I hadn’t quite realized the 39 strips a lot of “Pelogosness” from the Pelagos platform until reading this. And you’re right, that is a shame. But I think with the Black Bay platform skewing vintage in aesthetic, the Pelagos name is Tudor’s only place to make something like a modern Sub, and really that’s what everyone wants.
I’ve thought about this for a while listening to TGN, that both yourself and James have such love for the brand and yet, to my knowledge, neither of you own a modern Tudor. I think that speaks to this belief that Tudor has all the right ingredients to make the Goldilocks built-for-purpose dive watch, and you guys like myself believe the Pelagos platform to be the place that will come from. But at least for me, the FXD and 39 just aren’t quite there.
Congratulations on a brief return to focused watch journalism. As I have noted in the past, I will read anything you or your pal James Stacey write and this is no exception. A crisp piece on a new item. Well done.
As to the new Pelagos, I have no dog in this fight. As you said, the price tag basically eliminates me from anything but the most Walter Mitty of thoughts. If I owned a dive boat in the Bahamas, would I own a Pelagos? Perhaps. It would be a perfect one watch collection. But, I am far more likely to own a Corvette or explore the Rockies than even ride in a dive boat in the Bahamas.
So, is the Pelagos attractive? To be sure. Do I covet the Pelagos FXD? Sure. Does it matter, not at all because luxury watches are not in my budget and I would be loathe to bang that watch once it was on my wrist.
BTW, for a wrist check, today is VJ Day marking the end of WWII. It is important for many of the baby boomers because war’s end meant our fathers survived and built a new world in America. I am wearing a Bulova A11 with all the stock numbers and the nomenclature. Was it worn by an aviator flying or navigating a B17 over Guadalcanal or a C47 flying over the hump? Or did it spend the war in a cardboard box in government stores waiting for its time of glory that never arrived? I will never know, but I do know it cost me less than 10% of the new Tudor (including the complete servicing so that it runs as well as it did in the 1940s).
As you said, watches are little anachronisms that we attach to memories and fantasies. I’ll keep my fantasies in check as I hunt for other pieces of 20th century history.
Great observations Jason. As a caretaker of two Pelagos an LHD and an FXD I can say they are some of the finest purpose built watches out there. Now that the complements are out of the way there are a few things I wish Tudor would get fixed. The first being the bezel, I spend a considerable time in the ocean at shore break and under the bezel a-lot of fine sand and grit accumulates making turning the bezel impossible. The way they have engineered the ratchet system uses 3 springs and 3 pistons, poor design! The second is how sharp the bezel on the FXD is, I have manages to slice numerous holes in wetsuits. All that being said I wear the FXD 24/7 and have learned to live with blasting the grit out from under the bezel with a high power water hose when I get out of the water.
All of the things I want in a go-anywhere, do-anything watch: light on the bracelet, quality rubber strap, dive bezel, moderate size, splash of color, COSC, 50+year life span.
Elimination of the things I don't want or need: date, HEV, 500m rating.
I have always loved the Pelagos LHD. The Submariner is a little too shiny, too expensive and too difficult to buy. Seiko is my go-to, but I like a little better accuracy. My beater is a bronze Baltic, which is high in the coolness factor, but the quality is just OK. Fun stuff!!
As the proud owner of an LHD, and former owner of the Pelagos Blue (until I woke up one day a few years later and couldn't stand how blue it was!), I really wish they kept the incredible clasp and matte dial and bezel. I'm all for trading in my trusty LHD for a 39mm of the same watch. I've always felt the Pelagos is just a tad too big. But I just can't trade for a dressier version. I hope people like it and that it sells, and in turn leads to more iterations in the lineup. Who knows, maybe we'll get a Pelagos 39 Pro that's just as stark and badass as the bigger original?
I absolutely thought the P39 was perfect when I first saw the Tudor IG posts. The size and at-a-glance design seemed ideal to me. But you've hit on every aspect that I think about now after looking at the details, and it makes me go back to the "Apex" versions and look at them a little more lovingly. They really do make me feel like I should stop what I'm doing and go diving or on an adventure.
