Overnight, Tudor released something that could well be one of the best watches of the year: the Tudor Pelagos 39. This titanium diving watch doesn’t look revolutionary on the face of it, because it isn’t. What makes it so exciting is it delivers on just about everything the collective consciousness of the watch community has been lusting after, as a deceptively straightforward watch that gets the details right.
When you think about the number of watchmakers around the world creating everyday dive watches, it’s kind of amazing that the vast majority of them just miss the mark. The proportions of the case might be wrong, the movement could be outdated, or the design might be too vintage-inspired (or not enough).
The watch community is a discerning and detail-focused bunch, but where the Tudor Pelagos 39 gets it right is in all of those details. The 39mm titanium case size is fantastically proportioned at 11.8mm thick, the dial isn’t lop-sided by a date window, and the movement is chronometer certified. Tick, tick, tick.
RELATED: Why is Tudor’s New Release Dividing Watch Lovers?
1. Case Proportions To Keep Everyone Happy
Generally speaking, most diving watches arrive with cases that measure between 40mm and 42mm, but for the portion of watch enthusiasts partial to vintage timepieces, 39mm is the goldilocks zone. This is 3mm smaller than the previous generation of Tudor Pelagos watches, and at 11.8mm is nearly 1mm thinner than the old Pelagos which measured 12.75mm from front to back.
Measuring the new Pelagos 39mm from lug to lug and you’ll find it to be 47mm, which is also 3mm smaller than the 50mm lug to lug of the original Pelagos. Basically, the overall proportions have been maintained but shrunk slightly to be more wearable on more wrists, while delivering a compelling dose of heritage inspiration.
2. Terrific Titanium
While not a new feature in the Pelagos 39, the titanium case and bracelet go a long way in making the watch feel modern, preventing it from feeling like a straight vintage reissue in the way the Tudor Black Bay Fifty-Eight is. The material potentially makes the watch more comfortable on the wrist too, thanks to its lightweight nature, while the darker hue delivers a more under-the-radar impression than its steel siblings.
3. No Date, No Worries
This is a point of contention in the watch community, but I generally prefer watches without a date window. It’s more balanced when you look at the dial and is more focused on the task of time-telling without a date aperture. Professional divers don’t need a date window on their watches, and neither do you.
4. Superlative Modern Movement
Instead of the Manufacture Calibre MT5612 found in the original generation of Tudor Pelagos watches, the new Pelagos 39 is powered by the Manufacture Calibre MT5400. It’s a very similar movement in that both are COSC certified to an accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day and serves up 70 hours of power reserve, but is slightly smaller and doesn’t feature a date function. This means no “ghost” second position for the crown when you’re setting the time and is the same calibre found in many other sub-40mm Tudor watches.
5. The Bracelet Of Your Dreams
One area that Tudor has been working hard to separate itself from its competitors over the last few years is its bracelet design. This is a smart move because along with the case, the bracelet is the part of the watch you interact most with on a day-to-day basis, making it one of the most important things to get perfect from comfort and fit perspective.
The titanium bracelet that the Tudor Pelagos 39 arrives on features the extremely comfortable micro-adjust Tudor “T-fit” folding clasp, which allows you to precisely adjust the bracelet if it’s feeling a little tight in hot weather. It also features a 25mm diving extension function to fit the watch over your wetsuit sleeve, making it practical for the ocean as well as the office.
All considered, the Tudor Pelagos 39 has the potential to be one of the best everyday diving watches released in years. We’ll hold our breath to reserve final judgement once we’ve seen it in the titanium, but on paper, there’s so much to love about it. The Tudor Pelagos 39 is currently available and has an RRP of $6,010 that includes an additional complimentary rubber strap.
