About Tudor Pelagos Watches

The Tudor Pelagos was first introduced in 2012 as a wholly new and restyled line of dive watches. This timepiece is modern, with different variations and styles available. The Pelagos was released alongside the Tudor Black Bay, its more vintage sibling. This particular model is more robust, utilizing ceramic and titanium and is also a larger size. In addition, it has a higher capacity for depth and uses Tudor's first in-house movement.

The Pelagos takes some of its inspirations from its predecessor, the Tudor Submariner. For example, it has retained the snowflake hands, employing right angles and square hour markers. There are two options for color — a matte blue and all black. The lume is blue, making the transition from light to dark quite seamless.

The bezel is titanium with a ceramic insert, and the watch features a 42mm case. The back of the watch is stainless steel, which makes this model an intriguing combination of three different materials. It can reach a depth of 500 meters due to the automatic helium escape valve. While some valves are manual, the Tudor Pelagos leave no room for human error and has implemented an automatic valve.

The bracelet for the Pelagos is completed with matte and features an innovative and creatively interesting clasp: It is a floating clasp that adjusts with the wearer's movements. This was made because, based on the pressure of the surrounding water, divers' wrist may expand or contract. This type of change isn't relegated to the sea, however, which makes the clasp a desirable feature for all wearers. It also comes with two rubber straps to fit the diving community's typical preference for this band. The indices and numerals are all luminous, making them easy to see no matter the conditions. The movement has a power reserve of over 70-hours, which is quite impressive.

The Pelagos LHD, released in 2016, offered a subtle yet necessary variation on the original Pelagos. LHD stands for Left Hand Dive, meaning that the left-sided crown makes it designed for left-handed divers. While practical, this decision is also a historical nod. In 1981, the Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner was designed for Marine Nationale officers, who previously needed to wear right-handed watches upside down.

There are also minor visual variations to this particular model. The hour markers and hands are beige, which is also a subtle historical reference: on the vintage Tudor Submariners, tritium (which was applied to the hour markers and hands for increased visibility in the dark) would turn beige after some time. There are also alternating red and black date numbers, which is in reference to the 1969 Tudor Prince Oysterdate Submariners.

While Tudor is a subsidiary of Rolex, its watches have their own unique identity. The Pelagos certainly offers the brand its own credibility and sets itself apart from Rolex divers. It's an incredible tool watch with features that can be used by serious divers. In terms of both its technical and aesthetic elements, the Tudor Pelagos is an innovative success.