Arms-On Evaluate – Tudor Pelagos FXD Marine Nationale 25707B

So sure, the information broke yesterday, the brand new and highly-anticipated Tudor watch made with the French Navy, or Marine Nationale, has been launched. And certainly, the watch created some discussions, as a result of there have been lots of expectations and needs surrounding this mannequin, and in the long run, it wasn’t in all probability what some had in thoughts. So no, the brand new Tudor M.N. watch shouldn’t be an evolution of the Black Bay 58. Not, it’s not worn on a inexperienced elastic strap. And no, it’s not a correct classic re-edition. What’s it really is kind of fascinating. It’s not a industrial watch per se, however it’s a true army watch designed by and for fight divers – so sure, it marks the comeback of the mil-spec watch. And if some have been shocked by a number of the options (WR, bezel), when you get to see the watch within the steel and attempt to look additional than simply the seems to be, all of it makes lots of sense. So, with out additional developments, let’s have a look at what precisely is that this new Tudor Pelagos FXD ref. 25707B Marine Nationale. 

A Concise Historical past of the collaboration between Tudor and the French Navy

It’s no secret that Rolex and its sister firm Tudor have lengthy been concerned with army forces or skilled diving group (COMEX as an illustration), being the proper take a look at floor for his or her diver’s watches and for experimentation. After creating the Submariner watch in 1953, Rolex began to supply extra accessible watches beneath the identical title inside Tudor’s assortment. And shortly, these watches caught the eye of the Marine Nationale or French Navy.

As quickly as 1954, Tudor launched its personal variations of the Submariner, sharing its Oyster case but in addition crown, bezel and a number of different elements with Rolex fashions, but stamped with Tudor reference and serial numbers. From 1954 to 1999, there would all the time be a Tudor Oyster Prince Submariner within the assortment, exhibiting how enduring the Submariner was. 

The primary watches delivered to the Marine Nationale had been really the earliest Tudor Submariner ever created, the references 7922 and 7924 – watches that had been extraordinarily shut in conception to Rolex Submariners 6402 and 6538. Nonetheless, these watches rapidly confirmed their limits and the French Navy required one thing extra sturdy for its divers. The second batch of watches delivered to the Marine Nationale will certainly be geared up with sq. crown guards, the reference 7928. These watches didn’t characteristic but any figuring out army engravings (the long-lasting MN identification on the again). 

Following these fashions, Tudor launched the reference 7016 within the late Sixties, first with spherical markers similar to a Rolex 5513 mannequin. In 1974, a batch of watches can be delivered to the Marine Nationale, and these had been the primary watches to obtain the emblematic signature on the again, the long-lasting ‘MN 74’ engraving. And behind a part of an older technology of reference 7016, these characteristic the snowflake fingers and squared markers, ensuing from a request from the Navy to have a extra legible show. 

For the reason that black dials of the MN 74 watches had been susceptible to moisture damages, Tudor supplied one other batch of watches, this time Submariner reference 94010 fashions now with blue dials and bezel inserts. These additionally characteristic engravings on the again, with the complete 12 months disclosed – it reads MN 1975. These watches can be used till the early Nineteen Eighties, when the Submariner moved again to Mercedes fingers and triangle dials, beneath the reference 76100. These fashions had been nonetheless delivered to the Marine Nationale, with the MN 81 and MN 82 fashions. 

One of many specificities of those MN watches was to characteristic soldered lugs, and thus they had been worn on all types of straps… probably the most iconic one being the inexperienced elastic strap that was really constituted of parachute belts, making the watches snug to put on and allowed simple adjustment over a diving swimsuit.

For extra particulars concerning the Tudor Submariner and the Marine Nationale, you’ll be able to seek the advice of our article right here and BulangandSons right here.

The brand new Tudor Pelagos FXD, a real Mil-Spec watch

One factor is certain; this new Tudor Pelagos FXD shouldn’t be a easy collaboration watch, with a couple of tweaks on an present mannequin and a brand vaguely stamped on the dial or the caseback, only for the sake of remembering that some royalties are paid to the opposite get together to the collaboration. What the Pelagos FXD exhibits, nevertheless, is fairly uncommon today. It’s a correct mil-spec watch that has been designed based on the necessities of precise fight divers, and never a watch that would probably, in the future, be used as an indication piece.

This watch follows a practice that lasted from the Nineteen Fifties to the Nineteen Eighties (as defined above) when Tudor was delivering skilled dive watches. This watch was developed together with the French Navy’s fight swimmers, to be exact the Commando Hubert – particular forces specialised in counterterrorism and underwater tactical assault missions. What’s necessary to grasp right here is that this Tudor Pelagos FXD shouldn’t be meant to be a standard dive watch, akin to the ISO 6425:2018 customary. As an alternative, it solely solutions to a set of specs outlined by the French Navy, based on the exact wants of those fight divers. So sure, some options might sound odd within the first place, or no less than not what you’ll normally discover on a traditional Pelagos or Black Bay, however that’s what makes this FXD Marine Nationale mannequin so particular and area of interest. And that, in a sure means, is relatively cool!

