Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

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Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by Thunder1 »

Well, it has become something of a thang in recent years to collect heritage inspired dive watches. Watch makers have capitalized upon this theme w/ new releases, which allows them to make $ and for enthusiasts to participate w/o paying sky-high prices for the originals, or their repairs. In recent years, I've played my part by acquiring a couple of Evant Tropical Divers(inspired by a 60's era Breguet) and a Steinhart OVM 39(inspired as well by a 60's era Rolex Sub). Most recently, I've picked up an Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel(inspired by their 1965 diver), which I've truly enjoyed wearing the past several months. I thought it might be interesting to make some informal comparisons of this watch to the warmly received Tudor Black Bay 58 that I rec'd yesterday morning.

As most of us know by now, the Tudor Black Bay 58 took Baselworld 2018 by storm. Reviewers, bloggers, and WISs were delighted to see a 39mm diver modeled so closely after the original 36mm Tudor Submarine introduced in 1958. Because of its' 39mm SS case width and 11.9mm thickness, its' proven to be comfortable to wear on all kinds of wrist sizes and to slip nicely under shirtsleeve cuffs. Credit for this more manageable size has been attributed to the new Tudor MT5402 movement. It features a 70 hr. power reserve, a silicon hairspring, and a bi-directional rotor. It is also a COSC-certified chronometer. Here are a few pics of mine(previously loved)..
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I took both the Oris and the Tudor to work w/ me yesterday and spent what free time I could find comparing their looks and 'feel on the wrist'. The visual similarities between them are striking. The Tudor is 39mm wide & 11.9mm thick. The Oris is 40mm wide & 13mm thick. Both feature black painted aluminum bezel inserts..the Tudor utilizes a gold gilt lettering, while the Oris' is silver. The Tudor dial is matt black & the Oris dial is a glossy black..the Oris dial is noticeably curved at the edges, while the Tudor's less so. Both have circular and block shaped hour indices that are lume-filled and are encased by gold plate. The Oris also has a day indicator at the 6 o'clock mark that is unobtrusive. Of course, the Tudor lume filled hands feature their 'snowflake' design and those on the Oris are of a more mundane(but still nice) design. Pics of the 2 side by side are below.
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So, I think most of us can agree that appearance wise, they are quite similar. So, time for some 'nitty-gritty'. The BB 58, about a year after release, is still hard to find brand new(on the leather strap) for less than $3,200-$3,300. I picked up my 3 to 4 month old previously loved version on the CW sale site for $2,476.00. The Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel, also after a little over a year past it's release, can now be found for around $1,500 brand new(on Joma Shop)..I paid $1,178 for a previously loved version. So, is the Tudor worth an extra $1,000 or so over the Oris?

I have to say, that when I compare the 2 watches side by side, I think at least visually, it is a draw. Both dial faces are uncluttered..the bronze edged bezel on the Oris nicely compliments the gold plated edges of the indices and hands. The gold gilt lettering on the Tudor's bezel does the same. The brown leather strap on the Tudor looks nice, is comfortable, and has a well designed clasp. The same can be said about the leather strap that came w/ the Oris, but I have replaced it w/ a canvas strap..the Oris buckle is just fine, but nothing unusual. Both have about a 47mm lug to lug length, and coupled with their 39mm and 40mm case widths, they are comfortable to wear.

There are 2 major areas of difference between the 2, in my opinion. One is subjective and the other, objective. Subjectively, the Tudor is made in the same factory that it's more famous sibling(Rolex) is. There is a close relationship between the 2 brands, especially visually. Objectively, the Tudor boasts an inhouse manufacture movement that is COSC chronometer certified and has a 70 hour power reserve. The Oris, on the other hand(wrist?), is known for quality made watches at generally 'entry-level' Swiss-made watch price points. This Oris utilizes a SW200-1 movement sourced by Sellita. It has about a 38 hour power reserve. I think, for many of us, if you like the looks of both watches, but don't have to have a manufacture movement, the Oris is a great choice, particularly since retail prices have dropped at some sites from around $2,000 to around $1,500.00 on leather. And, if you're one of those folks that hope that the BB 58 can become the 'new' Rolex Sub since Rolex seems to be pushing their products further up market, then if it doesn't pan out, you're still the owner of a very nice diver!!
Ebels are a lot like women that lack a lowcut dress that zips up the side..neither gets the love that they deserve..
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by watchaholic »

