Today, for the first time, we have the pleasure of presenting to your attention a model from the brand’s cult “Fifty-Eight” series in its bronze case version. As most of you know, the series is named this way because of the year of the launch of the brand’s first diver – the cult 7924, also called “Big Crown”, and more precisely in honour of the year it was released on the market.
The series became sought after and desired not only by fans of the brand, but also by watch collectors in general. Today’s model was introduced in 2021 and is more special, as it is made of bronze and is offered exclusively in Tudor monobrand boutiques around the world.
To be completely precise, the case is made from an alloy known as aluminium bronze. The production process is also different from that of a steel case. Rods of the alloy are cut into small cylinders and then heated before being stamped in order to take on the rough shape of the watch’s middle case. After that, no fewer than forty additional steps are required – milling, threading, drilling – to obtain a bronze case ready to preserve the 200-metre water resistance of the steel models.
As for the material itself, it is identical to that used in previous Black Bay bronze watches. The aluminium bronze alloy is known for developing a relatively limited patina over time, as it remains fairly stable even in harsh conditions such as salt water or acidic environments. We are talking only about surface oxidation, and the process is reversible, since aluminium bronze can easily be returned to its original colour through cleaning.
The other evolution of this Black Bay Fifty-Eight Bronze is the dial, which connects this watch with other bronze models from the Black Bay collection. Tudor once again introduces the distinctive layout with applied Arabic numerals at 3, 6 and 9 o’clock – something exclusive to the bronze editions. The dial itself is also new. Contrary to our first impression, the colour is unprecedented and different from the tone used on the 2016 Black Bay Bronze with a brown dial. Called brown-bronze, the colour is richer, more pronounced and slightly darker.
Tudor has also adopted one of the hottest trends on the market – the gradient dial, which has a fading effect, with the edges darker than the centre. The bezel is also in the same colour, with a brown-bronze anodised aluminium insert. To ensure consistency, the hands, applied indexes, minute scale, logos and 60-minute bezel scale are all in a golden tone.
At its heart beats the brand’s in-house MT5402 movement – an automatic calibre with 70 hours of power reserve, 27 jewels and operating at 28,800 vibrations – a COSC-certified chronometer.