I will definitely have to check it out in store and side-by-side with the 42mm. I suspect it'll be awesome and will be ideal for a lot of people. Even if it doesn't scratch the itch, the good news is that the 42mm watches aren't going anywhere, and either the Blue or LHD versions would be something special to own.
Bingo. The 39 doesn’t have the purpose-bent soul of the Pelagos at all. It’s essentially a 58 (a watch made to juice the enthusiast crowd while wooing a larger general market) in Pelagos livery. Not a lot to get excited about there.
That trademark troll has been sickeningly effective.
As far as difficult sizes go, Fifty fathoms/bathyscaphe at 23mm has got to be the worst. No tropic options. Extremely limited NATO, errr military style fabric strap, options. Thank god for the sailcloth strap makers.
Well written Jason, love this post. As you know I have the LHD and although I don't dive I love all the spec and wouldn't trade the LHD for anything. That said, any time you want to borrow mine and scratch that itch, my LHD is all yours, I'm just a bike ride away.
After reading your description of the "apex predator" Pelagos from 2015, I went and bought one that same year. While I love it, the size and thickness of "Big Blue" has rendered it fit for weekend duty only.
I can see the appeal of the 39 mm form to provide a larger market for Tudor, and after 7 years, there is little likelihood that the 39 will cannibalize the market of the 42 mm variants, or even FXD. While it would have been nice to see 300 m WR or an HEV, if it shaved some size and thickness from the case, then they did the right thing.
I would be tempted to trade in my "Big Blue" for a 39 mm blue dial/bezel in matte. But will give this current 39 mm iteration a pass.
None of these marvels are required kit for anyone--they are all discretionary. Cheers to enlarging the Pelagos family!
I definitely agree with the concept that a Pelagos with that many features removed isn't really a Pelagos anymore. That's a real shame, because I'd be one of those who would be able to more easily wear one if it was 39. I'll pass on this one though, because if it's just 200m and lacks most of the DNA of the Pelagos, I might as well just keep wearing the BB58 Blue.
From what I’ve read people are a little confused about what this watch is. It’s not a Sub replacement or even a replacement for the exiting Pelagos; it’s not better or worse than the existing lineup. It is just different.
Personally I prefer the bezel, dial, and bracelet on the Apex. While the red print on the dial is nice I prefer my simple two lines of the ETA.
I’ve had the ETA black Pelagos 8 years and also own a Sub 124060. My pelagos has been covered in mud, banged on rocks and carabiners - and still looks great.
I fell in love with the OG 42mm two-liner when you showed me yours at coffee several years ago. Nothing else Pelagos has come close to that one - for me. Oh, how I wish I'd been the one who traded for it! ;)
I liked your review of the new 39 Pelagos more than I like the substantial spec changes. I wish Tudor would have had a 300m depth rating rather than 200m, I can live without the Helium valve. A 200m watch does not sound up to the Pelagos heritage. The different clasp and the dial detail changes are also negatives for me. About the only positives are the 39mm size and Tudor mercifully did NOT put those damn fake rivets on the bracelet. I am a hard pass at the price because the details DO make a difference.
I hadn’t quite realized the 39 strips a lot of “Pelogosness” from the Pelagos platform until reading this. And you’re right, that is a shame. But I think with the Black Bay platform skewing vintage in aesthetic, the Pelagos name is Tudor’s only place to make something like a modern Sub, and really that’s what everyone wants.
I’ve thought about this for a while listening to TGN, that both yourself and James have such love for the brand and yet, to my knowledge, neither of you own a modern Tudor. I think that speaks to this belief that Tudor has all the right ingredients to make the Goldilocks built-for-purpose dive watch, and you guys like myself believe the Pelagos platform to be the place that will come from. But at least for me, the FXD and 39 just aren’t quite there.
