Far from a fleeting collaboration, the relationship between Swiss watch manufacturer Tudor and the French Navy goes back over half a century. In 1956, the Groupe d’Étude et de Recherches Sous-Marines (G.E.R.S.) of the Marine Nationale deemed the Oyster Prince Submariner – Tudor’s first dive watch, created in 1954 – to be ‘perfect’ and ‘completely correct’ in its functioning and subsequently placed an order for a set of watches, setting the gears in motion for a long term relationship between the two. Tudor become the official supplier to the French Navy in 1961, with the relationship proving symbiotic and being instrumental in the creation of the Tudor Submariner reference 7924, the brand’s most iconic dive watch, easily distinguished by its oversized crown.
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Now, the Tudor Pelagos FXD unites technical specificity with the classic aesthetic appeal of a dive watch. Developed in collaboration with the French Navy’s combat swimmers (known as the Commando Hubert), the 42mm timepiece is waterproof to 200 metres and boasts an array of unique technical features that are new to the Swiss watch manufacturer. A durable single-piece NATO strap is attached to fixed strap bars that are machined into the main body, crafted as an extension of the lugs to promote stability. Another unique feature comes in the form of a 120-notch bidirectional rotating bezel, which was crafted with underwater navigation – a speciality of the Commando Hubert – in mind.
Underwater navigation entails swimming at a constant speed for a set time in each section, timing each section precisely; which requires restarting a countdown with each course change. The anticlockwise graduation and luminescence of the Pelagos FXD were created for this function, making it easy to set up and monitor each countdown by aligning the time set for the section to be covered on the bezel with the minute hand. The use of an oversized ceramic bezel ring that exceeds the diameter of the case further works to provide optimum grip for divers, even while wearing neoprene gloves.
The Tudor Pelagos FXD draws aesthetic inspiration from the archival Tudor watches. Taking on a navy blue hue, it utilises the characteristic square hour markers and angular hands – termed ‘Snowflake’ – that were initially introduced by the brand in 1969 to increase visibility in poor light conditions. A satin-brushed case makes for a matte effect that lends the timepiece a rugged appeal while limiting the reflection of light. On the caseback, you’ll find the official logo of the Marine Nationale which takes the form of an anchor topped with a sailor’s hat, sitting atop an engraving of M.N.21, for Marine Nationale 2021. Tudor has also upped the ante on the inside, fitting the Pelagos FXD with a Manufacture Calibre MT560, which comes with a 70-hour power reserve.
Representing the first commercially available mil-spec dive watch from Tudor and the French Navy, the Tudor Pelagos FXD is available for $3900 USD ($5300 AUD) on the Tudor webstore.
Words by T. Angel
