Tudor Black Bay 54 Review: The Quintessential Dive Watch In A 37mm Case

Making its debut at the 2023 edition of Watches & Wonders, the Tudor Black Bay 54 caused something of a riot with its dead-on vintage reimagining of the Oyster Prince Submariner Reference 7922 from, you guessed it, 1954. Truly, apart from some dial text details and a more contemporary handset, you could easily mistake one for the other from across a room. For fans of historically sized divers, this was pure catnip, without the accompanying headaches associated with vintage watches, most notably, fragility and authenticity.

The larger blue Black Bay 58 (left) next to the 37mm Black Bay 54 (right)

Getting both the look and a warranty proved to be impossible to resist, leading to waiting lists at ADs and plenty of Instagram FOMO. Let’s face it, many collectors are more attuned to the stylistic path that Tudor has taken in recent memory, with an aesthetic that’s more tool than jewel. The Tudor of yore was a more attainable Rolex, with models like the Tudor Sub nearly identical to the Rolex version, apart from the movement within. But as Rolex has sized up and blinged out, the two corporate siblings’ paths have diverged, with Tudor more than happy to scoop up the business of enthusiasts who prefer a retro feel in their timepieces. Like many armchair super-spies, I’m all-in on a watch that wouldn’t be out of place on Connery’s wrist in Thunderball, despite having never once fired a speargun. So now that the dust has settled and the BB54 has been out in the wild for a bit, let’s take a fresh look at this modern-day classic.

Since the smaller case is the Big Story of the BB54, we’ll start there. The Black Bay lineup has really covered the gamut since its launch in 2012, sizing up to 43mm with the Black Bay Bronze, and descending to 41mm for the standard Black Bay, the BB GMT, and the BB Chrono. Honestly, I thought Tudor was done with downsizing when it launched the Black Bay Pro and BB58 at 39mm, but here we are at 37mm in diameter. The stainless steel case is largely brushed, with polish on the bevels and case sides, striking a nice balance. And because of the BB54’s proportions being so spot-on, it feels great to me, with a case height of 11.24mm, and a tidy lug-to-lug measurement of 46mm. And if you’re a fool for vintage looks, and possess an average-sized wrist, I suspect you’ll be equally enamored. 

I mean, come on, the BB54 looks like it was just pulled from a time capsule: there are so many details that are exactly as they should be. The aluminum bezel insert sticks to the script with markings every five minutes, forgoing the single-minute gradations of larger Black Bay models. The hands, indices, and dial text are gilt, but the BB54 backs off a bit from the BB58’s gilt bezel detailing, ensuring the golden goodness doesn’t overpower the smaller case size. Water resistance is 200 meters, thanks to the screw-down crown in a vintage-correct size, along with the screw-in solid caseback. The solid back is another reason to love the watch, simply for the reason that most people never saw the movement inside their watch back in the day, and besides, it offers the opportunity for engraving, something of a lost tradition that I really appreciate. 

There are a few concessions to modernity: a sapphire crystal takes the place of the acrylic you’d find in 1954, but it does offer an attractive domed profile. Then there’s the means of attachment: the BB54 comes on your choice of bracelet or rubber strap, both with the very modern T-Fit tool-less adjustment clasp. While plenty comfy, the tapered rubber strap and deployant buckle shatters the illusion of a vintage watch on your wrist, but with a 20mm lug width, you have all the options in the world, to paraphrase a classic Bond theme song. The bracelet itself looks the part, faux rivets and all, and getting a good fit is pretty simple with the T-Fit clasp, but for real fit fussbudgets, the availability of half-links would be a plus. 

Unlike some of the styling cues, the movement within is thoroughly modern, the automatic manufacture Caliber MT5400, accurate to within COSC parameters. The 27-jewel MT5400 comes from the manufacturing joint venture of Tudor and Kenissi, and while not at the latest Master Chronometer specs, its accuracy is rated at -2/+4 seconds per day, and boasts a robust 70-hour power reserve. The rate is 28,800 vibrations per hour, or 4 Hertz, and offers upped resistance to magnetism thanks to the silicon hairspring. And while the movement finishing is nothing spectacular, it has a clean industrial finish with sharp machining. It looks fine, and in all likelihood, only your watch repairer will ever see it. 

If I have any nits to pick with the BB54, and they are few, it comes down to the rubber strap and the crown. As far as the strap goes, this gripe is purely about vintage vibes, or the lack thereof. A tapered rubber strap on a deployant has a contemporary cut to its jib, and to me, just looks out of place, no matter how comfortable. This is a watch that’s begging for black tropic-style rubber, but lucky for us, the 20mm lug width makes this an easy fix. A khaki-colored canvas strap would also slap most highly, and I could even see the BB54 wearing a tan or brown leather strap in the colder months. As far as the crown, it’s perfectly fine and fits the proportions of the case to a T, but I just happen to prefer something with a bit more surface area to grip, like the near-ideal Black Bay 58 crown, and how it feels to my admittedly inarticulate fingertips. But really, there’s not a lot to grouse about here.

The pros far outweigh the cons with the BB54, including a confident and competent movement, a well-executed level of finish, and overall, just a handsome design that will always be in style. But the biggest draw of the BB54 is the smallest: the size. There really isn’t a lot out there from a major manufacturer if you happen to want a vintage diver without the worry. These dimensions are note-perfect in my book, and the more restrained dial and bezel details just hammer it home. With a smaller dial, why clutter things up more than necessary? And unless you have wrists like Thor, you’re probably going to love the feel. This is a watch that’s as comfortable as a single malt in front of a gently crackling fire, and one that could easily become your one-watch collection if you’re all about those retro feels. Price is $3,950 on strap and $4,175 on bracelet.