True dive watches are utilitarian tools—they help you keep track of time and stay alive underwater. But that doesn’t mean they can’t be beautiful, too. Case in point: the new Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925. A new iteration of the brand’s flagship Black Bay Fifty-Eight dive watch, it’s a prime example of combining form and function, and it features a new silver case and an open case back, both firsts among Tudor dive watches.

 

 

Tudor has a long history with making ocean-going timepieces. The Swiss watchmaker released its first dive watch, reference 7922, in 1954, and it boasted a water-resistance rating of 100 meters. In 1958, the company doubled down and released reference 7924, also known as the “Big Crown,” which was rated for water resistance down to 200 meters.

 

The new Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925 recreates some of the main style hallmarks of these iconic ’50s timepieces (as well as other dive watches in Tudor’s history). At 39mm, the case is relatively small compared to most modern men’s watches, but it’s right in line with the typical case sizes of mid-century tickers. It also comes with snowflake hands, a key distinguishing feature that Tudor first introduced on its dive watches in 1969. A domed dial adds another retro element, and overall this new watch showcases the very best style traits of Tudor’s six decades of dive-ready watchmaking.

Of course, there are plenty of new elements on the Black Bay Fifty-Eight 925, too. Its name offers a hint at one of them: The case is made from 925 silver, a special alloy that comes in a matte satin finish to give off a unique “incandescent brilliance,” as Tudor describes the mystery metal (a trade secret; Tudor won’t reveal the alloy makeup). It also comes with an open case back to give a view of sand-blasted and laser-decorated details inside the MT5400 movement. This is the first time Tudor has offered these features in one of its dive watches, and they really make the 925 stand out, both in the brand’s lineup and on the wrist.

We also love the taupe color Tudor used on the dial and the bezel. It adds a touch of warmth to the watch’s color palette, and looks especially good when paired with the matching jacquard fabric strap. The strap is another nod to history: Each one is produced on heritage looms. The 925 is also available with a brown leather strap, if that’s more your style.

The watch displays hours, minutes, and seconds (with Super-LumiNova hands for excellent visibility), is water-resistant down to 200 meters, and the self-winding MT5400 movement comes with a generous 70-hour power reserve. Because of that, Tudor calls the watch “weekend proof,” meaning you can leave the watch on your dresser all weekend without having to worry about it stopping.

But with a watch this good looking, you’ll want to wear it all weekend anyway.

[$4,300; tudorwatch.com]

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