After years of being on numerous collectors’ want lists, a GMT-equipped model of the Tudor Pelagos lastly appeared final October as one of many Swiss model’s releases for 2024. Nevertheless, fairly than including a GMT complication to the usual model of the mannequin, Tudor as an alternative created a military-themed software watch in partnership with the French Marine Nationale, which was primarily based on the much less dive-oriented (however arguably extra utilitarian) Pelagos FXD collection. Though the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT most likely isn’t the precise timepiece that almost all collectors envisioned, it provides minimal overlap with the model’s different GMT watches and represents a extremely function-forward expression of a Pelagos GMT.
When the Tudor Pelagos assortment first debuted in 2012, it was initially launched as a completely trendy expression of a no-compromises dive watch. Nevertheless, the Pelagos has expanded previous its underwater roots lately, and it now provides fashions which can be purpose-built for different sports activities and particular functions. Together with foregoing a helium escape valve in favor of a slimmed-down case with a decreased depth score, Pelagos FXD watches additionally function fastened bars between their lugs, therefore the “FXD” (aka FiXeD) a part of their title. Whereas this limits the Pelagos FXD collection to pass-through model straps, it additionally fully eliminates the potential for springbar failure, and this makes the FXD platform ideally suited to watches which can be seemingly for use in strenuous circumstances.
Because the Pelagos lineup grows, it’s the FXD collection that takes the gathering in numerous thematic instructions and, on the time of writing, all the non-FXD fashions (particularly those obtainable with bracelets) stay customary three-handed dive watches. The Pelagos FXD first debuted with a blue dial and a countdown bezel in 2021 as a Marine Nationale collaboration earlier than being expanded to a regular black-dial model in 2023. With that in thoughts, the FXD platform has additionally been used for different sport-specific fashions with carbon-composite instances, such because the duo of regatta-themed Alinghi Purple Bull Racing Version watches from 2023 and the Pelaos FXD Chrono Biking Version that was launched final yr in 2024. Quite than being a dive watch designed for underwater navigation like the unique Marine Nationale FXD mannequin, the Pelagos FXD GMT has been particularly created for the Aéronautique Navale, which is the aviation division of the French Navy.
Not like the usual Pelagos diver that’s constructed from titanium and stainless-steel elements, two various kinds of titanium are used within the building of the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT, with nearly all of its exterior rendered in brushed grade 2 titanium, whereas grade 5 titanium is used for its stable screw-down caseback. Moreover, if you happen to flip your consideration to the photograph of the caseback (and ignore the clear protecting sticker with its unpleasant recycling image), you’ll discover the “M.N.24” inscription, which stands for “Marine Nationale 2024” and corresponds with the yr of manufacturing for the watch. Since this instance was produced in 2024, it has the unique “M.N.24” engraving, though people who buy a Pelagos FXD GMT this yr in 2025 ought to have “M.N.25” inscribed upon the caseback.
Similar to the unique blue Tudor Pelagos FXD that debuted in 2021, the right-hand facet of the Pelagos FXD GMT’s case is furnished by a signed screw-down crown constructed from titanium, and regardless of not being particularly designed for underwater functions, the Pelagos FXD GMT nonetheless provides the identical 200 meters of water resistance as its dive watch sibling. Equally, the highest of its case is furnished by a flat sapphire crystal surrounded by a bi-directional rotating bezel; nevertheless, each the insert and bezel movement have been up to date on the GMT-equipped model of the mannequin. Quite than being fitted with a blue 60-minute countdown insert and rotating with a 120-click motion, the bezel for the Pelagos FXD GMT has a black ceramic 24-hour insert, and it rotates with a 48-click movement to raised correspond with its timezone-oriented performance.
As for its dimensions, the case of the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT measures 42mm in diameter by 12.7mm thick, with 22mm slots in its fastened lugs and an general lug-to-lug profile of 52mm. On the wrist, the Pelagos FXD GMT wears a bit thinner than the usual 42mm bracelet-equipped Pelagos divers, though a few of its 1.6mm discount in peak finally ends up being added again by the pass-through strap that sits underneath its case. As somebody with wrists on the smaller facet that measure about 6.5 to six.75 inches in circumference, I personally want the Pelagos FXD GMT had barely extra compact dimensions. Nevertheless, I additionally absolutely acknowledge that this mannequin is designed for burly army pilots (not for scrawny wristwatch journalists), and a bigger format undeniably lends itself to superior at-a-glance legibility.
The dial fitted to the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT consists of a matte black floor with utilized hour markers and a skinny angled chapter ring containing a printed minute observe. Not like the assorted three-handed Pelagos FXD fashions that go for a easy time-only show, the Pelagos FXD GMT has a date window on the 3 o’clock location, and becoming a member of the usual trio of centrally-mounted “Snowflake” palms is an extra 24-hour hand with an arrow-shaped tip that’s completed in a brilliant shade of orange. White-on-black markings are typically the de facto model for military-themed watches, however there isn’t the slightest whiff of white wherever on the Pelagos FXD GMT. As a substitute, the mannequin opts for a muted shade of beige that’s used for the whole lot of its markings, with the one exception being the “Pelagos GMT” title on its dial, which is printed in orange to match the 24-hour hand.
