The Tudor Black Bay 925: Is it Vintage yet?

I picked my 925 up on an eBay auction at a sub £2k price, quite a good price for this reference. This was mostly due to the condition being “well-used” with many light scratches, and some deeper gouges on the bevelled edges of the lugs. The case material accelerates the aging of this watch, currently leading to lower residual values. As I’ll explain, however, this makes it something of a hot deal on the second-hand market. Let’s see if this reference is for you.

The Context: A Modern Watch in Vintage Clothes

A taupe dial and bezel combination, unique to this model, decorates the front of the watch; pairing with the brushed silver to give a reserved appearance. Don’t mistake the subdued finish for a tool watch; the soft silver case stops that claim dead in its tracks. So why would Tudor make a precious metal brushed, and apply it to a dive watch? Well, it was made to age in - not out. The brushed finish means that scratches and wear build into this watch’s character rather than stand out as flaws. The tarnish that, on my example, has developed exclusively in the grooves of the crown and bezel gives the watch a sense of age impossible to replicate in steel.

With my reference being a little worn already, I think it shouts vintage class. But can I really call a watch from 2021 vintage? To answer that, you have to understand the 58 family. The Black Bay 58 model line employs sizing and design elements from the 1950s Tudor Submariner “big-crown” references; the oversized crown, no crown guards, the no-date dial, the 39mm case size, the domed crystal, the dial markers and the chapter ring are all carried over.

Photograph Courtesy of Tudor

Of course, there have been some modern introductions to the 58 line, after all, it has been 70 years. The water resistance is now a modern 200m (660 ft). The acrylic crystal is now a domed sapphire, the hour hand is the ‘Snowflake’ instead of the ‘Mercedes’ style, and the applied markers are filled with bright, modern Super-LumiNova.

Photograph Courtesy of Tudor

The movement is also an entirely modern construction and does not share any similarities with the vintage Submariner’s problematic Calibre 390. The modern Kenissi MT5400 is a time-only hacking movement with functional elements: A ‘weekend-proof’ 70-hour power reserve, a balance bridge, 27 jewels, a silicon balance spring and a bi-directional monobloc tungsten rotor. Accuracy is achieved by the variable inertia balance and is micro-adjusted by screw to achieve accuracy even stricter than COSC, at –2/+4 seconds per day. The MT5400 is not highly decorated despite the sapphire caseback; which may seem redundant until you remember that Tudor and Rolex reserve sapphire casebacks for their precious-metal variations, making this watch feel part of a very prestigious family. Setting this movement through the chunky solid-silver crown is a pleasure. It winds smoothly, with no phantom positions, being a true no-date movement purpose-built for this application.

The answer to if we can call this watch vintage, for me, lies in the unique case material.

The Secret Weapon: The Case Material Itself

The 925 was released in 2021 and initially was in very high demand, it caused a stir because of the unique case material: A proprietary Tudor alloy made from 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other undisclosed metals. This measurement qualifies the case material as 925 grade otherwise known as “Sterling Silver”. Rolex as a brand is somewhat trapped in golden handcuffs, they cannot innovate due to fear of brand dilution; their sister brand, however, is free to experiment. In the 58 line, they now offer bronze, silver and gold case variations. The standout was silver – a material rarely seen in modern watchmaking.

The Black Bay 925 stands unique being the first and only dive watch from a major brand to be made from solid 925 silver.

Photography Property of The Analogue Collective

This reference does not have a silver bracelet, and instead comes with a paired NATO strap or a leather strap. Although a silver bracelet would have been interesting, this is clearly an intentional choice from Tudor as the options pair well when the living metal starts to wear in.

Final Note

I picked this model for a trip to Montenegro. It was the perfect companion. The precious metal had the class for the restaurants along the coast, whilst never feeling ostentatious for rural areas. It’s probably no surprise that I really like this watch. I enjoy things that get better with age because it makes you appreciate using them more.

I’d argue that the 925 is one of the best releases from Tudor in recent history; and it fits perfectly with the historic elements of the 58 model line. I would argue that yes, this watch is vintage, despite its age. We often misconceive of something vintage being of significant age, which is interesting in and of itself, but by definition, vintage doesn’t have to be old. I think that this 925 is going to continue to age in like fine wine and if it fits into your collection, you should pick one up before more people rediscover this reference.

Photography Property of The Analogue Collective