The Tudor Pelagos Uncovered
Among dive watches, few manage to blend tool-watch grit with refined modernity quite like the Tudor Pelagos. While its better-known sibling, and ever-expanding line of the Tudor Black Bay, often grabbing the spotlight with vintage charm and retro cues, the Tudor Pelagos takes a different route. This route? Paved in titanium, equipped with cutting-edge movements, and steeped in purpose. Arguably function over form, but the form this time around is damn good looking.
The Pelagos was aptly named after the Greek word for ‘Deep sea’, highlighting their desired demographic. However, this isn’t just a divers’ watch. It’s a bold, highly engineered, COSC-certified timepiece that pushes the boundaries of what a modern tool watch can be. Whether you’re suiting up for a dive or a boardroom meeting, the Tudor Pelagos holds its own with ease. Some might want to fly under the radar when compared to wearing a Rolex Submariner, others might want to be different because they appreciate what modern Tudor has become. Regardless of your stance, the Pelagos lume will shine so bright everyone will take note.
In this article, we’ll uncover the story behind the Pelagos, its key design features, variants like the Tudor Pelagos 39, and why it remains one of the most technically accomplished watches in the Tudor catalogue.
A dive into history – where the Pelagos fits in
The Tudor Pelagos was launched in 2012, filling a crucial gap in Tudor’s modern range. While the Black Bay leaned heavily on heritage, the Pelagos looked forward. This was a professional dive watch made for performance: light, legible, and functional at serious depths.
Tudor has a long legacy in underwater exploration. Dating back to the Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner in the 1950s – which famously served the French Navy – Tudor’s relationship with functional dive watches is well established. However, the Tudor Pelagos was the first to reimagine that vintage Tudor legacy in full titanium, with a modern build and integrated features like a helium escape valve.
Since then, the range has evolved to include models like the Tudor Pelagos FXD, the compact Tudor Pelagos 39mm, and even the rare Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono, all building on the same rugged philosophy. More recently, the Tudor Pelagos has started to receive the Tudor Black Bay treatment. What do I mean by this? Tudor releases tend to be of similar nature, often coming with the same design, but with a renewed colour scheme. Tudor have also leaned heavily on their brand partnership across different sports, to further create limited Tudor watches.
Design and features
The original Tudor Pelagos
At first glance, the original Tudor Pelagos released in 2012 might look like a straightforward dive watch in comparison to what is on the market nowadays. But the details reveal a timepiece designed for the extremes:
- Case: 42mm titanium with sharp bevels, satin-brushed throughout
- Bracelet: Titanium with a spring-loaded self-adjusting clasp (brilliant engineering)
- Crystal: Flat sapphire with anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance: 500m (yes, five hundred)
- Dial: Matte black or blue, with square luminous markers and bold snowflake hands
- Bezel: Unidirectional, ceramic, fully lumed – a standout at night or underwater
- Helium escape valve: At 9 o’clock, subtle but essential for saturation diving
This is more than a deep-diving titanium watch – it’s a carefully crafted instrument, built to meet the demands of real-life divers, professionals, and military operatives. This doesn’t try to compete with a Rolex Submariner, but more so their ultra-professional divers line of the Rolex Sea-Dweller.
The Pelagos FXD – military-grade functionality
In 2021, Tudor launched the Tudor Pelagos FXD, co-developed with the French Marine Nationale. It’s a model stripped down for action, made with real-world operations in mind:
- Strap: Fixed strap bars (hence “FXD”), meaning no bracelet – only NATO or single-pass fabric. You could argue that this narrows the Pelagos FXD use case, but there are so many great after market straps you would never be short of options.
- Case: 42mm titanium case, but thinner than the standard Pelagos. Will you notice the different on the wrist… absolutely.
- Bezel: Countdown bezel instead of elapsed time – designed for navigation, not diving
- Features: 300m water resistance, still more than enough
- Movement: COSC-certified calibre MT5602 with 70-hour power reserve
The FXD is a no-nonsense machine. And then there’s the Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono – a variant that adds chronograph functionality to the mix, bringing timing precision into tactical environments.
