The bold aesthetic of the Black Bay 58 meets the decadence of 18k yellow gold in this daring rendition of the popular model. This year, they’ve finally produced a bracelet worthy of its extravagant nature.
The Swiss brand Tudor has done a great deal to step out of the shadow of their sister brand. They’ve forged an identity for themselves through effective craftsmanship and distinctive designs, all at a price point accessible to more fans and enthusiasts of the horological community.
For Watches and Wonders 2024, Tudor has only furthered their distinction, releasing references such as the Monochrome and the Black Bay 39mm GMT (click here to read the article) to critical acclaim. However, this didn’t mean that they were going to disregard their existing collections!
Tudor Black Bay 18K M79018V-0006 – Full view 
Tudor Black Bay 18K M79018V-0006
The Tudor Black Bay 58 18k is, for this year, the subject of interest. Released in 2021, this upmarket Tudor reference included several aesthetic features not present in standard renditions of the ever-popular Black Bay collection. Of course, the 39mm, fully 18k yellow gold case is the elephant in the room here. This enhances the elegance of the Black Bay 58’s strong silhouette, complete with the Tudor signatures of the signed Tudor Rose crown and iconic snowflake hands. This golden glow is only elevated by the addition of a green dial and bezel – my favourite dial colour of all the Tudors, actually – and a display case back showing off the in-house MT5400 movement.
Tudor Black Bay 18K M79018V-0006 
Tudor Black Bay 18K M79018V-0006 – Finishing details
For an upmarket move, the Tudor Black Bay 58 18k was a success. However, the watch community held reservations regarding the original strap options, which were limited to either brown alligator leather or a green and gold fabric strap. As nice as both options looked, they felt a little out of place, making the timepiece’s identity even muddier. Was it a practical diver? Was it a flashy statement piece?
Of course, being decked out in 18k yellow gold meant that it was the latter. Tudor cemented this, this year by finally releasing a reference with the 18k yellow gold three-link bracelet, complete with the ‘T-Fit’ micro-adjustment clasp. Of course, all the classic fixings remain – The Black Bay 58 18k still retains the 70-hour, COSC-certified MT5400 movement, as well as its distinctive design and 200m water resistance. Although you and I both know that this isn’t going to touch a single droplet of water any time soon.
Final Thoughts
A non-major yet much-needed update to the original, the Tudor Black Bay 58 18k on the gold bracelet is a welcome addition to the collection. Although the gold bracelet does up the price by a significant portion, it brings with it a sense of completeness and consistency with the overall design.
While I won’t be getting something like this anytime soon, I’m happy to know that the full gold reference now exists. However, I’m still waiting for the day that Tudor brings more dial/bezel colours to the standard Black Bay collection—that green in stainless steel would be an absolute killer and would tip me over the edge to buy from the Shield once more.
Reference: M79018V-0006
Specification
- Case: 39mm case diameter, 12.7mm thickness
- Case Material: 18k yellow gold
- Dial: Green
- Crystal: Domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on both sides
- Water resistance: 200m (20 Bar)
- Movement: Manufacture Calibre MT5400 (COSC)
- Movement Frequency: 4Hz (28,800 VpH)
- Power reserve: 70 hours
- Bracelet: 3-link 18 ct yellow gold bracelet with satin finish throughout and 18 ct yellow gold “T-fit” clasp
