Did Tudor Just Launch the Year’s Most Exciting Tool Watch?

On paper, this is Tudor’s best GMT yet.

closeup of a tudor pelagos gmt tool watch dial

Published October 30, 2024

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If Tudor’s recent releases have had a theme, it’s this: Give the people what they want.

At Watches and Wonders last spring, Rolex’s sister brand stole the show once again by unveiling a couple of watches that enthusiasts had been clamoring for.

One was the Black Bay Fifty-Eight GMT, which finally gave fans a GMT in the smaller and thinner case of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight. The other was the Black Bay “Monochrome,” which fulfilled enthusiasts’ longstanding wish for a Tudor diver that closely resembled a modern Submariner at a more affordable price point.

Now, once again, Tudor has launched a watch that fans have been pleading for: A GMT version of the brand’s top-line Pelagos dive watch. On paper, it’s the best GMT watch Tudor has ever made, and it might just be the most exciting tool watch of the year period.

a tudor pelagos gmt tool watch on a map — There’s finally a Pelagos GMT, and it’s arguably Tudor’s most impressive travel watch yet.

“Zulu Time”

Tudor’s new GMT isn’t just a Pelagos, it’s a Pelagos FXD — the premium diver’s even ruggeder offshoot with fixed strap bars in place of spring bars. This increase in robustness is due to the Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” being a collaboration with France’s Navy, the Marine Nationale, just like the original Pelagos FXD diver that was launched back in 2021. But this time, the watch was made for the branch’s aviation division, the Aéronautique Navale.

In addition to the fixed strap bars, the case, bezel and screw-down crown of the Pelagos FXD are all made from strong and ultralight Grade 2 titanium, with a Grade 5 titanium caseback and a matte ceramic bezel insert. The bezel is black with beige numerals and is bi-directional.

The beige treatment continues to the matte-black dial, where we see the familiar snowflake hands and indices of the Pelagos FXD line — even the 3 o’clock date window is beige-tinted. The biggest new addition to the dial, of course, is the prominent orange arrow GMT hand that stretches all the way to the minute track.

a tudor pelagos gmt tool watch on a pilots wrist — There’s no arguing with the classic tool-watch looks of the Pelagos FXD GMT.

The same orange color is used for the “Pelagos GMT” text at 6 o’clock, and you’ll notice something else new in the text below that: This watch is a Master Chronometer, making it the first Pelagos of any kind to earn that distinction. The Master Chronometer certification from METAS goes above and beyond COSC certification with more robust testing, tighter accuracy requirements, and insanely high magnetic resistance (15,000 gauss).

The movement inside the 42mm case of the Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” is the Calibre MT5652-U automatic, which is one of Tudor’s manufacture movements from partner Kenissi. It’s technically a new movement, though it shares practically all the features and specs of the Master Chronometer GMT movement in the Black Bay 58 GMT. These include a silicon hairspring, a 65-hour power reserve, and an independently operable local hour hand, making this a “true” GMT movement.

the caseback of a a tudor pelagos gmt tool watch — The fixed strap bars are milled out from the Grade 2 titanium case, making the strap’s attachment points extremely robust.

The movement is also thin like the MT5450-U inside the Black Bay Fifty-Eight GMT, and the Pelagos FXD GMT’s 12.7-mm case actually measures 0.1mm thinner than the aforementioned watch, which previously had been the slimmest Tudor GMT available by a wide margin.

The lume treatment on the watch is, I have to say, very cool. All markings on the bezel are lumed in Tudor’s typical uber-bright, cartoonish green color. The GMT hand features the same green lume as the bezel, while the three other hands and the indices all have blue-glowing lume, making it easy to keep your (up to three) time zones straight, even in the dark.

a tudor pelagos gmt tool watch glows in the dark — The bi-color lume treatment makes it easy to distinguish home and travel time in the dark.

Pricing and Availability

The Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” will almost certainly be a strong seller for Tudor. It has very agreeable and safe tool-watch looks, it nails the military-approved toughness aspect that appeals to certain buyers, and — with its titanium build, ceramic bezel, thinness and Master Chronometer movement — it is technically the most premium GMT watch that Tudor has ever made.

But I wouldn’t say it’s a perfect watch. The fixed strap bars aren’t for everyone. While they obviously make for a more stable connection point for your strap than spring bars, they also limit you to using one-piece passthrough straps like NATOs. As for the included strap, it’s a green woven fabric strap with a titanium pin buckle and a removable fabric keeper displaying the French Naval Aviation roundel.

closeup of a fabric strap from a tudor pelagos gmt tool watch — The included strap features a one-piece design, which is the only kind of strap compatible with the watch’s fixed strap bars.

I’m also curious about why Tudor chose to go with the moniker “Zulu Time.” On the surface, this is a reference to the common military designation for GMT, “Zulu Time.” But it also happens to be the name of Tudor’s closest competitor in the GMT space, the Longines Spirit Zulu Time. In fact, just a few months ago, Longines launched its own titanium version of the Zulu Time, with nearly the same color scheme as this Tudor.

These kinds of decisions don’t happen in a vacuum, and surely someone at Tudor is aware of Longines’ titanium GMT. Maybe this is Tudor’s way of trolling Longines, or maybe it’s just a coincidence. I don’t know.

What I do know is that the Longines Spirit Zulu Time Titanium just got some seriously stiff competition from Tudor for the title of best GMT under $5,000. As long as these two heavyweight brands keep trading punches, enthusiasts will be the ultimate winners. Your move, Longines.