The FXD or ‘Fixed spring bar’ variant of the Tudor Pelagos has been a huge hit. The initial release came out in blue, and has since continued the Tudor trend of new and exciting variants. These include:
Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT (42mm Titanium)
This is a slightly quirky release, as it is not often any of us need a divers watch with a 24 hour GMT bezel. This is the real-world and frankly, this is a watch that has been on my purchasing radar ever since it came out. Give me a blue variant please Tudor…
It comes with the following internals and features:
- Functionality: Designed for tracking multiple time zones, making it ideal for aviators and global travelers.
- Features: Equipped with the MT5652-U movement, it displays local time, Zulu time (UTC), and a third time zone via the rotating bezel.
Tudor Pelagos FXD & FXD Chrono “Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition”
Tudor’s partnership with Alinghi Red Bull Racing, initiated in 2022, marks the brand’s inaugural venture into competitive yacht racing. This collaboration celebrates shared values of innovation, precision, and performance, culminating in the release of two specialized timepieces: the Pelagos FXD and the Pelagos FXD Chrono “Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition”
- Purpose: Developed in partnership with Alinghi Red Bull Racing for competitive yacht racing.
- Construction: Cases made from a combination of carbon composite, titanium, and stainless steel, mirroring the materials used in AC75 hydrofoil racing yachts.
- Models:
- FXD (Time-Only): Features a matte blue dial with red accents and a bidirectional bezel with a reversed scale for regatta countdowns.
FXD Chrono: Tudor’s first chronograph in the FXD line, powered by the MT5813 movement, featuring direct-action pushers and a 43mm case.
Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition”
Tudor’s entry in professional cycling sponsorship materialised through the establishment of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, a Swiss-based UCI ProTeam that debuted in 2022. This initiative is a collaboration between Tudor and Swiss cycling legend Fabian Cancellara. Again, nothing hugely revolutionary, but the cycling sponsorship has brought us a watch to lust over.
- Design: Tailored for the TUDOR Pro Cycling Team, emphasizing lightweight construction and functionality.
- Features: Carbon composite case, high-performance Manufacture Calibre, and a design that reflects the dynamic spirit of professional cycling.
The Tudor Pelagos 39
One of the most anticipated additions in recent years, the Tudor Pelagos 39 (or Tudor Pelagos 39mm) shrinks the Pelagos design into a more compact and versatile package. A big differentiating factor in comparison to the Tudor Black Bay line, is the introduction of crown guards. Visually, this brings modern Tudor into the Submariner territory, and collectors and enthusiasts alike coining this the new Tudor Submariner. The watch itself comes with:
- Case: 39mm titanium, satin-brushed for an ultra light look and feel
- Dial: Simpler layout with applied indices and sunray brushing. Sunray dials are where the light refracts from the centre-outwards.
- Movement: COSC-certified MT5400
- Strap options: Titanium bracelet with T-fit clasp, plus rubber strap included within the initial purchase. A quick release makes the change over even more seamless.
- Water resistance: 200m
While purists may favour the full-size Tudor Pelagos 42mm, the Pelagos 39 strikes a perfect balance between tool and dress watch. It’s slimmer, more wearable under a cuff, but still unmistakably Tudor.
Tudor Pelagos Ultra
The Tudor Pelagos Ultra, unveiled at this years Watches & Wonders 2025, represents the pinnacle of Tudor’s dive watch engineering. Building upon the Tudor Pelagos models, the Tudor Ultra introduces significant increases in size, water-depth rating, and chronometer certification.
- Case and Materials: The watch features a 43mm case crafted from a combination of grade 2 and grade 5 titanium
- Water Resistance: With a water resistance rating of 1,000 meters, the Pelagos Ultra doubles the depth capability of its predecessor, making it suitable for professional saturation diving (Let’s be honest, it will almost never be used for these purposes, but it’s a nice to have).
- Movement: Equipped with a Master Chronometer-certified movement, the watch meets stringent standards for precision, performance, and magnetic resistance, ensuring reliability in demanding conditions.
- Design Enhancements: The dial elements have been scaled up to improve legibility, a crucial feature for divers operating in low-light, deep sea environments… or bad boardroom lighting.
The Tudor Pelagos Ultra stands as Tudor’s most advanced dive watch to date, combining robust construction, exceptional depth rating, and certified precision. It caters to professional divers and watch enthusiasts seeking a timepiece that excels in both performance and design.
