[83 points] Tudor/Pelagos 39

Tudor

Although the Tudor name was registered as a trademark as early as 1926, it wasn't until 20 years later that Montres Tudor SA was founded and officially launched. The design and feel were reminiscent of Rolex, but at a significantly lower price. Currently, Tudor primarily uses movements manufactured by its subsidiary, Kenissi, as well as chronograph and general-purpose movements based on Breitling's Caliber 01.

Tudor/Pelagos 39

Like a great machine
Tudor has added a slightly smaller and elegant model to its professional diver's watch line: the Pelagos 39. Can it hold its own against the greats?

Plus points, minus points

+point
- Equipped with a highly accurate and robust manufacture movement
Excellent visibility
Beautiful design

-point
-Not a transparent back

　Until a few years ago, professional pilot's and diver's watches had to be large. Is there any justification for this? Naturally, diving to depths of over 2000 meters necessitated a larger case, but for everyday use, isn't a 200m water resistance rating like our test watch sufficient? Very few divers reach depths of more than 100m, and even if a watch is used underwater, a 200m water resistance rating is sufficient to withstand dynamic pressure. Larger sizes are, of course, advantageous for legibility. However, a generous application of high-quality luminous paint is probably more important than size itself. Our test watch has a modest 39mm case, but the rotating bezel and crown are easy to use and comfortable to operate.

Designed for combat swimmers

　The iconic snowflake hands and square indexes are derived from the diver's watches that Tudor supplied to the French Navy's Marine Nationale combat diver unit. Early models followed the style of the Rolex Oyster Perpetual Submariner, but from 1974 onwards, Tudor's own unique design was adopted. This watch was supplied to the French Navy special forces, Commando Hubert, which was made up of combat divers, until the 1980s.

　In 2021, Tudor revived this tradition with the Pelagos FXD. This time, the Pelagos 39 features a smaller case, a new sunburst satin finish on the dial and bezel insert, and the elimination of the date display, adding elegance to the lines of a professional diver's watch.

　Has functionality been sacrificed here? At least not in terms of ease of use. The finely knurled rotating bezel protrudes from the case, making it easy to rotate. The bezel engagement is also substantial, almost indistinguishable from larger models from its sister brand, Rolex. The crown is also easy to use; when screwed in, it disconnects from the winding mechanism, maintaining the case's airtightness. The watch features a stop-seconds function, and the elimination of the first position of the crown due to the elimination of the date display makes setting the time easy.

　The absence of a date display, as with the Pelagos FXD, is not due to the French Navy's combat divers prioritizing easy-to-read time over the date. It is due to the fact that the design without a date is sleeker and more reminiscent of the French Navy models of the 1970s. Whether or not a watch needs a date display is largely a matter of personal preference.

　Unlike date displays, good legibility is an essential element of any military watch. In this regard, Tudor dials truly excel. In addition to clear contrast, they are also extremely bright, even in the dark. This is due to the monobloc structure of the applied indices. These indices are made from a mixture of ceramic and luminous paint, and compared to indices that are simply coated with luminous paint, the amount of luminous paint used is significantly greater, resulting in a stronger luminous effect. The indices and numerals on the rotating bezel also glow brightly thanks to the luminous paint. The high-quality Super-LumiNova X1 used throughout the watch emits a beautiful, bright blue color in the dark.

　The only disappointment is that it doesn't have a transparent case back, which is especially disappointing considering the fabric strap typically used by Tudor doesn't hide the case back. In addition to the titanium bracelet that comes with the watch, a rubber strap is also included. However, there is no quick-change system, so you'll need tools to change the strap.

　The titanium bracelet is lightweight and comfortable, preventing wrist hair from getting pinched. The clasp has a built-in adjustment function, allowing you to adjust the bracelet length in five positions and extend it by up to 8mm, making it convenient for summer weather. It also comes with a 2.5cm foldable extension for wearing over a thin wetsuit. For winter drysuit diving, you can replace the included rubber strap with an 11cm extension piece with an extension pleat, allowing it to accommodate drysuits of various thicknesses.

High-precision movement

　Opening the screw-down case back reveals the automatic manufacture movement, Cal. MT5400. It's made by Kenissi, a movement manufacturer co-founded by Tudor and a group of investors. This movement, which supplies brands such as Chanel, Breitling, and Fortis, is renowned for its robustness and precision. Its impressive 5mm thickness ensures robustness that prevents malfunctions even with slight manufacturing tolerances. Furthermore, the balance is supported by a double-supported balance cock, ensuring robustness and stable precision. The balance spring is made of silicon, which is less likely to lose accuracy due to eccentricity or deformation even when subjected to shocks, and also contributes to its high magnetic resistance.

　This movement's appealing features include a generous power reserve of approximately 70 hours and a free-sprung balance that finely adjusts the rate using four weights attached to the balance wheel. Unlike ETA's general-purpose movements, which use a regulator to fine-tune the rate by regulating the effective length of the hairspring, the movement's decoration is understated. The openworked and sun-brushed rotor is engraved with the Tudor brand logo.

　This watch's high accuracy is also certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). For example, Oris requires all watches to undergo COSC testing, guaranteeing an average daily rate within minus 4 seconds per day to plus 6 seconds per day. Tudor conducts even stricter in-house testing, requiring its movements to be certified as accurate within minus 2 seconds per day to plus 4 seconds per day when cased. Tests using an electronic rate-measuring device confirmed this high accuracy. While the maximum deviation in position was a little high at 8 seconds, the average daily rate was nearly perfect at plus 0.2 seconds per day. When worn, the average daily rate was just plus 1 second per day.

Cost Performance

　Although Tudor prices have risen recently, the Pelagos 39, at 591,800 yen, still offers good value for money. It is unfortunate that demand is beginning to exceed supply, even for Tudor.

　The Pelagos 39 is a truly exceptional watch. It maintains the signature Pelagos design while being sleeker and without compromising on functionality. The result is a stunning diver's watch worthy of its predecessors.