I asked my AD if I was even allowed to buy one for my BB54. It seems like Tudor has a somewhat strict policy about wearing their watches on aftermarket straps, and you cannot buy the BB54 with a nylon strap from the factory. Surprisingly enough, I was allowed to buy one. At a steep price of about 180 Euros.
Black Bay strap with yellow stitching
The natural thing to do was to ask on WatchCrunch about the strap. It went as expected. A lot of people who never owned one sharing different opinions, mostly saying it's not worth it. Then a few responses from actual owners who said the strap is very nice, although very expensive.
So, I visited a Tudor boutique to give it a try. My AD had told me via email that they had them in stock and that I should come over if I wanted one. I was greeted with confused looks, to say the least. They didn’t even know if they could sell me one. But after one beer (yes, they serve draught beer there) and a few phone calls to the service center, they told me they would sell me one - but they didn’t have any in stock. Apparently, they usually don’t keep them in stock either. At least I got to try the Black Bay 58 with that strap, as it was on display there. Not gonna lie, it felt very nice.
I walked out thinking there might have been some miscommunication since I bought my Black Bay at a different branch. Maybe they thought I was going to buy it there. A few weeks later, I visited that branch too. This time, there were no confused looks. They simply asked for my phone number, saying they’d call me later that day with more information. Surprise, surprise, they didn’t have any in stock either. But I could order one, with an expected delivery time of six weeks.
So, I pulled the trigger. Summer is just around the corner, and the original steel bracelet feels a little heavy on warm days. Plus, I wanted to treat myself. Stay tuned for a review!