Inside the case – how did we get here?
The Tudor Pelagos range showcases Tudor’s movement prowess. Earlier models used the trusty ETA 2824-2, but since 2015, Tudor has equipped most models with in-house calibres:
- MT5612 – Automatic with 70-hour power reserve and date complication
- MT5602 – No-date variant found in the FXD
- MT5400 – Found in the Tudor Pelagos 39, smaller but just as capable
All are COSC-certified, anti-magnetic thanks to silicon hairsprings, and known for long service intervals. Whether you’re strapping on a Tudor Pelagos GMT, FXD, or LHD, you’re getting serious chronometry in a rugged case.
Colours, straps and notable variants
I know we have covered some of the alternative options to the standard models. We wanted to recap the standard Tudor Pelagos comes in matte black or rich blue, with the Tudor Pelagos Blue variant particularly popular among collectors. The Tudor Pelagos black remains the original no-frills diver.
There’s also the Tudor Pelagos LHD, or Tudor Pelagos left hand drive – a charming nod to vintage Milsub design with the crown at 9 o’clock and red text on the dial. It looks like a modern classic and feels a little different in the best way.
Strap-wise, you’ll find full titanium bracelets with the innovative T-fit clasp on most models, while others – like the FXD and Pelagos 39 – ship with superb fabric or Tudor Pelagos rubber strap alternatives included.
Tudor Pelagos vs Tudor Black Bay
This is the comparison everyone wants to make – and rightly so. Both are Tudor dive watches, both offer in-house movements, but they serve very different personalities.
| Feature | Tudor Pelagos | Tudor Black Bay |
| Case Material | Titanium | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 500m (or 300m FXD) | 200m |
| Bezel | Fully lumed ceramic | Aluminium (steel on some) |
| Design | Modern, sharp | Vintage-inspired |
| Movement | MT5612 / MT5602 / MT5400 | MT5602 / MT5402 / MT5652 |
| Price Range | £3,400–£4,400 | £3,000–£4,000 |
The Tudor Pelagos vs Tudor Black Bay question comes down to purpose. If you want a sleek retro diver, the Black Bay is a brilliant choice. But for innovation, lightweight comfort, and military-grade specs, the Pelagos is in a league of its own.
If you would you like to find out more about the Tudor Black Bay, read our Uncovered review here.
Price, value and who it’s for
Most Tudor Pelagos models retail between £3,400 and £4,400, depending on configuration. The FXD and 39mm models come in slightly lower, while rarer editions like the Tudor Pelagos LHD and any future chrono or GMT versions could command more. Recent trajectory of Tudor watch prices are on the up, which like everything in this currenty global econimc landscape, means less bang for buck compared to its rivals.
The good news is that Tudor Pre-owned watch prices remain strong – not speculative like other brands, but stable and consistent. The Pelagos isn’t bought for hype. It’s bought for performance.
This is a watch for those who dive, travel, or just appreciate rock-solid engineering. It’s not flashy. It’s not “influencer bait.” But it’s easily one of the most satisfying Tudor watches you can wear daily.
Final thoughts
The Tudor Pelagos is what happens when a historic Swiss brand commits to modern tool watch excellence. No faux patina. No unnecessary fluff. Just titanium, lume, and purpose-built function.
Whether you’re reaching for the original Tudor Pelagos 42, the minimalist Tudor Pelagos 39mm, or the military-issue Tudor Pelagos FXD, you’re getting a professional-grade dive watch with character, clarity, and confidence.
As Tudor watch design continues to evolve, the Pelagos remains its most compelling chapter – serious about performance, unapologetically modern, and built for those who do. We think the Pelagos will make you think twice before purchasing a Tudor Black Bay, Rolex Submariner or even an Omega Seamaster. Let us know what you think!
Win a Tudor Pelagos 39 – enter today
Don’t miss your chance to own a Tudor Pelagos 39 worth over £4,000! Enter our live competition for the opportunity to win a Tudor Pelagos.
Tickets are only £2 and limited to 3500 entries, so get your entry in before it’s too late.
Please note: competition closes at 9:00pm on the 18th May 2025
