Tudor Pelagos FXD watch co-developed with Marine Nationale

After a decades-long hiatus, Tudor copy is back with a new diver’s watch designed and labelled for the French Marine Corps. The Tudor Pelagos FXD is a titanium diver’s watch that complies with a unique set of specifications developed in conjunction with the famous Hubert Commando, a French naval combat swimmer.

What’s new compared to regular Pelagos, one of the brand’s underrated but technically most powerful offerings? First, the Tudor Pelagos FXD debuted a fixed (FiXeD) lug structure made from the same single piece of titanium for added strength; second, it relies on a 120-key bidirectional with a 60-to-0 retrograde scale The bezel, admittedly, does not meet the ISO 6425:2018 standard for diving watches, but meets the specific needs of known methods as “underwater sailing”, one of the specialties of combat swimmers. The bezel is wider than normal for “optimal grip even with neoprene gloves and hands numb from prolonged diving in cold water”, and has illuminated graduations throughout. best quality replica watches

The titanium case of the Tudor Pelagos FXD is 42mm wide and 12.75mm thick, with a lug-to-lug thickness of 52mm. The entire titanium case and steel case back are satin-brushed, while the ceramic bezel inserts are sandblasted, presumably to minimize reflectivity, which could draw unwanted attention. First introduced in 1969, the snowflake hands were also used in combination with square and triangular hour markers for improved legibility and error-proof readings. Water resistance is 200 meters, which is more than enough for the professional divers of Hubert Commando, who work just below the surface. In fact, the Hubert Commandos were the official paratrooper commandos of the French Navy and became the Combat Swimming Team on March 30, 1953. The dark blue dial is protected by a sapphire crystal.

Tudor admits that’s cool, “Historically, the French Navy delivered Tudor watches without bracelets and then fitted them with their own straps, handcrafted or otherwise. Over the years, two straps seem to have been used in particular. Type: Black straps made from a single piece of woven nylon, and less commonly handmade straps made of parachute elastic, identifiable by their green and yellow or red centerline. Fabric straps from Pelagos FXD It is a tribute to the latter, a hyperfunctional relic inseparable from the French military divers.”

Tudor is understandably proud of its woven strap, produced on a 19th-century French jacquard loom by Julien Faure in the Saint-Etienne region. Some 11 years after their debut, the straps feature a new high-tech construction developed by Tudor and Julien Faure to suit the rustic nature of the work of French naval divers. Consisting of a 22mm dark blue polyethylene braided strap with a silver centerline, a titanium “D” buckle and a self-buckling fastening system, Tudor claims the new straps and buckles “adapt to different wrist sizes and are very comfortable to wear. comfortable” to wear. “

I’m personally still curious about how these straps actually fit, especially about how that big “D” buckle feels against the wrist. Some of the fabric straps I’ve experienced offer truly outstanding wearing comfort – the Richard Mille RM50-03 McLaren and the new unibody Apple Watch woven strap (my review pending) are great to wear even for extended periods of time Best example. The Tudor Pelagos FXD comes with an additional one-piece rubber strap with an embossed pattern and buckle in the box – a first for Tudor.

The Tudor Pelagos FXD is powered by the Tudor MT5602 movement, which features COSC-certified precision, an impressive 70-hour power reserve, a non-magnetic silicon hairspring and a variable inertia balance with fine-tuning screws. Tudor goes on to point out that it adjusts its fully assembled watch to a -2/+4 second change, which is noticeably tighter than COSC’s -4/+6 second.

We look forward to discovering how the Tudor Pelagos FXD and its retaining strap bar design fit. Nonetheless, and the notable limitations introduced by the solid lug construction and strap stems in terms of alternative strap options, it’s pretty cool to see Tudor and Marine Nationale continue their historic partnership – and doing so is more than just a label Exercise.