The main points concerning the Tudor Pelagos FXD

If at first this new FXD version seems to be relatively much like a traditional Pelagos mannequin, it really differs in nearly all elements. The case, the dial, the form, the specs, the motion, the scale… You’ll must look intently to seek out frequent components between this Tudor Pelagos FXD and a traditional blue dial Pelagos. And that is fully because of the precise set of specs outlined by the French Navy.

To know this watch, bear in mind a couple of issues. To begin with, fight divers solely dive in shallow waters – at depths of 10 to 30 meters more often than not. Thus, for them, a deep dive watch is of no use. As an alternative, the frogmen favour consolation and robustness of the case, and a watch that’s protected towards shocks and that received’t get caught when they’re swimming. Additionally, the countdown bezel shouldn’t be used to time the size of a dive, as in a traditional dive watch, but it surely’s a software for navigation. Extra on that later.

Let’s dive into the main points, beginning with the case. What stays in comparison with a traditional Pelagos is the diameter of 42mm and the usage of titanium. And… that’s about is. The Pelagos FXD is certainly pretty completely different in most regards. To begin with, and if it retains a traditional look, with the elongated lugs with lateral bevel, and the sharp crown guards, the entire case has been up to date. As mentioned, Marine Nationale frogmen don’t want a deep dive watch, however having a thinner case was of significance for them. As such, the water-resistance has been lowered to 200m – which, in actuality, is extra of a safety than the rest, and in addition, it’s greater than sufficient for 99.99% {of professional} or leisure divers. Additionally, the helium escape valve discovered on the usual Pelagos has been eliminated, as a result of it was merely irrelevant on this context. As such, the Tudor Pelagos FXD is thinner, with a profile of 12.75mm, or about 1.5mm lower than the traditional Pelagos with manufacture motion. And within the steel, as you’ll be able to see in our comparability picture under, that is removed from neglectable. And if the 52mm lug-to-lug measurement appears scary at first, the watch is definitely not that enormous on the wrist. It’s current, for certain, however not behemoth-sized (observe: it’s right here photographed on Frank’s 18cm wrist).

Your complete case of the FXD appears like a bit of instrument, with no compromise to luxurious or design-oriented options. It’s a rugged, fully matte, purpose-built piece of kit that’s designed for a mission. Nonetheless, the general high quality is strictly what you’d anticipate from a Tudor… Impeccable. Options are fairly customary in any other case, with a titanium screw-down crown and a sapphire crystal on high, with a really environment friendly anti-reflective coating. The caseback is stainless-steel and is screwed and, as an ode to classic watches delivered to the French, it’s engraved with M.N.21 and the emblem of the Marine Nationale.

Then comes the true level of distinction; the lugs. Certainly, the Tudor Pelagos FXD brings again the idea of fastened strap bars that had been as soon as used on mil-spec watches. However as a substitute of primary soldered bars, because of modernity, Tudor has developed a module that ensures consolation and robustness. The case and the lugs are milled from a single block of titanium and these “loops” on the again are ensuring that the entire case will resist just about something you’ll be able to think about. No threat of the bars breaking right here. And coincidentally, to ensure that the strap received’t be lower by these loops, all of the surfaces have been bevelled to smoothen the angles. You’ll be able to have a look at the watch from any perspective, it actually appears like an overly-engineered piece of kit, with no room for approximation.

One other attribute characteristic of the Tudor Pelagos FXD is its relatively distinctive bezel. Itself, it’s the fundamental purpose why this watch doesn’t correspond to the ISO 6425 customary. Why? As a result of it’s bidirectional and it comes with a retrograde (countdown) commencement from 60 to 0. The rationale for this particular bezel might be simply understood by the precise work of the Marine Nationale frogmen, which largely encompass underwater navigation and reaching a exact location by the ocean, with out surfacing, by following a meticulously deliberate route.

Technical observe: the countdown bezel

Divers perform underwater navigation in pairs, related to 1 one other by a strap generally known as a “life line,” and full a collection of straight swims guided by a magnetic compass, by following a pre-planned route. They swim at a relentless pace for a set time in every part, finishing as many sections as crucial while timing every one precisely. This navigation entails restarting a countdown at every change after all. The anti-clockwise commencement and luminescence of the bezel of this mannequin make it simple to arrange and monitor every countdown, by aligning the time set for the part to be lined on the bezel with the minute hand. When the minute hand arrives reverse the triangle, the group modifications course and the diver in command of timing begins the subsequent countdown.

