ZF Tudor Black Bay 54: Gen vs Rep
TL;DR: Solid first attempt from ZF on the Black Bay 54 (typical misaligned hour indices aside), with some noticeable flaws most likely drawn from the BB58 rather than the BB54.
Secured a ZF Tudor BB54 from a non-TD today and thought I'd compare it to my gen BB54. Here are a couple of quick impressions:
- Proportions are pretty much dead on: 37.5x46x11 on the gen, 37.5x46x11.3 on the rep
- ZF's lugs are noticeably fatter/less tapered, which ruins a bit of the overall wearability that makes the gen so good. I'd say the lug shape and taper are closer to that of the BB58.
- Rep dial print is darker/deeper gilt than the gen (much more in line with the gilt of the BB58).
- Mostly good news about the T-Fit clasp on the ZF, which feels and adjusts great. Shield on the clasp lock is definitely misshaped (too sharp). Overall bracelet quality is also good but the gen Tudor bracelet feels "silkier" with less sharp edges (again, similar to the BB58 ZF vs rep).
- Ghost date position on the ZF. Gross. Hate it. That plus the generally rough winding feel of an A2824 versus Tudor's very good in-house Kenissi calibre cheapens the feel.
- Caseback engraving on the rep is noticeably worse/lower quality than the gen. (I suspect that won't be a massive issue for some.)
- Yes I'm aware the 9 and 12 indices are crooked. It's ZF. I GLed this for the content.
Overall, I think the rep is really good but not without its flaws; for me, the value proposition of a gen Tudor on the secondhand market (I purchased mine for $3.5k in September 2023) makes this still WBIG. At $350 or so, the rep is still very good and in line with the quality of previous Tudor reps.
Comparison photos follow (gen left, rep right). Let me know what you see!