A Week on the Wrist with the Tudor Black Bay 58 925 – an everyday dive watch with a silver twist

Having grown beyond just being a cheaper take on Rolex, Tudor is now a watch powerhouse in its own right with a solid selection of models, spearheaded by the Black Bay, that offer great value for the amount of watch you get.

So you’d think choosing a Tudor would be an easy task... not so much. As a relatively new watch collector, I wanted a dive watch to round out my collection of timepieces and would also work nicely as an everyday piece. The obvious choice here is the Tudor Black Bay, given its design, specs, and price. Yet as the range has now grown to include a bevy of different models, finding the right one for me was tricky.

I’d tried a good handful of Black Bays; the ‘standard’ Black Bay 58 is a lovely watch but a bit too ubiquitous and I’m not a huge fan of the gilt detailing. The Black Bay 54 with its monochrome bezel tones but it’s a little too small for me. The newer monochrome Black Bay 41 from 2024 is fantastic, but too thick for what I was after. Its release-year stablemate, the Black Bay 58 GMT is wonderfully proportioned for a dual-time watch, but the gilt details on the coke bezel is a little too blingy for me.

A blue Black Bay 58 was a contender, as was the new burgundy model but I already have a nice blue dial watch in my collection in the form of my OMEGA Seamaster Aqua Terra, while the former watch’s red is a little too flash for me. And the new Black Bay 68 models look great but are too big.

One model that had consistently caught my eye and grown on me, was the Black Bay 58 925; a silver watch from 2021.

Now silver isn’t as strong or hard as steel so it’s an odd choice for a dive watch, given it’s more likely to scratch, and its propensity to tarnish in an arguably less pleasing way than bronze means it’s perhaps not the best choice for watches in general.

Nevertheless, Tudor took the Black Bay 58 and clad it in sterling silver, which when combined with the somewhat unusual grey-brown taupe color scheme really appealed to me; it’s a bit different yet not properly monochromatic, with a warm tone that saw me hunt down a very well-priced Black Bay 58 925.

Tudor Black Bay 58 925: The specs

That suffix refers to the percentage of silver used in the alloy of this Black Bay 58’s case: that’s 92.5% silver and 7.5% other alloy, something Tudor doesn’t detail but claims to be resistant to tarnishing.

With hallmarks to prove a precious metal is used, the silver case comes in at the standard 39mm of the normal Black Bay 58, with a 20mm lug width and measures 47.7mm lug-to-lug. It wears a lot like a normal Black Bay 58, though notably has brushed ‘satin’ finishing across the whole case. This is likely to minimise the impact of any eventual tarnishing, which tends to be more noticeable on polished surfaces. It also means the high reflectivity of silver, often referred to as luster, isn’t immediately apparent – rather than catch and throw up all manner of light, the Black Bay 58 925’s case tends to glow in bright light, which I think looks fantastic and is a refreshing change from polished stainless steel.

Another notable difference between this watch and the standard Black Bay 58 is it’s a little thicker at 12.7mm rather than 11.9mm. Hardly a huge difference, but when combined with the brushed non-crown side of the case, gives it a slightly slabby look. I actually like this as it communicates that this Black Bay is still a dive watch rather than just a fancy sports watch, and it also gives off a good bit of that silver glow.

That extra thickness is due to the Black Bay 58 925 being one of the few Tudor watches to have a clear caseback, which shows off the manufacture calibre MT5400 COSC-certified movement. This chronometer moment has a 4Hz frequency and a stated accuracy of -4 to +4 seconds a day, which tracks with my use as I noticed it keeps good time. While it’s not exactly a highly decorated movement, it’s nice to get a look at this workhorse calibre that offers up to 70 hours of power reserve.

When you do have to wind the watch, a comfortable screw-down crown, signed with the Tudor rose, is easy to grip and satisfying to use, and means the Black Bay 58 925 is waterproof to 200 meters – more than enough for diving.

Moving up from the crown, you’ll find the aluminium taupe unidirectional 60-click bezel that has the crisp feel one expects from Tudor. A double-domed sapphire crystal completes the vintage dive watch look the Black Bay is known for, and holds a taupe dual that matches the hue of the bezel.

On the dial, you’ll find classic circular and rectangular Black Bay hour markers, only dropping the gilt for a form of off-white for the markers, indices and text. Super-LumiNova fills the markers along with the hands, which feature the love-it-or-hate-it ‘snowflake’ hour hand and a diamond shape on the seconds hand; not only is the lume punchy, but the polishing on the hands makes them stand out nicely against the unassuming taupe dial.

Completing the look is a dark brown leather strap with a silver buckle, which may seem like another odd choice for a diver watch, given the more dressy, on-land vibes of leather, and how steel Black Bays tend to mostly come on steel bracelets or rubber straps.

Given dive computers have replaced the need for dedicated dive watches, you’re more likely to see a Black Bay or Rolex Submariner or OMEGA Seamaster worn in a bar or an office than under the sea. This is why the term ‘desk diver’ is used in the watch collecting world and dive watches tend to evoke an adventurous aqua heritage, than actually timing decompression stops.

So, a leather strap on a silver watch makes sense here. But the watch has a rubber back that’s still a firm nod that this watch is capable and ready to be put through its paces against the elements, be that a downpour on a park walk or poking around a coral reef.

