Editor’s note: This Tudor Pelagos FXD Hands-on and other Black Bay watches has been photographed with the assistance of J Farren-Price Sydney. For our other detailed hands-on reviews, please head to our dedicated reviews section here. This is NOT a sponsored post.
What is The Tudor Pelagos FXD
2021’s Tudor Pelagos FXD Marine Nationale ref. 25707B/21 retails for 5’300 AUD and joins other blue dive watches from the brand that include the brighter blue dialled Tudor Pelagos ref. M25600TB-0001 that retails for 6’450 AUD, the navy blue Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight ref. M79030B-0003 that retails for 4’730 AUD, and the 41mm dark blue bezelled Tudor Black Bay ref. M79230B-0007 (with which the Tudor Pelagos FXD shares its Manufacture Calibre MT5602 (COSC) movement with).
For those who are figuring out how blue is the Tudor Pelagos FXD, to simply put it, it’s yet another shade of blue for Tudor where the dial is pretty much the same shade as that of the bezel of the Tudor Black Bay ref. M79230B-0007 and the bezel is almost the colour of that of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight Blue.
Why
The Tudor Pelagos FXD was first announced in November last year as an yearly production model with a special engraved case-back (that made the first generation 2021 models see quite a price hike in the secondary market). Courtesy Tudor’s partnership with the French Navy since 1956, the military themed Tudor Pelagos FXD is designed to be an “underwater navigation” tool watch.
Where
For Tudor watches including the Tudor Pelagos FXD, please contact J Farren-Price Sydney, 80 Castlereagh St, Sydney (02 9231 3299). There are also various other ADs across Australia, including a dedicated Tudor boutique now open in Melbourne.
Who Is The Tudor Pelagos FXD For
On the surface, simply put, it is yet another blue dialled watch that can be used underwater. Need a blue coloured dive watch that also fits slim wrists? You have the Tudor BB58. Have bigger wrists and need a diver with blue accents? You have the 41mm Tudor Black Bay. Need a purpose built diver with 500m water-resistance and a helium escape valve? You have the Tudor Pelagos. Need a proper military watch for the military; you have to join the French Navy.
The Tudor Pelagos FXD is not a re-issue of the first generation of Tudor Submariners or other Tudor MN collabs that many enthusiasts wanted. So those seeking to replicate that in their collection, this is not for that purpose.
So what exactly is the point of the Tudor Pelagos FXD?
Well, it fits a very precise, niche void. And it could have been called something completely else, the Pelagos tag doesn’t really fit it.
In a nutshell, it is a dive-esque watch with a fully graduated bezel insert and fixed lugs designed in consultation with the French Navy. It thankfully introduces to the mainstream watch community a fixed lug watch that can take the beating of life, both under and over water. So those of us who are actually the adventurous or outdoorsy kind, can actually have a watch they can wear without hassles or fear. The Tudor Pelagos FXD ain’t coming off your wrist unless you have an Aron Ralston situation.
So if you are someone who doesn’t like the BB58 design language for some reason (or the indices), or wants a watch with crown guards, or doesn’t like the fauxtina in LHD Pelagos, then sure, the Tudor Pelagos is different and for you.
Dive deeper, and you also discover that it offers a great bang for the buck. A smacking good value proposition deal thanks to features such as a COSC-certified movement, 70-hour power reserve, a versatile deep dark blue colour, more than a 1000 AUD cheaper than the ‘real’ Pelagos, a lightweight titanium body, and Tudor’s five-year warranty.
Basic Specs Of The Tudor Pelagos FXD
The Tudor Pelagos FXD reference 25707B/21 features the COSC-certified manufacture movement, the calibre MT5602. This 31.8mm diameter and 6.5mm thick movement features a variable inertia balance, a non-magnetic silicon balance spring, beats at the same frequency of 4Hz (28’800 A/h), and comprises of 25 jewels.
The watch face shows the functions of central hours, minutes and seconds. The watch offers an impressive 70-hour power reserve, a bidirectional rotating titanium with ceramic disc bezel with 60-minute retrograde graduation for navigation by successive stages, and a decent 200m (20 ATM) water-resistance.
