The Best Everyday Dive Watch Just Got Even Better

Tudor’s new Black Bay 58 earned Switzerland’s most prestigious timekeeping certification.

the case, bezel and dial of a red Tudor dive watch

By Brad Lanphear

Published April 1, 2025

·

Updated April 1, 2025

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

This is the first Tudor Black Bay 58 to be certified as a Master Chronometer by METAS, thanks to a Caliber MT5400-U movement
A “lollipop” second hand appears for the first time on a three-hand Black Bay 58
The Black Bay 58 is being offered on a five-link “Jubilee” steel bracelet for the first time

Tudor’s Black Bay 58 was already the best everyday dive watch out there, and now it has been certified with accuracy and precision on par with its famous older brother, the Rolex Submariner.

Watches and Wonders Geneva: The watch world’s biggest release party may be over but the year in horology has just begun. Catch up on all the key novelties from Rolex, Panerai, Patek Philippe and more.

a steel dive watch with a red dial — The Tudor Black Bay 58 is being offered with a five-link “Jubilee” bracelet for the first time.

This isn’t the first Tudor dive watch with a Master Chronometer certification, some standard 41-millimeter Black Bay references and the Black Bay 58 GMT have already achieved it. But this is the first three-hand Black Bay 58, arguably Tudor’s flagship watch, to carry the certification.

a steel dive watch sitting on a clear pedistal — The Black Bay 58 Master Chronometer’s crown has a broader diameter and sits flush against the case.

This is noteworthy because Tudor has long suffered criticism as “Rolex’s little brother,” and the Black Bay as a “poor man’s Submariner.” Setting aside the fact that it costs over $4,000, the Black Bay can now stand toe-to-toe with its lauded sibling in precision and reliability.

New movement, old looks

The new Black Bay 58’s Master Chronometer certification is largely due to the Manufacture Calibre MT5400-U automatic movement. It is really what was tested by METAS, the Swiss agency that certifies timekeeping precision.

three steel dive watches on a red background — The Black Bay 58 Master Chronometer comes with three bracelet options.

The big technological advancement is a silicon hairspring, which increases the power reserve and decreases the effects of magnetism. Another small but impactful upgrade is that the crown is flush against the central case when screwed-down, increasing water resistance.

a steel Tudor dive watch with a red dial on a man's wrist — The Black Bay 58 Master Chronometer maintains the “goldilocks” 39-millimeter case.

METAS tests that movements, which have to be made entirely in Switzerland to qualify, meet advertised power reserve, water resistance, can function in a strong magnetic field and maintain an accuracy of 0/+5 seconds per day, even when 33-percent charged.

While the hour hand maintains the snowflake shape emblematic of the Black Bay, the second hand is now lollipop-shaped, as it was on Tudor’s first dive watches. The crown has also been updated to reflect mid-century models with a wider diameter but a smaller depth, sitting closer to the case.

the red dial of a Tudor dive watch — The Black Bay 58 Master Chronometer has a lollipop second hand and a slightly domed dial.

The new dial has a slight domed shape, which is barely noticeable at arm’s length but accentuates the satin radial-brushed texture as it reacts to light. There is a stronger shimmer to the dial than with previous references, which also emphasizes the applied indices.

Wrist action

The new Black Bay 58 Master Chronometer only comes in one color at the time of release, a rich burgundy with a satin finish that was taken from a Tudor Submariner prototype created in the 1990s and never released.

a Tudor dive watch on a man's wrist — At launch, the Black Bay 58 Master Chronometer is only available in burgundy.

However, there is some variety when it comes to bracelet selection. To begin with, this is the first Black Bay 58 to be offered on a five-link “Jubilee” bracelet popularized by Rolex in the 1960s. It offers a retro vibe that complements the archival updates to the dial and crown.

The other steel bracelet option is a three-link “rivet-style” modeled after the type fitted on Tudor dive watches in the 1950s and 1960s, which had exposed rivet heads on the sides of the links. It also maintains the stepped design, where each link is slightly narrower than the next, running from the lugs to the clasp.

a Tudor dive watch with a red dial and bezel — The three-link “rivet-style” bracelet links gradually narrow from the lugs to the clasp.

The third bracelet option is a black rubber tropical strap with steel end links. All three straps have a T-Fit clasp, which has five positions offering an 8-millimeter range in length adjustment without any tools.

Availability and pricing

The Tudor Black Bay 58 Master Chronometer is available now from Tudor and authorized dealers. It costs $4,600 on a five-link steel bracelet, $4,500 on a five-link “rivet-style” bracelet and $4,275 on a black rubber stap.

While only one dial color is available now, the new Manufacture Calibre MT5400-U movement will likely be the standard for all new Black Bay 58 references, meaning that more colors will become available with the Master Chronometer certification and archival detailing.