HELP! Black Bay 58 or Breitling Super Ocean 42

HELP! After months of narrowing down the watches I'd like to buy for my budget, I've finally got them down to the final two.

The Tudor Black Bay 58 and the Breitling Superocean 42.

I'll be trying both watches on sometime this week so I will eventually decide once I've worn them both, but I thought it would be interesting to hear everyone's opinion.

Now, I know the BB58 is a highly coveted watch and the praise is absolutely warranted, it's a stunning watch and very vintage in its design. Tudor make phenomenal watches and I know the BB58 would be a watch that would last me a lifetime and would hold it's value over time, possibly even increase in value.

The Breitling Superocean 42 is a more modern/sportier looking watch that has a lot of plus points (500m, amazing loom, bezel, prestige etc) which drags itself into the same budget point as the BB58. Plus, for years I promised myself a Breitling one day, so that's sticking in my head somewhat.

It's very difficult trying to pick just one. The simple answer would be to buy both, but obviously my budget won't allow that to happen. "There can be only one"

So I'm turning towards the community to hear your opinion on both of these watches. Which one would you choose for the budget of around £3,500.

(Bear in mind this most likely won't sway my decision as ill choose what i like the best, it's just a bit of fun)

[Picture is from youtube channel 'Marshall Time' not my own picture]

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Neither is a bad watch, so it’s going to be an emotional decision.

If possible try both watches on at the same time, so you get a direct comparison. I’ve found it’s useful, after the first try-on, to walk away for a few days, then try them again.

First time I tried on the BB58 blue I fell in love with it, and would’ve probably bought it there and then. Second time, it didn’t excite me so much. By the third time I’d tried it on, it generated a resounding ‘meh’ from me.

Out of curiosity a couple of weeks ago I tried on the BB58 blue again after nearly a year, to see if I’d got it wrong. I hadn’t. It’s still not the watch for me.

I think the toughest choice would be if you actually prefer the feel of the Breitling on wrist more. The BB58 is such a hyped watch it can be difficult to detach yourself from that feeling that you should get the BB58 because everyone else tells you it’s so good.

It’s why I occasionally go back and try the BB58 and its siblings. I know that I don’t really like them, but I must be missing something because so many people can’t be wrong.

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English_archer

Neither is a bad watch, so it’s going to be an emotional decision.

If possible try both watches on at the same time, so you get a direct comparison. I’ve found it’s useful, after the first try-on, to walk away for a few days, then try them again.

First time I tried on the BB58 blue I fell in love with it, and would’ve probably bought it there and then. Second time, it didn’t excite me so much. By the third time I’d tried it on, it generated a resounding ‘meh’ from me.

Out of curiosity a couple of weeks ago I tried on the BB58 blue again after nearly a year, to see if I’d got it wrong. I hadn’t. It’s still not the watch for me.

I think the toughest choice would be if you actually prefer the feel of the Breitling on wrist more. The BB58 is such a hyped watch it can be difficult to detach yourself from that feeling that you should get the BB58 because everyone else tells you it’s so good.

It’s why I occasionally go back and try the BB58 and its siblings. I know that I don’t really like them, but I must be missing something because so many people can’t be wrong.

Great tip, I'll try them both on together if I can. The ability to walk away and come back days/weeks later will be difficult though haha. But I understand that a cooling off period would be beneficial to see which one sticks in my mind the most. Thanks for the comment.

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Friend of mine has the breitling and it looks great, especially with the numbers as opposed to dots

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Both a so darn different even though they are divers watches. I think even if you buy one or the other you will find yourself yearning sometime in the future for the one you didn't buy and put it on your wishlist again. So buy what your gut tells you as eventually you'll buy the other one.

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I'm a bit of a Breitling fanboy, but I didn't vote for the SuperOcean just because of the name on the dial.

Okay, maybe I did. The Tudor is excellent, but it just misses something in my eyes. I like it to the BMW R1200GS, which is a fabulous, fantastic motorcycle that can probably do anything. But it leaves a lot of people cold. I haven't tried on either yet and can't really compare customer service, as I haven't been into a Tudor boutique.

Honestly you can't go wrong with either. I'm just the guy who chooses the less popular option because he's some sort of weird contrarian. Good luck deciding!