Additionally observe that the 120-click, bidirectional bezel of the Pelagos FXD has been fitted with a big bezel ring, which exceeds the diameter of the case for optimum grip, even with neoprene gloves and fingers which are numb from lengthy dives in chilly water. And the profile exhibits deeper notches in comparison with the coin-edge profile of the traditional Pelagos, once more enhancing the grip. The insert is made from sand-blasted ceramic to keep away from reflections and the size is executed with luminescent materials.

Wanting on the dial of the Tudor Pelagos FXD, you might think about that the evolution is minimal once more. However, after all, that might be too easy. Actually, most parts have been discreetly up to date for this new mannequin. To begin with, the color is navy blue, and thus darker than the relatively saturated blue tone used on the usual Pelagos 500m. To me, it is a main improve, as I’ve all the time discovered that blue dial/bezel to be means too pronounced. Right here, the color is extra delicate. Then, as you’ve in all probability seen, Tudor and the Navy have determined to go no-date, as a result of, effectively, a fight diver doesn’t want the date displayed on his diving tools (plus it’s a couple of tenths of millimetres much less for the watch). Lastly, the entire interior minute flange has been redesigned, because it exhibits a less complicated form that doesn’t body the markers anymore.

As for the remaining, the signature snowflake hour hand and the sq. hour markers, two parts which are intrinsically associated to the M.M. watches, have been saved. These are fully white and largely stuffed with extra-strong Tremendous-LumiNova. Additionally, there’s a bit much less literature at 6 o’clock, with solely 4 strains of textual content as a substitute of 5 on the traditional Pelagos. Nonetheless not good, however a bit higher.

Underneath the M.N.21 engraved caseback is the model’s manufacture chronometer motion, the COSC-certified calibre MT5602 – a motion that can also be utilized in the 41mm Black Bay. Constructed for precision and robustness, it has 70h of energy reserve, a 4Hz frequency, a stable transversing bridge and a non-magnetic silicon steadiness spring with variable inertia steadiness. it is usually regulated internally between -2 and +4 seconds’ variation in its operating when it’s utterly assembled.

Straps… however not all straps…

Traditionally, the French Navy had Tudor watches delivered with out bracelets after which fitted them with their very own straps, utilizing what was accessible available. Two strap varieties seem to have been notably used over time: black straps constituted of a single piece of braided nylon, and, much less generally, handmade straps constituted of parachute elastic, which may very well be recognised by their inexperienced color – which stays the strap all of us related to the M.N. watches. The rationale behind this was easy; the fastened bars. There was no means to make use of a traditional 2-piece strap.

And for the reason that new Tudor Pelagos FXD additionally options such fastened strap bars, it implies that particular one-piece straps needed to be created. Two of them can be delivered with this watch. First is a 22mm navy blue polyethylene woven ribbon with a silver central thread, a titanium D buckle and a self-gripping fastening system – as such, it could actually adapt to completely different wrist sizes. Second is a one-piece rubber strap with an embossed motif and titanium buckle. Lastly, if you happen to want, the watch can simply be worn on an outsourced NATO strap of your alternative, however neglect concerning the normal 2-piece leather-based strap.

Ideas

I’m not going to ask you to like or hate this watch right here. Design, colors and preferences are actually private. What I can inform you is that this: it took me 24 hours, and to see it within the steel, to grasp this watch. At first, when the watch was launched, I actually had the identical delicate feeling as many watch fanatics – “good however not spectacular” or issues like “I don’t perceive the 200m water-resistance.” I haven’t seen many laborious emotions about this watch, but in addition not an especially enthusiastic response.

Nonetheless, when you deal with this watch and perceive the work that has been accomplished to create a correct mil-spec mannequin, a watch that isn’t constructed for industrial causes and to please the same old desk diver, you’ll be able to change your place. What this watch is actually area of interest and particular, but it surely really has lots to inform. And when you concentrate on it, the whole lot on this watch is sensible and the general package deal is of excellent coherence. Even the countdown bezel might be sensible for cooking pasta… Jokes aside, I have to applaud the truth that we’re going through a correct army watch, designed with out concessions.

Some will see this watch as a downgraded Pelagos. I want to see it as a mannequin aside, a watch that has been conceived with one exact, utilitarian set of specs in thoughts. So sure, perhaps you’ll want a traditional Pelagos over this watch, and that’s high-quality. However I additionally assume this model has its place within the assortment, as one thing purpose-built and particular. Plus… It’s pretty cheaper than the conventional Pelagos and is equally impeccable in execution.

Availability & Worth

This new Tudor Pelagos FXD reference M25707B/21-0001 is now (on paper no less than) accessible from retailers and boutiques. It’s priced at EUR 3,650 or USD 3,900, to be in comparison with EUR 4,290 or USD 4,575 for all three iterations of the Pelagos 500m. Extra particulars at tudorwatch.com.