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Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 39mm Yellow Gold
Ref. M79018V
Sits in Tudor’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Tudor watches we list, which start at £1,650.
Price range £1,650 to £13,950 across 32 Tudor watches in stock.The Black Bay Fifty-Eight line exists because Tudor identified a gap between its workaday steel divers and the full Rolex hierarchy above — a watch sized for narrower wrists without the compromises that often follow. This particular reference takes that already considered proposition and executes it in solid 18-carat yellow gold, with a matte olive green dial and matching anodised bezel insert that read as a coordinated whole rather than an afterthought of colour. The exhibition caseback adds 0.8mm over the steel version, which is the honest cost of showing what is inside. What is inside is the MT5400, built at Kenissi, Tudor's own movement facility, and carrying COSC chronometer certification. The silicon balance spring gives it real resistance to magnetic fields in everyday use, and the 70-hour reserve means a watch left on the nightstand Friday evening will still be running Monday morning. The snowflake hands and applied geometric markers carry enough Super-LumiNova to read reliably in the dark, which matters on a rated diver even when the diver in question is wearing alligator and a gold buckle.
- Reference
- M79018V
- Brand
- Tudor
- Collection
- Black Bay
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case thickness
- 12.7mm
- Lug width
- 20mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Bezel
- Unidirectional rotating
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- MT5400
- Water resistance
- 200m
- Bracelet / strap
- Leather strap
- Strap colour
- Brown
- Clasp
- Buckle
- Lume
- Super-LumiNova
- Condition
- Pre-owned
- Retailer
- Mappin & Webb
Additional specifications
- Lug-to-lug
- 47mm
- Power reserve
- 70 hours
- Gem set
- Yes
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 Stainless Steel Watches (2,616), Automatic Watches (1,362), Leather Strap Watches (834), Sports Watches (675), Dive Watches (469) and Dress Watches (423).
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch built to be worn hard and got wet.
Strengths
- 200m water resistance, rated for actual diving
- 39mm suits most wrists
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 70-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
Worth knowing
- Leather does not suit regular contact with water
Compare alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | M79018V | 662.NX.1170.RX.1204 | 1533 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £11,550 | £12,000 | £11,950 |
| Case size | 39mm | 39mm | 40mm |
| Water resistance | 200m | 100m | — |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Leather strap | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 70 hours | — | — |
| This watch |
| Closely matched |
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 is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
How long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 70 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
What size strap does it take?
20mm. Any strap of that width will fit, and on most modern watches quick-release bars make the swap a two-minute job with no tools.
Will it fit my wrist?
Lug-to-lug is 47mm, which suits wrists from roughly 16cm (6¼ inches) upward.
Lug-to-lug decides fit more than case diameter does.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's, though at 39mm it sits in the range that suits anyone.
Cheapest place to buy
Mappin & Webb at £11,550, 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 £11,550 from Mappin & Webb. A pre-owned watch has been worn, and is normally sold under the retailer’s own warranty rather than the manufacturer’s.
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