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As a 58 Blue owner, I love the Tudor. My first question, though, is about how you’ll be wearing it and how you feel about the sizes.

For a versatile watch to wear everyday, the Tudor is great. It dresses up and down effortlessly and the size is close to ideal for a daily diver (in my opinion).

If you’re looking for a fun, bold diver, the Breitling seems to fit that better. I happen to love the design and if it was 39mm, it would have competed with the BB58 for me.

For me, these are not directly comparable. My question is how you’re going to use it and what you want. I can’t imagine wearing the SO42 everyday with my small wrist. The Tudor isnt what I would call ‘fun’ (‘stoic’ is a better word).

I’m voting SO42 because I feel like it’s under appreciated and it’s so darn cool.

Edit: I really like what @English_archer said about detaching from the hype of the 58. That’s important. I know it’s died down since a few years ago but it’s definitely still there. I waited a long time to get mine for that reason.

Why not share my 58 while I’m here?

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If it were my money? The BB58. But then I am biased, and it ain’t my money!

One thing to think about is straps and bracelets. The BB58 looks great on fabric, a jubilee, rubber, and leather, which ups it’s versatility. The SO may look great on other options as well but I don’t know.

Bottom line, no bad choice here, so let us know what you decide and pics when you get it!

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SUSFU303

If it were my money? The BB58. But then I am biased, and it ain’t my money!

One thing to think about is straps and bracelets. The BB58 looks great on fabric, a jubilee, rubber, and leather, which ups it’s versatility. The SO may look great on other options as well but I don’t know.

Bottom line, no bad choice here, so let us know what you decide and pics when you get it!

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Nice with the brown strap 😍

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I own the BB58. I believe the SO is more “tough” or “tool” looking, but that is why I went with the Tudor over other options. The gilt accents differentiate it from the other divers and tool watches in my collection.

If you pick the SO, you will have delivered on a personal promise (and grabbed a great piece). That can’t be understated.

Good luck! Have fun! Enjoy the process and go with YOUR gut.

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As many have said on this post, while in the same category, they are completely different watches. I’ve had both on wrist and there was something about each of them I just didn’t like. I ended up buying the Christopher Ward C60 Trident Pro 300 at around 20% of the price and I love it. It’s whatever suits your eye!

Both have similar movements, as they are based on each others work (they used to trade movements back and forth).

I’d say the Superocean Heritage is closer in aesthetic to the BB58 if that vintage look is what you’re after.

Hopefully, the AD will let you try both on side by side. Tudor is like Rolex (of course) in that they don’t want the dealers walking their watches to the “other side of the tracks”. When mine told me they weren’t supposed to do that I laughed out loud at him… he submitted and I was able to take them on and off and compare the watches.

Have fun with your decision!

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Since you promised yourself a Breitling “one day”, scratch the itch now … the Tudor will then be your new itch! Regardless, congrats and happy hunting! 🤙❤️

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Personally I’d buy the BB54 but that’s me. Both your choices I do also like 👍🏼

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If I were you I could consider the following:

  1. Wrist size 39mm vs 42mm. If my wrist is around 16mm - 18mm I'll pick Tudor bb58. 18+mm I would like Superocean

  2. Budget: since you can't buy both I would recommend buying bb58 first as it retains much of its value at resale. I've found lots of used Superocean 42 around 2-3k CAD on the used market(50% value loss).

  3. It is ok to sleep on it. Take your money and sleep on it.

  4. This trick works 100% of the time. Flip a coin and let it decide. If it lands on a selected watch but you feel that brief disappointment/ hesitation, then you know which watch you truly want.

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UPDATE: I tried both on, and there was only one watch that gave me the instant reaction of "OMG! That thing is stunning!" ... that's right, it was the Tudor BB58. 🤯

Everything just fit perfectly. The case size, the dial, the colours and THAT Tudor Bezel was simply unreal! I've never twisted a bezel like a Tudor bezel before.

As so many of you advised me in the comments, I haven't bought it straight away, I've walked away for now to see if that instant feeling stays with me. But I have to say, that Black Bay is just going round and round in my head, constantly for the past 48hrs. 😵‍💫

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UPDATE ON THE UPDATE: I pick up the BB58 today! 🤩

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Oh you could have bought the superocean wonderful divers watch perhaps next time eh?