There’s also the option of a silver single-pass fabric strap, also sporting a silver clasp; it’s a nice strap but I don’t love the lighter grey strip running down its middle, and reckon leather is the way to go.

What’s the Tudor Black Bay 58 925 like to wear?

The quick answer would be to say the Black Bay 58 925 wears like any other Black Bay 58, in that it threads the line between a vintage-styled dive watch and a modern sports watch with all the quality one expects from Tudor.

Like the standard Black Bay 58, the 925 is a wonderful watch, both fulfilling the role of a solid dive watch and everyday wristwear. With silver in the mix my Black Bay works even better as a tool watch that looks just as good worn in the office as it does on a casual weekend; I’d draw the line at wearing it with a suit, but it’s fine for smart casual wear, especially on the leather strap.

Speaking of which, like other Black Bays, the 925 is a strap monster. While I love the leather, I’ve recently been wearing the watch on fabric straps to get a bit more of an all-grey look.

On a NATO-style nylon strap, the Black Bay 58 925 takes on a more rugged look and would probably be the way I’d wear it if I was actually going diving. More recently, I’ve opted to wear it on a single-pass dark grey nylon strap that offers rugged practically without the extra bulk of a NATO strap, and looks sharp enough to wear on a casual evening out.

That being said, the 925 looks great on straps of other colours, notably a nice teal leather strap. And I’m keen to try it on rubber or sailcloth straps, which I think will suit the watch just as well. Some people might bemoan the lack of a bracelet option, but that would likely push the price up and also be a bit of a scratch magnet given the softness of silver.

On that topic, there’s definitely scope for the 925 to scratch and dent more easily than its steel siblings, but I don’t think that hugely lessens its practicality as a dive watch unless you plan to go into shipwrecks or through rocky underwater chasms where you’re likely to bang your wrists.

I’ve not been precious with my 925, and don’t feel it’s sucked up more scratches than my other watches. That’s with the exception of the underside of the lugs, where some less than deft use of a sharp springbar removal tool left more scratches on the sliver than it would have on a steel watch. Such scratches can reveal shinier silver underneath the satin finish that could be more susceptible to tarnishing.

Speaking of that, I got the Black Bay 58 925 pre-owned and didn’t notice much in the way of tarnishing, so Tudor’s silver alloy here is likely living up to its touted tarnish resistance. A few small bits of discoloration were easily removed with a damp microfibre cloth; I've since worn the 925 in wet and damp conditions and haven’t seen much tarnishing develop. So unless you wear your watches particularly hard, I don’t think the use of silver on this Black Bay is off putting; I also think dive watches with a bit of wear can look rather good.

While I’m a qualified SCUBA diver it’s been years since I strapped an aqualung on, so I’ve not taken my 925 into the deep blue sea, though it would be the watch I’d pick out of my collection for the job.

As such, I’ve been wearing the 925 as a bit of an everyday watch that’s joined me in the office, nights out and on countryside walks. And I’ve found the dive bezel is a useful way to time walks; sure a timer on a smartphone is more accurate but the less interactions I can have with my vibrating pocket computer then better. So even though I’m not wearing it under the sea, it’s still a practical tool watch.

In short, the Black Bay 58 925 is a wonderful watch to wear on most occasions. That’s hardly a revelation as most Black Bays are great, but I particularly like how the 925’s taupe and silver aesthetic make it a more unusual Black Bay 58. I also think the slightly monochromatic look and warm color tone adds a dose of modernity, while still keeping its vintage dive watch flair.

Like a lot of millennials I’m drawn to grey as a color, and the ghostly look of the 925 with its white markers really scratches that desaturated visual itch. I’d go so far as to say this is one of the best-looking Black Bays Tudor has made so far, and also a watch that I can’t really pick a fault with.

Is the Tudor Black Bay 58 925 worth the money?

When it launched in 2021, the Black Bay 58 925 came in at £3,230 – a rather reasonable price for its specs and use of a precious metal. But Swiss-made watch prices have gone up over the past few years and now the 925 starts at £4,090 on its fabric strap.

That’s a punchy price given you can get newer steel Black Bay watches with ‘Master Chronometer’ certified moments for under £4,000 on a bracelet. So I think you’d need to really want to buy into the silver watch experience to pay the current retail price. However, I’ve seen authorised dealers offer the 925 for £3,000, which I think is a far more reasonable price and decent value in the context of Swiss watches with in-house movements.

I was very lucky to get my Black Bay 58 925 for a slither under £2,000, thanks to stumbling across it at a jewelers-meets-pawnbroker. At that price, I feel the watch was a bargain, especially in its good condition, and I’ve seen other 925’s on eBay priced a good bit higher. I’d say if you can get the 925 for anywhere between £2,300 and £2,700 you’ll have a very good watch for the money.

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Even if you decide to pay full price I don’t think the Black Bay 58 925 will disappoint; you get a very solid moment in a watch that’ll suit a lot of occasions and has a unique look that doesn't simply say ‘I can't afford a Rolex Submariner’ – not that I view Tudor as a poorer person’s Rolex.

Speaking of the five-pointed crown brand, I think the Black Bay 58 925 is as equally flawless as my Rolex Explorer, which speaks to the consistent quality of Tudor. If you’ve been holding off getting a Black Bay, I think the 925 is very much one to consider, especially if you want a dive watch that’s a little different in a glorious, glowing way.