Tudor Black Bay: History, Models, Value and Official Videos

Introduced: 2012 (Ref. 79220R)
Case sizes: 37 mm (54), 39 mm (58, Pro), 41 mm, 43 mm (Bronze, 68)
Movements: In-house calibres since 2016 (e.g. MT5602, MT5400, MT5652)
Chronograph: MT5813 since 2017, based on Breitling B01

TUDOR Black Bay 54 "Lagoon Blue" – official video by Tudor on YouTube

Where the Black Bay comes from

Tudor introduced the Black Bay in 2012 as a modern take on its early dive watches. The first model, Ref. 79220R, had a 41 mm steel case, a burgundy bezel and a domed sapphire crystal. In 2013 the Heritage Black Bay won the Revival prize at the Grand Prix d'Horlogerie de Genève. Tudor's own diver story begins in 1954 with the Oyster Prince Submariner, and in 1958 water resistance rose to 200 meters. The Black Bay draws on those watches and on later Tudor divers, including the snowflake hands that appeared on Tudor dive watches in the 1960s and 1970s.

The Black Bay family and its main lines

Today "Black Bay" is a whole family rather than one watch. The table shows the main lines, with details as given by the sources listed on this page.

Series	Years	References	Case	Movement
Black Bay (original)	since 2012	79220R (first model)	41 mm steel	MT5602 (in-house since 2016)
Black Bay Bronze	since 2016	–	43 mm bronze-aluminum alloy	MT5601
Black Bay Chrono	since 2017	–	41 mm steel	MT5813, based on Breitling B01
Black Bay GMT	since 2018	–	41 mm steel	MT5652
Black Bay Fifty-Eight	since 2018	79030N (steel)	39 mm steel	MT5402, later MT5400
Black Bay 54	since 2023	79000N	37 mm steel	MT5400

In 2016 Tudor introduced in-house movements, and dials with the shield logo replaced the earlier rose. Since 2021 some models, starting with the Black Bay Ceramic, carry METAS Master Chronometer certification.

Notable versions

Black Bay Bronze (2016): 43 mm case in a bronze and aluminum alloy with a brown dial and bezel. Bronze changes color with wear, so each watch ages differently.
Black Bay Chrono (2017): 41 mm chronograph with the MT5813, developed with Breitling and based on Breitling's B01.
Black Bay GMT (2018): 41 mm, with a 24-hour hand and a red and blue bezel in the style of the Rolex GMT-Master "Pepsi."
Black Bay Fifty-Eight (2018): 39 mm, named after the first 200-meter Tudor Submariner of 1958.
Black Bay 54 (2023): 37 mm and 11.24 mm thick, inspired by the Submariner Ref. 7922.
Black Bay Pro: 39 mm with a fixed 24-hour bezel and a yellow GMT hand.
Black Bay 68: 43 mm, the largest steel model, with the MT5601-U.

Tudor has also made limited and special editions, for example the Black Bay P01 (2019), based on a 1960s US Navy prototype, and a Ref. 79230 made for Harrods.

What is a Tudor Black Bay worth?

Value depends mainly on the line and reference, the dial, the condition, and whether box, papers and the original strap or bracelet are included. Rare and limited editions sit apart from the standard models. Because Tudor changed movements and dial logos in 2016, collectors also look at which generation a watch belongs to: references ending in -0001 carry the older movement, and those ending in -0002 the newer one. Documented auction results show that even standard Black Bays trade on the secondary market: a Ref. 79230 made for Harrods in 2020 sold for CHF 5,292 at Phillips Geneva (online auction, 12 to 16 September 2022) against an estimate of CHF 2,000 to 4,000.

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Official Tudor Black Bay videos

All videos come from the official Tudor YouTube channel. They present the Black Bay 58, 54, GMT, Chrono, Pro, Ceramic and 68, including the Watches and Wonders 2026 novelties.

More Tudor videos, sorted by model: all official Tudor playlists.

Sources (6)

SwissWatchExperts is not affiliated with Tudor. Brand and model names are trademarks of their owners; the videos are embedded from the official Tudor YouTube channel.

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Frequently asked questions

When was the Tudor Black Bay introduced?

Tudor introduced the Black Bay in 2012. The first model, Ref. 79220R, had a 41 mm steel case and a burgundy bezel.

How big is a Tudor Black Bay?

It depends on the line: the Black Bay 54 is 37 mm, the 58 and the Pro are 39 mm, the standard Black Bay, GMT and Chrono are 41 mm, and the Bronze and the Black Bay 68 are 43 mm.

Which movement does a Black Bay have?

Since 2016 Tudor uses in-house calibres, for example the MT5602 in the standard model, the MT5400 in the 54 and 58, the MT5652 in the GMT and Pro, and the MT5813 in the Chrono, which is based on Breitling's B01.

What does the name Black Bay 58 mean?

It refers to 1958, the year the first 200-meter Tudor Submariner was released. The case measures 39 mm.

How can I tell an older Black Bay from a newer one?

Dials with the shield logo and chronometer text identify the in-house movement introduced in 2016. For the standard steel models, references ending in -0001 are the older versions and those ending in -0002 the newer ones.

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Tudor Black Bay: history, models and official videos