The Black Bay 58 is one of the most popular releases for 2018. But what else is available that is similar?
The Tudor Black Bay 58 released this year became an instant hit. It's successful DNA design aspects matched with very good reactive actions from Tudor based customer feedback. many people (including myself) said the current Black Bay was a solid option, but too thick for many wrists. In comes the Black Bay 58. 39mm case size, 11mm case thickness, a black and gold colour scheme and touches of vintage design all assist making this one of the best releases of the year.
From our experience and many others watch enthusiasts we know, it's very tricky to get your hands on a Black Bay 58.
Image credit Monochrome Watches - monochrome-watches.com
So what else is out there if you want the Black Bay 58 look, but your budget doesn't quite stretch to one yet or you simply can't even get your hands on one?
Let's take a look at some alternatives to the Black Bay 58 Diver...
Tudor Black Bay Diver
An obvious place to start but it's certainly worth mentioning. The original Black Bay diver is realistically the closest watch out there to an alternative to the 58. Of course, this option is the bigger 41mm size, over 14mm in thickness and includes no gold details on the bezel.
However, if you like the look of the 58 you most likely enjoy the Black Bay Diver even if it's a bigger brother. One of the biggest benefits of this Tudor option over the 58 is simply down to its availability. From my experience, you can easily walk into ADs and pick yourself up a new one instantly, and that's even without touching the second-hand market.
Find out more about the Tudor Black Bay Diver here.
The Seiko SRP775J1 Turtle Diver Watch
This watch was actually one of the main contributing factors to this article happening. The Seiko Turtle as a watch is essentially a re-issue of the Seiko 6309 model and subsequently, somewhat of an upgrade to the SKX range. Coming in at 45mm, on paper this thing is huge and for me would normally be ruled out instantly. However, this watch does a great job at drawing your eye away from the cushion case and straight towards the dial and bezel of the watch. The bezel width is around 42mm which results in a watch that wears remarkable well on quite a lot of wrists.
This watch has a very similar colour scheme with the black and gold on the bezel being executed very similarly to the 58 Diver. These warm colours are also something we find on the dial with the edges of the indices, seconds track, hands and font on dial all featuring a gold / gilt colouring.
Combine the watch with a nice brown leather strap such as the Helmsley Leather we see here and it can really lift the watch immensely well.
Coming in at £299, and available now this is a great option for people looking to add an alternative to the Black Bay 58 or if you're unsure about the 58, get yourself a Seiko Turtle and decide if you like the piece.
Lucky for you, both the Seiko SRP775J1 Turtle Diver Watch and the Helmsley Leather strap are now available on the site today!
Oris Sixty-Five Bronze Bezel
Image credit Monochrome Watches - monochrome-watches.com
Excluding another Black Bay, this is likely the closest you will get to a 58. With just 1mm difference in case size, the addition of a date window at 6 and a bronze bezel the Oris Sixty-Five is a cracking alternative.
As you can tell this option from Oris has almost exactly the same colour scheme with only the bezel being slightly different, the addition of bronze and more noticeable silver accents. One of the biggest benefits of this piece is the symmetrical dial layout. Much like the BB58, this watch keeps a clean, balanced look at the fact that the date is at 6 o'clock but also it's a black window. Even the lack of protection on the crown is very reminiscent of the 58 and the original Big Crown inspiration.
Coming in a few hundred pounds less than the 58 as well, this watch does offer some serious competition for the 58...
Geckota G-01 Diver Dark Grey
The Geckota G-01 1950's Dive Watch was added to our range in early 2018 initially in just three dial options. This model shows the first steps towards a more coherent style and range with many unique design aspects throughout the piece. The watches popularity has continued throughout 2018 up until today, where a brand new dial colour has been added to the range...
Much like the rest of the G-01 range, this new Dark Grey option really plays with the light well-meaning in places with less light you'll notice the dial is more of a black colour. Again the black and gold colour scheme is present here combined with vintage design aspects. A visually symmetrical dial is found on the piece with no date being added to keep those desirable clean looks.
Find out more about the Geckota G-01 Diver here...
Now time for something a little different.
Rado HyperChrome Captain Cook Limited Edition
At its core, the BB58 is a piece inspired by the past re-interpreted for today's market. It stays faithful to the original proportions and retains the charm of a golden era for diving watches. With that in mind, let's talk about the RADO Captain Cook. At first glance, it's relatively obvious these two pieces are visually pretty different. But those core DNA points really link these two watches well and on the wrist evoke the same emotions.
Compared to an original RADO Captain Cook this piece is incredibly similar and has an almost unexplainable charm to it. The watch doesn't feature and black and gold similar to the 58, however, it makes up for this in the form of warmth, high levels of attention to detail and some real personality.
The piece is also a limited model to 1962 models, a nice added touch making the watch feel special.
To find out my full thoughts on this watch, check out our detailed review here.
Image credit Monochrome Watches - monochrome-watches.com
There's a quick look at our top recommendations for alternative watches for the Black Bay 58 Diver. With waiting lists for both the new Tudor GMT and Tudor BB58 seemingly growing there is certainly a case to be made for researching alternative watches. And with the likes of Seiko and Oris offering some really impressive models with their own style yet managing to fall under the same bracket as the 58, I believe the above models deserve your attention as much as the 58...
