUD Tudor enthusiasts and collectors get one hell of a deal. The new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition ushers in a new Age Of Bronze, and how. 

Ushering in The Age Of Bronze: Meet the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition 

Editor’s note: Like you, we have been excited by Tudor’s releases from the Watches & Wonders 2021. Tudor has been hitting it out of the park this year and today we introduce the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition for 2021. And while a hands-on review should come soon, to check out our other detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition
The Age Of Bronze

It’s finally here. A watch much debated on forums and amongst Tudor fans. For anyone with slimmer wrists, the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition in 39mm is a moment to revel in. 

Michelangelo’s The Dying Slave is an iconic sculpture from the 16th century. It acts as inspiration for another iconic sculpture from the 19th century, François Auguste René Rodin’s famous bronze statue L’Âge d’airain (or The Age Of Bronze). 

In the same vein as both have their place in history, meet the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition that is a milestone horological art inspired by the brand’s own history (and the 2016’s 43mm bronze diver with similar aesthetics). 

The watch’s beautifully gradient matt brown-bronze domed dial with applied hour markers and Arabic numerals at 3, 6 and 9’o clock allows the peruser of this art to master time. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition
The Context

It is the third bronzed marvel from the brand in recent years: the 2019 slate-grey Tudor Black Bay Bronze 43 ref. M79250BA-0001 (reviewed here) or ref. M79250BA-0001 (fabric strap variation) retails for $5’650 AUD. It was the second regular production variation of the watches-in-bronze collection by Tudor that was first revealed in 2016 in a brown version that won the “Petite Aiguille” prize at the 2016 Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Genève, a feat repeated last year by Black Bay Fifty-Eight. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition

The new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition in 39mm features looks reminiscent of this first 2016 version, but the added bracelet and almost ‘rose’ like brown-red aesthetics are simply stunning to look at on first glance. 

To be frank, it’s as if the new Tudor BB 18K had a love child with the Tudor BBB from 2016. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition

For most, the main highlight would be the new bronze bracelet — a first — fitted with a new clasp with a rapid adjustment system. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition

But as impressive as the riveted bronze bracelet is with its redesigned cover and Tudor “T-fit” rapid adjustment system that adjusts the length of the bracelet in 5 positions covering 8mm length, my vote goes to the complimentary “brown-bronze” fabric strap with yellow center-line and bronze buckle. On this strap, I reckon it looks like a million bucks.

Add to this the recurring “Snowflake” hands with grade A Swiss phosphorescent Super-LumiNova® coating and what one gets is a timepiece that’s not only handsome but also legible to the degree of crime. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition
The Engine 

Just like the normal BB58 range, the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition features a COSC-certified manufacture movement, the calibre MT5400. This larger 30.3mm diameter and 5mm thick movement — as compared to the 26mm diameter and 4.99mm thick calibre MT5402 of the BB58 Navy — features a variable inertia balance, a non-magnetic silicon balance spring, and the same materials and decoration on the rotor. It beats at the same frequency of 4Hz (28’800 A/h), comprises the same 27 jewels, and offers the same impressive 70-hour power reserve.

The ref. 79012M like the rest of the new Tudor Black Bay collection for 2021 is obviously 200m water-resistant and comes with a five-year transferable guarantee with no registration or periodic maintenance checks required. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition
The Body 

In regards to the dimensions, the 43mm Black Bay Bronze is 43mm in diameter, 14,5mm thick, and is larger from lug-to-lug at 53.0mm and also has an unusual 23mm lug intern-horn spacing. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition
39, 43, 39, 43 – Bronze, Bronze, Gold, Bronze

The new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze is a welcome 39mm in diameter, only 11.9mm thick and 48mm from lug to lug. It also thankfully features the 20mm interhorn spacing for easy strap changes. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition
Parting Thoughts 

This is one timepiece that I would love to check out in person, and not only because its bronze is going to develop a patina and sing the tune of its master’s water — and land — adventures. I am very curious to see how this looks in comparison to the new BB58 18k and the existing 43mm Tudor BBB. 

Tudor 18k And Ceramic 1
new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition

The L’Âge d’airain is known for its realism, acclaim and scandalous nature, and the new Tudor is no different: to me, it’s as realistic as a ‘perfect’ bronzed diver should be in terms of aesthetics and dimensions, and I am sure that the online forums will be ablaze with comments that will be both praiseworthy and scandalous. 

I can’t say more unless I have this strapped on my wrist except that for only 6’160 AUD Tudor enthusiasts and collectors get one hell of a deal. The new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition ushers in a new Age Of Bronze, and how. 

new Tudor Black Bay Fifty Eight Bronze Boutique Edition

To find out more about the new Tudor Black Bay Bronze Boutique Edition and other Tudor watches, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise specified are ©TUDOR. All Rights Reserved. Make sure to check out our reviews of other Watches & Wonders 2021 releases here.

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