ON THE WRIST: Tudor Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue
MONDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2024
PRO
Mesmerising dial
Exclusive 5-link bracelet
CON
Dust and scratch collecting bezel
SPECIFICATION
37 mm Diameter
11.24 mm Thickness
200m Water Resistance
70 hours Power Reserve
46 mm Lug to Lug
A$ 6,560
The Black Bay 54 Lagoon Blue is a watch built around a single idea: the dial. The bezel adds structure and the bracelet completes the package but the dial is the reason this release exists. It is the beginning, the centre and the hook that keeps drawing you back.
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On paper it did not feel like much. Maybe that is because I already own a Black Bay 54 on rubber. Maybe it is because the hype created by a certain famous diamond company made me sceptical from the start. Whatever the case was I walked in with low expectations. That changed the moment I saw it.
The Lagoon Blue does not shout. It does not glow aggressively the way Tudor’s website suggests. The textured surface has a soft sandy shimmer that catches light the way sunlit grains of sand shift on a bright beach. It is understated and strangely addictive. It is the kind of dial you check repeatedly without meaning to. The blue itself looks like it was mixed by someone who understands the difference between brightness and depth.
Under direct sunlight it becomes the definitive summer watch. Timing is perfect for anyone in Australia where January heat demands steel water resistance and a dial that feels like cold ocean water on your wrist. Look long enough and it becomes a small escape right up until you remember what the crystal ball is saying: congratulations you are now six and a half thousand dollars down.
On a 15.5 centimetre wrist the proportions sit perfectly, with the 37 millimetre case wearing exactly how a vintage-inspired diver should in 2025, compact balanced and without a date window. The 5-link bracelet spreads weight beautifully and stays cool even under harsh sun, giving the watch a reassuring presence that is not lightweight but carries its mass in a way that feels solid and reassuring. Tudor’s T-Fit clasp adds to this ease with one of the most practical modern adjustment systems in the market, offering quick tool-free micro changes is pure convenience.
What caught me off guard was how much attention the Lagoon Blue attracts especially from the ladies. Several have stopped to say "That is a nice watch" while they were wearing Rolex themselves which says a lot about how this dial lands in person. Well, they are right because this blue dial is really special, brilliantly executed with the right amount of fairy dust and blue paint.
No one expected Tudor to release this watch in the middle of the year and certainly not with this much character. It almost feels like a playful jab at the diamond world. If you are planning an engagement, these two watches might out-enjoy a pair of rings.
Well played Tudor. In a world of watchmaking that often takes itself far too seriously this burst of blue shows you still know how to have fun.