Tudor Pelagos FXD Hands-on Experience
Tudor really needs to up their game when taking pictures of their watches (though frankly it’s better than Rolex in that at least the images look like that they are of a real watch and not something off a computer software).
Watches are tangible items, often bought with some emotional needs. Generating standard product photography that is completely two-dimensional is both an insult to the buyer and the brand’s own work that’s gone in designing these watches. Because frankly, Rolex and Tudor do design some of the best sports watches out there, that can be used in real life and are not supposed to be kept inside safes.
So do yourself a favour and definitely try and check the new Tudor Pelagos FXD out in person, or Google search for hands-on images. The watch has a great three-dimensional quality to it that just refuses to jump out from stock standard images. Also, that shade of dark blue is quite rich and changes under different lighting, bringing something more that adds further value to the timepiece.
The Tudor Pelagos FXD is definitely a looker, in person more so, and also courtesy those fairly raised appliqué indices and the dollops of lume, is very three-dimensional and practical.
In terms of design architecture, it basically removes the date window from the Pelagos, raises the appliqué markers from their cutouts, changes the shade of blue, removes the automatic helium escape valve at 9’o clock, reduces the thickness, increases the lug to lug, reduces the water-resistance, changes the the bezel rotation, and reduces the price.
When I first previewed this watch back in November last year, I wrote: “For those with slim wrist sizes such as mine, the wait for a smaller Pelagos continues.”
After going hands-on, my stance doesn’t completely alter, but it does sway a little. The Tudor does fit quite well on my slim ~16cm wrist. Not perfect like the BB58, but close. Thanks to the fixed lug architecture and the shape of the lugs that curve on the back, the watch somehow doesn’t feel overbearing. Which is a welcome surprise, given like most, I was also hoping for a smaller version of this. But in its current avatar, I reckon it should work for both with large and slim wrists.
Tudor Pelagos FXD Hands-on Review Comparison With Tudor Black Bay Series
In regards to how it sits compared to other Tudor offering, here’s an image heavy snapshot.
The Tudor Pelagos FXD measures 42mm in diameter (and 46mm with crown guards), 12.75mm (sans the NATO strap or 14mm with the strap) in thickness, and offers a large 52mm lug-to-lug spacing.
In contrast, the Tudor Black Bay Ceramic measures 41mm in diameter, 15.6mm in thickness and offers a 51.2mm lug-to-lug spacing. And the Tudor Black Bay measures the same as above, but with a reduced 49.6mm lug-to-lug spacing. The other ‘real’ Pelagos ref. 25600TB measures 42mm x 14.2mm x ~50mm lug-to-lug.
If you come to think of it, the Tudor Pelagos FXD measures pretty similar to the Tudor Black Bay Chrono watches from last year. They measured 41mm in diameter sans crown and 44.6mm with crown/pushers, 14.4mm in height and 50.7mm lug-to-lug.
On the outer spectrum, they are also a bit similar in sizing to the Black Bay Bronze that comes in at 43mm x. 14.5mm x 53mm, but wears much smaller. So if you are someone who can pull of the Bronze version with ease, the FXD will be a breeze.
And if you are like me and have slim wrists, and find the the 38mm x 12.5mm x 47.2mm specs of the BB58 to be ideal, then perhaps you should go for the BB58.
At the end of the day, if you are in the market for a blue coloured sports watch with a rotating bezel, Tudor has you covered, no matter your wrist size or design preference.
There is plenty to choose from, and for the price tags they go for, they are all a true bargain in the world of luxury watches. I would even go on to say that at some point Omega used to be a competitor for Rolex, but now thanks to some smart marketing and genuinely interesting products, Rolex has left it far behind. Which is a shame really because Omega used to be one of my personal go-to brands. Tudor is its new competitor, and for watch enthusiasts — not collectors — sells its watches for a much lower price tag. When it comes to diving style watches, Omega needs to think beyond hockey pucks and James Bond tie-ins.
So strap on and game on.
To find out more about the Tudor Pelagos FXD and other Tudor timepieces, please head to there website here, or visit their authorised retailer J Farren-Price Sydney at 80 Castlereagh St, Sydney (02 9231 3299). All images unless otherwise stated are ©WatchYaGonnaDoAboutIt.
