Whenever I see a Tudor Black Bay on someone’s wrist, I know that the wearer knows about watches. On the other hand, anyone with enough money could wear a Submariner, even someone who’s not into replica watches at all. But Tudor has a hold of the specialists. These are people who know exactly what they are buying. Namely, a high-quality stainless steel dive watch with a very capable movement at a compelling price. And I know that no one buys a watch in a 100% rational way. But at the end of the day, you also want to save some money to buy other watches, right?
And that brings me to the second reason why the Tudor Black Bay is the better option: simply because it’s available. It’s true that every time a new Tudor watch is presented, people line up to get their hands on one. That might cause a fairly short waiting period in those first months after launch. But after some time, usually, the watches are readily available in store to both try and buy. Well, that’s certainly not the case regarding the Rolex Submariner.  
You can only get a Submariner when an authorized dealer permits you to buy one. And to earn that permission in a reasonable amount of time, you must either have a long history with that AD or be some blockbuster superstar. Forget about it if you’re just a normal individual like you and me unless you’re prepared to wait for years, potentially in vain. And even though I feel that exclusivity adds some glamour, I prefer not to have to play games to spend my money.
Furthermore, when I decide to buy a imitation watch, I like to have some options. The current stainless steel Rolex Submariner lineup only consists of three. There is one without a date, a black dial, and a black ceramic bezel, and then there are two options with a date, a black dial, and a black or a green ceramic bezel. I know Rolex is trying to maintain the status of an all-time classic icon here. Still, I’d prefer to have some additional choices.
For starters, Tudor offers you the choice between a 39mm or a 41mm case size, whereas Rolex only offers you a 41mm case. Then, regarding the colours, Tudor lets you choose between black/black/gilt, black/red/gilt, and black/blue/silver for the 41mm Black Bay. And then there’s a black/black/gilt and a blue/blue/silver option for the 39mm Black Bay Fifty-Eight. Admittedly, there is no option to add a date on the stainless steel Black Bays, but who needs a date to clutter up that beautiful dial anyway?
Last but certainly not least, let’s talk about the looks. Of course, this is very personal and subjective, but I think the current Rolex Submariner looks a bit too shiny and graceless. That flashy ceramic bezel and the straight, hard lines along its case don’t even come close to the modest aluminium bezel and elegant curves of the Tudor Black Bay. The Sub really looks like a watch that wants to be seen. The Black Bay, however, looks like a copy watch I want to be seen with. And with that, I’d like to conclude my plea. Let’s see what you got, RJ!