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Tudor Black Bay 41mm Stainless Steel M79230N-0008
Ref. 00540000601
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Stepping up in the same dial colour
The Black Bay's founding idea was simple and quietly radical: take the dive watch Tudor made for professional use in the 1950s and build it again, properly, without softening it into a fashion object. The snowflake hand — stubby, broad, immediately recognisable — came directly from those early references, and the domed bezel insert follows the same logic: it is a design recovered from Tudor's own archive rather than designed to look vintage. This particular configuration pairs the steel case with a bronze leather strap, which pulls the warm tones out of the gilt text and gilt hour markers in a way a steel bracelet simply does not. The MT5602 movement is made in-house and COSC-certified, which for a manufacture at Tudor's scale represents a meaningful commitment — it runs to chronometer tolerances without outsourcing the mechanism. On the wrist, 41mm wears larger than many watches of that diameter because the lug-to-lug length is generous and the bezel sits proud. It suits a larger wrist, and it is deliberately uncomplicated to read: the dial is high-contrast, the lume charges fast and holds well through the night, and the single date complication does nothing to crowd it.
- Reference
- 00540000601
- Brand
- Tudor
- Collection
- Black Bay
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case material
- Two-tone
- Case shape
- Tonneau
- Dial
- Black
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Solar
- Calibre
- MT5602
- Functions
- Chronograph, GMT, Day-date, Small seconds, Moonphase, Power reserve indicator, Tachymeter, Skeleton dial
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Mesh bracelet
- Strap colour
- Bronze
- Clasp
- Butterfly clasp
- Lume
- Luminous
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Learn more about Tudor
Tudor exists because Hans Wilsdorf wanted to sell a Rolex to people who could not afford one. He registered the name in 1926 and relaunched it properly in 1946 as a separate company: Rolex cases, Rolex bracelets, Rolex crowns, but bought-in movements — usually ETA — at a fraction of the price.
For decades this made Tudor the practical choice for organisations buying in bulk. The French Marine Nationale issued Submariners to its divers. The US Navy tested them. Tudor's military history is arguably richer than Rolex's, because navies bought Tudors.
The watches developed their own identity regardless. The snowflake hands fitted to Submariners from 1969, specified by the French navy for legibility, became a signature the brand still uses. The Monte Carlo chronographs of the early 1970s, with their orange and blue dials, look nothing like anything Rolex made.
The brand withdrew from the US market in 1996 and spent a decade in relative obscurity before returning in 2013 with the Heritage Black Bay, which mined the archive rather than chasing modernity. It worked. Tudor now develops its own movements through a partnership with Kenissi, supplies calibres to Breitling, and holds METAS Master Chronometer certification — a technical position it never had when it was simply the affordable Rolex.
- 1926
- Hans Wilsdorf registers the Tudor name.
- 1946
- Montres Tudor SA is established as a separate company.
- 1969
- Snowflake hands appear on Submariners for the French navy.
- 2012
- The Black Bay revives the brand internationally.
- 2015
- The first in-house Tudor calibre is released.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Chronograph Watches (1,150), Sports Watches (695), Dive Watches (488), Pre-Owned, Ex-Display & Vintage Watches (250), Skeleton Watches (250) and Mesh Bracelet Watches (210).
2-year Goldsmiths warranty
What the specifications mean
A watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 200m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- Second time zone for travelling
- Sits in the lower half of Tudor's range as we list it
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 200m it is rated for swimming, snorkelling and recreational diving.
Will the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Does it need a battery?
No. It charges from light, and the cell behind that is designed to last a decade or more.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Goldsmiths at £2,350, pre-owned. No UK retailer we track lists this reference new.
Is this available new?
Not from the UK retailers we track. This reference is listed as pre-owned only, at £2,350 from Goldsmiths. Goldsmiths test every pre-owned watch for authenticity, timekeeping and water resistance, and warrant it for 2 years — the same term they give on a new watch.
Who are Goldsmiths?
Goldsmiths has been selling watches in Britain since 1778 and is part of the Watches of Switzerland Group, which is listed on the London Stock Exchange. They are an authorised dealer, so a watch comes with the manufacturer’s own warranty.
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