The usage of beige over white even extends to the calendar disc and the luminous materials that seems on the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT. The date is printed in black towards a tan-colored background, and all the Tremendous-LumiNova that’s utilized to the palms, hour markers, and bezel insert (which has a totally luminous 24-hour scale) seems in the identical muted shade of beige that’s used for the assorted markings on the dial. Moreover, fairly than being constructed from stable blocks of luminous ceramic composite like different latest Pelagos releases, the hour markers on the Pelagos FXD GMT provide a extra conventional construction that consists of utilized surrounds stuffed with lume, and the frames for the palms and hour markers are all painted beige to match the remainder of the dial’s textual content and markings.
Regardless of showing a uniform shade of beige when considered within the daylight, the luminous materials on the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT truly glows two completely different colours at midnight. Blue-glowing Swiss Tremendous-LumiNova is used for the hour markers and the trio of ordinary time-telling palms, whereas the tip of the 24-hour and the bezel markings all glow inexperienced to assist create visible distinction. As these photographs had been taken inside a Tudor showroom, it wasn’t doable to get a lume shot, however you possibly can see a picture of the watch’s low-light show in our unique information article concerning the launch. Beige-colored lume is usually related to “fauxtina” and vintage-inspired designs, however because the Pelagos FXD GMT is in any other case a decidedly trendy timepiece, its use of coloured lume with matching tan printing in the end supplies it with extra of a “desert-ops” vibe fairly than something rooted prior to now.
Powering the Pelagos FXD GMT is Tudor’s Caliber MT5652-U computerized motion, which provides “flier-style” GMT performance with an independently adjustable native hour hand. Regardless of having the same title, the Cal. MT5652-U differs barely from the Cal. MT5652 discovered inside fashions such because the Black Bay GMT and Black Bay Professional, with the “U” on the finish designating that the motion is examined for magnetic resistance. Outfitted with a silicon hairspring and a variable-inertia steadiness, the Cal. MT5652-U runs at a frequency of 28,800vph (4 Hz) with a 65-hour energy reserve, and this represents a five-hour discount in autonomy in contrast to what’s provided by the full-size Black Bay GMT. From a core design standpoint, the actions inside these two watches are largely similar, and the slight lower in energy reserve is probably going as a result of the Pelagos FXD GMT adheres to extra stringent efficiency requirements as a METAS-certified Grasp Chronometer.
Just like Omega, Tudor has adopted METAS Grasp Chronometer certification for various its latest releases, and in contrast to COSC certification (which solely applies to uncased actions), the METAS certification course of checks full watches to create a way more thorough evaluation of a timepiece’s real-world efficiency. Together with having tighter timekeeping requirements of -0/+5 seconds per day, METAS certification additionally requires that watches be undisturbed by magnetic fields in extra of 15,000 gauss, and the analysis course of even checks for water resistance to substantiate that timepieces can attain their acknowledged depth scores. With that in thoughts, since one of many conditions for METAS testing is COSC certification, the Pelagos FXD GMT is each a COSC-certified chronometer and a METAS-certified Grasp Chronometer.
So, why does the METAS-certified Caliber MT5652-U have an influence reserve that’s 5 hours shorter than what is obtainable by the older Cal. MT5652? Whereas that is pure hypothesis on my half, I’d guess that the lower in on-paper autonomy is a direct results of the tighter timekeeping tolerances required for Grasp Chronometer certification. Mechanical watches usually are likely to exhibit a lower in accuracy close to the very finish of their energy reserves, and I’d think about that barely reducing this worth permits the Caliber MT5652-U to stay throughout the METAS-required tolerances for the total period of its listed energy reserve. That stated, the Cal. MT5652-U provides similar specs to the METAS-certified Cal. MT5450-U discovered contained in the smaller Black Bay 58 GMT, so it’s clear that Tudor can obtain these similar ranges of efficiency with a extra compact motion.
Finishing the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT is a single-piece inexperienced material strap that secures on the underside of the wrist with a chunky tang-style buckle constructed from brushed grade 2 titanium. The primary of the 2 strap keepers is steel and sewn into the strap’s construction, whereas the second material keeper is detachable and adorned with the French Naval Aviation roundel. For many who don’t need this military-themed element displayed on their watch, the secondary material keeper can both be flipped round to cover the insignia or just faraway from the strap fully. Because of the fixed-lug design of the Pelagos FXD GMT, suitable third-party choices will probably be (more-or-less) restricted to types that adhere to a pass-through design, though there are numerous choices on this class, so I can’t think about anybody will battle to seek out appropriate alternate options.
As the one GMT-equipped watch at present obtainable throughout the higher Pelagos assortment, the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT naturally occupies a novel place amongst its siblings, that are all three-handed fashions or sport-specific chronographs. Moreover, its decidedly trendy design, fixed-lug case, and military-inspired colour palette additionally make the Pelagos FXD GMT a tangibly completely different providing from the assorted Black Bay GMT fashions, and it’s simply essentially the most utilitarian expression of a GMT watch that at present exists in Tudor’s trendy catalog. With an official retail value of $4,700 USD, the Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT (ref. M2542G257NU-0002) is only some hundred {dollars} dearer than what the model prices for its three-handed titanium FXD fashions, and this in the end appears like a reasonably cheap premium for the addition of each a date show and flier-style GMT performance. For extra data, please go to the Tudor web site.
