Tap the image to enlarge
Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight 39mm Yellow Gold
Ref. M79018V-0002
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 is Tudor's own reading of the watches the brand made for professional divers in the 1950s, and the 39mm case diameter is a deliberate choice: not the 41mm that has become the default for modern sport watches, but something closer to what actually sat on a diver's wrist in that era. In solid 18ct yellow gold, the brief shifts considerably — this is no longer a tool watch making a historical argument, but the same proportions and the same DNA dressed for a different occasion entirely. The green dial reads differently across the day. Under artificial light it is deep and saturated; in natural light it opens up and the gilt indices catch it in a way the green and steel version simply cannot match. Against the warm tone of the gold case and the brown alligator strap, the combination is considered without being careful. The exhibition caseback gives a clear view of the MT5400, a movement Tudor developed in-house and which runs at 28,800vph with a 70-hour power reserve — serious mechanical architecture beneath what is, from the front, a watch that wears more like a dress piece than anything else.
- Reference
- M79018V-0002
- Brand
- Tudor
- Collection
- Black Bay
- Case size
- 39mm
- Case material
- Gold
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- 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
- 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 Automatic Watches (1,362), Leather Strap Watches (834), Sports Watches (675), Dive Watches (469), Dress Watches (423) and Green Dial Watches (345).
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
- Luminous hands and markers for low light
- One of Tudor's more premium watches
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-0002 | 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 |
| 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.
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.
You may also like
In stock, and close on style and price
