Tudor is beach-ready with a new version of the vintage-sized dive watches, the Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue”. Matched with a “five-link” bracelet, the relaxed colorway – on a granular, textured dial notably – targets a different market without sacrificing the Black Bay 54’s impressive specifications or value proposition.

Initial Thoughts

The 37 mm case and utilitarian looks of the standard Black Bay 54 made it a great unisex option, perfect for men who appreciate vintage proportions or women who want a dive watch they could wear without it wearing them, or anyone in between. Tudor is arguably leaning towards a more feminine style in its marketing with the “Lagoon Blue”, though with the current popularity of turquoise dials, this is sure to be another gender-neutral hit. 

The keen-eyed will also note the slightly reflective, granular dial finish,  which isn’t that novel in itself, but is notable for Tudor, which traditionally employs plainer dial surfaces.

New look aside, the Lagoon Blue is still an excellent value. When considering the build quality, high-spec movement, and micro-adjust clasp, it’s difficult to find anything comparable at US$4,350, which alone is commendable. This, combined with a Jubilee-esque bracelet and in-vogue colorway, make the Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue extremely compelling.

The Slow Life

The brand says the Lagoon Blue is meant to honor the slow life, but it’s still a capable diver, with well-lumed hands, dial, and bezel pip, in addition to 200 m of water resistance.

The original 37 mm Black Bay 54 was inspired by the Oyster Prince Submariner ref. 7922 launched in 1954 as an economical alternative to the Rolex Submariner. While best known for being issued to French and American navy divers,  the balance of price and capability made it attractive to civilian divers.

While the first version, released in 2023 with a black dial kept true to the look of the vintage original, minus the anachronistic snowflake hands, the Lagoon Blue takes a different tack.

The “Lagoon Blue” dial is aggressively textured to evoke beach sand, which it does quite well, and is framed by a mirror-polished steel bezel insert, rather than the typical matte aluminium.

Tudor exchanged the three-link Oyster-like for a Jubilee-style five-link bracelet while preserving the much-loved “T-fit” clasp with an 8 mm micro-adjustment window across five positions.

Inside beats the MT5400, which is used across the Black Bay 58 and 54 lines. It’s an extremely competent movement with a “weekend-proof” 70-hour power reserve, free-sprung balance, and silicon hairspring. Besides being a COSC-certified chronometer, each assembled watch is also held to Tudor’s more stringent tolerance of -2/+4 seconds per day.

Key facts and price

Tudor Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue
Ref. 79000-0001

Diameter: 37 mm
Height: 11.24 mm
Material: Steel
Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 200 mm

Movement: Cal. MT5400
Features: Hours, minutes, and seconds
Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz)
Winding: Automatic
Power reserve: 70 hours

Strap: Steel bracelet

Limited edition: Regular production
Availability: Now at Tudor boutiques and retailers
Price: US$4,350

For more information, visit Tudorwatch.com.