On the wrist, the Black Bay Fifty-Eight is simply superior to most other sports watches within the replica Rolex family, save perhaps the Explorer I or the Daytona. It is svelte and subtle, and the proper design elements have been brought into this replica watch to make it true to its roots. We have a rivet style bracelet, lovely matte finishing on the case, a matte dial with gilt finishing, a date-less dial configuration, and a crown stem without any coloring. It is simple and pure and awesome.
In order to make the order as planned, the replica rolex had to make a new, smaller, thinner caliber – the MT5402 – which is a movement just 26mm in diameter. The normal Black Bay uses a 31.8mm diameter caliber, for reference. The MT5402 is manufactured in-house and provides a 70-hour power reserve while using a silicon balance spring. We wonder if this year is the year of the GMT, then it’d be easy to miss what could be the coolest introduction of the show, at least for a vintage watch lover. Of course, both the GMTs are great replica watches, and now the group can say “hey, we own the GMT category at a good price,” and even further, you get the infamous “Pepsi” bezel on both, but they both have modern elements. And that’s cool, because we live in modern times, but some of us would prefer if we didn’t.
Now let’s make things clear here. The original Black Bay is a luxury watch. So are all those variations that sprang from it – the blue, black, two-tone, in-house, and out-house? All have their own followings. But there is no doubt about it: It’s a bigger, thicker replica watch. It’s not bad in any way, but if the fake Tudor wanted to do something that was super vintage-y, it had to be thinner and smaller, and now it is. Dropping down from 41mm in diameter and 14.75mm thick, the new Black Bay Fifty-Eight is 39mm in diameter and just 11.9mm top to bottom.