Nice write up, and great side by side pics. Not to bash the Sellita mvmt, I have several, but for some, the in house movement with silicon balance spring and extended run time may well be worth the thousand dollars. Another question that might be asked is why, when they have virtually the same movement, is the Oris a thousand dollars more (give or take a little) than one of the divers offered by CW?
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by atnits »

I'm a big fan of Oris watches, but the BB58 is a winner on so many levels. It's a brilliant watch.
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by watchaholic »

How is the bezel on the BB to grip and rotate? The serrated edge looks very finely cut and does not protrude out from the case very far.
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by Wolfman53 »

Love my Oris 65 Bronze bezel.
Having a smaller wrist I went for the 36mm and I do regret this.
The domed sapphire crystal helps the dial to pop and I received compliments in an Omega dealership a few weeks ago.
Accuracy is consistent at + 4 seconds per day.Image

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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by timor54 »

I waiting on a BB58 so you can guess where my vote goes.

Nevertheless, I’ve also got an enormous crush on Oris at present after getting my green Aquis. I reckon there’s three Oris models at, or near, the top of my wish list...

I’ve been selling off watches recently to raise funds (see above) and also to create a more balanced smallish collection with minimal overlap. Therefore I’m not sure I’ll need a second ‘vintage’ diver.

However, it might be possible to convince myself that the BB58 will become a ‘dressy’ diver, thereby making space for the bico Oris 65 in steel/bronze which could also fill the vacant ‘bronze’ slot :lol:
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by Thunder1 »

watchaholic wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:22 pm How is the bezel on the BB to grip and rotate? The serrated edge looks very finely cut and does not protrude out from the case very far.
You're right about the lack of overlap, but it is still quite easy to turn..
Ebels are a lot like women that lack a lowcut dress that zips up the side..neither gets the love that they deserve..
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by Thunder1 »

fellowsmichael6 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:46 pm Love my Oris 65 Bronze bezel.
Having a smaller wrist I went for the 36mm and I do regret this.
The domed sapphire crystal helps the dial to pop and I received compliments in an Omega dealership a few weeks ago.
Accuracy is consistent at + 4 seconds per day.Image

Sent from my SM-G950F using Tapatalk
Purdy, Purdy, Purdy...
Ebels are a lot like women that lack a lowcut dress that zips up the side..neither gets the love that they deserve..
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by watchaholic »

Thunder1 wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2019 1:28 pm
watchaholic wrote: Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:22 pm How is the bezel on the BB to grip and rotate? The serrated edge looks very finely cut and does not protrude out from the case very far.
You're right about the lack of overlap, but it is still quite easy to turn..
As long as it works! :thumbup:
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by Caller »

A very good write up, but I'm not really a fan of the BB range of watches, so the hype has passed me buy. I once got the call that the BBB was finally in stock over here, I went down to the AD to have a look and they were pretty shocked when I said I would pass without even trying it on. Not sure why I don't get them really.

I have a soft spot for Oris, as a tiny gold plated manual was my first ever watch when still at school - it was a redundancy treat from my Dad, which I still have and I still have the one's he bought for my mother and himself, My parents are both long gone and it was a very different Oris in those days, when the brand was more designed to cater for the masses. This Oris is very nice, as many of their watches are, but I have yet to find one that really grabs me.

So two very nice watches, but for me, it's a score draw!
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by Thermexman »

Two lovely watches. An interesting comparison. As I already own a BBR the ‘58 doesn’t have the same draw for me as it might have done. However, I’ve admired the Oris for a while now so who knows, I might end up with one?
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by Thegreyman »

Well thought out write up and comparison. Owning 3 Tudors, you can probably guess where my preference would be although I do like the look of the Oris 65 range too.
Patrick

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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by jtc »

The tudor is a class above for me, by some margin.
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Re: Comparing Apples to Oranges: Tudor BB 58 vs. Oris Divers 65 Bronze Bezel

Post by timeonourhands »

Very enjoyable read.
Tar very much!
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