So perfectly said! Just upon quick glances online I didn’t realize how much of the original
Pelagos was taken away, bummer. But I agree it’s the line that’ll be their modern watches.
Jason,
Congratulations on a brief return to focused watch journalism. As I have noted in the past, I will read anything you or your pal James Stacey write and this is no exception. A crisp piece on a new item. Well done.
As to the new Pelagos, I have no dog in this fight. As you said, the price tag basically eliminates me from anything but the most Walter Mitty of thoughts. If I owned a dive boat in the Bahamas, would I own a Pelagos? Perhaps. It would be a perfect one watch collection. But, I am far more likely to own a Corvette or explore the Rockies than even ride in a dive boat in the Bahamas.
So, is the Pelagos attractive? To be sure. Do I covet the Pelagos FXD? Sure. Does it matter, not at all because luxury watches are not in my budget and I would be loathe to bang that watch once it was on my wrist.
BTW, for a wrist check, today is VJ Day marking the end of WWII. It is important for many of the baby boomers because war’s end meant our fathers survived and built a new world in America. I am wearing a Bulova A11 with all the stock numbers and the nomenclature. Was it worn by an aviator flying or navigating a B17 over Guadalcanal or a C47 flying over the hump? Or did it spend the war in a cardboard box in government stores waiting for its time of glory that never arrived? I will never know, but I do know it cost me less than 10% of the new Tudor (including the complete servicing so that it runs as well as it did in the 1940s).
As you said, watches are little anachronisms that we attach to memories and fantasies. I’ll keep my fantasies in check as I hunt for other pieces of 20th century history.
Cheers, mate
Great observations Jason. As a caretaker of two Pelagos an LHD and an FXD I can say they are some of the finest purpose built watches out there. Now that the complements are out of the way there are a few things I wish Tudor would get fixed. The first being the bezel, I spend a considerable time in the ocean at shore break and under the bezel a-lot of fine sand and grit accumulates making turning the bezel impossible. The way they have engineered the ratchet system uses 3 springs and 3 pistons, poor design! The second is how sharp the bezel on the FXD is, I have manages to slice numerous holes in wetsuits. All that being said I wear the FXD 24/7 and have learned to live with blasting the grit out from under the bezel with a high power water hose when I get out of the water.
Head over heels for the new Pelagos 39!
All of the things I want in a go-anywhere, do-anything watch: light on the bracelet, quality rubber strap, dive bezel, moderate size, splash of color, COSC, 50+year life span.
Elimination of the things I don't want or need: date, HEV, 500m rating.
I have always loved the Pelagos LHD. The Submariner is a little too shiny, too expensive and too difficult to buy. Seiko is my go-to, but I like a little better accuracy. My beater is a bronze Baltic, which is high in the coolness factor, but the quality is just OK. Fun stuff!!
Great article as always Jason!
Cheers to all the SWIMPRUF and TGN folks!
Thanks!
I agree with you and love my LHD. Now really enjoying it on the rubber strap - a slightly more stealthy look.
Oh man, the LHD is the one to have in my mind.
As the proud owner of an LHD, and former owner of the Pelagos Blue (until I woke up one day a few years later and couldn't stand how blue it was!), I really wish they kept the incredible clasp and matte dial and bezel. I'm all for trading in my trusty LHD for a 39mm of the same watch. I've always felt the Pelagos is just a tad too big. But I just can't trade for a dressier version. I hope people like it and that it sells, and in turn leads to more iterations in the lineup. Who knows, maybe we'll get a Pelagos 39 Pro that's just as stark and badass as the bigger original?
I absolutely thought the P39 was perfect when I first saw the Tudor IG posts. The size and at-a-glance design seemed ideal to me. But you've hit on every aspect that I think about now after looking at the details, and it makes me go back to the "Apex" versions and look at them a little more lovingly. They really do make me feel like I should stop what I'm doing and go diving or on an adventure.
