When the Black Bay 54 “Lagoon Blue” launched on 12 June, it continued Tudor’s recent journey into a world of robust tool watches with a fun and unexpected aesthetic.

The 37mm diameter case size of the Lagoon Blue makes it an ideal option for anyone with smaller wrists and those who may find existing Black Bays a little on the chunky side. The watch joins the existing 54 line-up and consists of Tudor’s smallest Black Bay models with a unidirectional rotating dive bezel — the original Black Bay models are 41mm, the Black Bay 58 is 39mm and, while the 31mm and 36mm have a smaller in diameter, they also have a fixed, polished steel or gem-set bezel. 

An all-new Black Bay 54 for summer

The Black Bay 54 debuted in 2023 and was an immediate hit, appreciated for its 37mm size, which is faithful to the proportions of Tudor’s first dive watch from 1954 (ref. 7922). While the Lagoon Blue pays homage to the mid-century original, retaining many of its features — from the 37mm case to the lollipop seconds hand and the absence of hash marks on the bezel — the new dial and the polished bezel present a thoroughly modern look.

First and most obviously, there is a striking new colorway. The dial breaks away from Tudor’s usual matte or sunburst finish, instead featuring a distinctive light sky-blue shade with a sandblasted texture. The graining immediately gives depth to the model as well as a summery tropical vibe similar to that of the Black Bay Chronos “Pink” and “Flamingo Blue”. 

Unlike most other Black Bay variants, which have matte or anodized aluminum bezels, the Lagoon Blue has a mirror-polished stainless steel bezel insert adding a touch of dressiness and shine. The watch is equipped with Tudor’s five-link stainless steel bracelet with rapid adjustment clasp. The polished center links echo the mirror-polished finish of the new-look bezel.

Beyond its summery livery, the watch retains the technical features of other Black Bay 54 watches, including 200m of water resistance and the COSC-certified manufacture Caliber MT5400 movement with 70-hour power reserve and non-magnetic silicon hairspring. 

Tudor has a surprisingly long history with feminine watches that challenge the idea that women’s timepieces should be solely decorative or less robust than men’s. An integral part of founder Hans Wilsdorf’s strategy, the brand launched both men’s and women’s watches in the early 1930s. Early designs reflected the Art Deco style of the period, with small rectangular, tonneau, or bevelled cases that combined delicacy with Tudor’s reliability. 

By the late 1940s and 1950s, Tudor’s advertising campaigns targeted women who led “active lives”, incorporating waterproof Oyster cases, a rare feature for women’s watches at the time. The introduction of the “Oyster Princess” line saw ad campaigns focusing on equestrian sports, while the mid-1970s saw Tudor’s first women’s dive watch, the Princess Date Submariner which saw numerous variations over the following four decades.

Current collections for women include the Glamour, Style, and 1926 lines, the Clair de Rose and the Black Bays 31, 32, 36 and 39. All of the smaller pieces are equipped with the same high-performance movements as the larger tool watches.

Tudor 54 Black Bay “Lagoon Blue”

Reference: 79000
Movement: Self-winding COSC-certified self-winding manufacture Caliber MT5400; 70-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours and minutes; central seconds; stop-seconds for precise time setting
Case: 37mm; stainless steel; 60-minute unidirectional bezel in stainless steel with mirror-polished steel insert; water-resistant to 200m
Dial: Lagoon Blue; domed and textured
Strap: Five-link stainless steel bracelet with polished and satin finish; Tudor “T-fit” clasp
Price: USD 4,350 / CHF 3,900