I will definitely have to check it out in store and side-by-side with the 42mm. I suspect it'll be awesome and will be ideal for a lot of people. Even if it doesn't scratch the itch, the good news is that the 42mm watches aren't going anywhere, and either the Blue or LHD versions would be something special to own.
Bingo. The 39 doesn’t have the purpose-bent soul of the Pelagos at all. It’s essentially a 58 (a watch made to juice the enthusiast crowd while wooing a larger general market) in Pelagos livery. Not a lot to get excited about there.
No one seems to be talking about the 21mm lug width. Difficult NATO (sorry, military style fabric strap) hunt ahead for future owners.
That trademark troll has been sickeningly effective.
As far as difficult sizes go, Fifty fathoms/bathyscaphe at 23mm has got to be the worst. No tropic options. Extremely limited NATO, errr military style fabric strap, options. Thank god for the sailcloth strap makers.
Yeah that is brutal
Ha! You're right. Not a deal-breaker but certainly sub-optimal.
Well written Jason, love this post. As you know I have the LHD and although I don't dive I love all the spec and wouldn't trade the LHD for anything. That said, any time you want to borrow mine and scratch that itch, my LHD is all yours, I'm just a bike ride away.
After reading your description of the "apex predator" Pelagos from 2015, I went and bought one that same year. While I love it, the size and thickness of "Big Blue" has rendered it fit for weekend duty only.
I can see the appeal of the 39 mm form to provide a larger market for Tudor, and after 7 years, there is little likelihood that the 39 will cannibalize the market of the 42 mm variants, or even FXD. While it would have been nice to see 300 m WR or an HEV, if it shaved some size and thickness from the case, then they did the right thing.
I would be tempted to trade in my "Big Blue" for a 39 mm blue dial/bezel in matte. But will give this current 39 mm iteration a pass.
None of these marvels are required kit for anyone--they are all discretionary. Cheers to enlarging the Pelagos family!
I definitely agree with the concept that a Pelagos with that many features removed isn't really a Pelagos anymore. That's a real shame, because I'd be one of those who would be able to more easily wear one if it was 39. I'll pass on this one though, because if it's just 200m and lacks most of the DNA of the Pelagos, I might as well just keep wearing the BB58 Blue.
Good write-up, Jason - and a breath of fresh air compared to the other write-ups I've consumed about this watch so far.
Yeah, the appeal to a wider male/female audience is pretty obvious I think their marketing for this one.
And taking the "toolishness" out of the Pelagos is a bummer indeed.
In that regard and to be inline with one of the points of your article:
What are your thoughts on the Tudor Pelagos FXD? ;-)
It is purpose-built and the matte dial and bezel are sublime.
BUT no typical Pelagos rehaut.
The latter doesn't disturb me. I actually like how close the dial and hands are to the crystal.
Only thing I would've wished for, if it were oil-filled like a Hydro EZM from Sinn to ensure even better visibility underwater.
Cheers from Germany
Dan / @tony.crouton
Really on point.
From what I’ve read people are a little confused about what this watch is. It’s not a Sub replacement or even a replacement for the exiting Pelagos; it’s not better or worse than the existing lineup. It is just different.
Personally I prefer the bezel, dial, and bracelet on the Apex. While the red print on the dial is nice I prefer my simple two lines of the ETA.
I’ve had the ETA black Pelagos 8 years and also own a Sub 124060. My pelagos has been covered in mud, banged on rocks and carabiners - and still looks great.
I fell in love with the OG 42mm two-liner when you showed me yours at coffee several years ago. Nothing else Pelagos has come close to that one - for me. Oh, how I wish I'd been the one who traded for it! ;)
I liked your review of the new 39 Pelagos more than I like the substantial spec changes. I wish Tudor would have had a 300m depth rating rather than 200m, I can live without the Helium valve. A 200m watch does not sound up to the Pelagos heritage. The different clasp and the dial detail changes are also negatives for me. About the only positives are the 39mm size and Tudor mercifully did NOT put those damn fake rivets on the bracelet. I am a hard pass at the price because the details DO make a difference.