About TUDOR Pelagos Watches
Sporting a generously sized but lightweight titanium case and boasting a high water-resistance rating, the Pelagos is Tudor’s most technical diving watch. Although the Pelagos diver is a relatively new model by watch-history standards, it is already popular thanks to its striking looks and impressive functionality.
TUDOR Pelagos History
The Pelagos, which takes its name from the Greek word for “open seas,” was unveiled at Baselworld in 2012. Unlike the dressier Tudor Black Bay dive watch also released that same year, the utilitarian Pelagos was a tool watch for divers embarking on deep underwater adventures.
The first Pelagos (Reference 25500) features a black dial and bezel and runs on an outsourced ETA-based automatic movement. In 2015, Tudor introduced the new Pelagos Reference M25600TN-0001 to replace the first model. This particular reference series not only comes equipped with an in-house-made movement but also offers models in blue or black.
In 2016, the Pelagos LHD Reference M25610TNL-0001 joined the lineup. LDH stands for “left-hand drive,” in reference to the left-hand location of the winding crown rather than the customary right-hand side.
Pelagos Timeline
- 2012: Tudor debuts the Pelagos dive watch.
- 2015: Tudor launches new-generation Pelagos watches with in-house-made movements.
- 2016: Tudor releases the Pelagos LHD with the winding crown on the left-hand side.
As of 2021, the Pelagos Reference 25600 and Pelagos Reference 25610 watches are still included in Tudor’s current catalog.
TUDOR Pelagos Design and Features
The Tudor Pelagos includes all the features of a modern dive watch: a 60-minute timing bezel that rotates in only one direction, a water-resistant case and a luminescent dial. However, Tudor built the Pelagos with the serious diver in mind. The watch offers added benefits like a helium escape valve to prevent damage during decompression periods and a clever spring-loaded bracelet clasp mechanism that contracts and expands depending on water pressure.
While there have been a few different Pelagos watches made over the years, they all share the following features:
- 42mm satin-finished titanium case with a thickness of 14.3mm
- Helium escape valve built into the case at the 9 o’clock position
- Unidirectional ceramic bezel with a luminous 60-minute scale
- Dial with luminous geometric hour markers (square, rectangular and triangular) and “snowflake-style” hands
- Date window on the dial at the 3 o’clock position
- Scratch-resistant sapphire crystal above the dial
- Satin-finished titanium three-link bracelet with a patented extension system
- Water-resistant to 500 meters (1,640 feet)
- Automatic movement
- A complete Pelagos watch set comes with an extra rubber strap with an additional diver’s extension piece
Over the course of the Pelagos’ short history, Tudor has made four different models, each with slight design variations:
- Pelagos 25500TN (2012-2015): Black dial, black bezel, ETA 2824 Caliber with 38-hour power reserve
- Pelagos 25600TN (2015-present): Black dial, black bezel, COSC-certified Tudor Caliber MT5612 with 70-hour power reserve
- Pelagos 25600TB (2015-present): Blue dial, blue bezel, COSC-certified Tudor Caliber MT5612 with 70-hour power reserve
- Pelagos LHD 25610TNL (2016-present): Black dial, black bezel, winding crown on the left, COSC-certified Tudor Caliber MT5612 with 70-hour power reserve
The change from an outsourced ETA movement to an in-house movement means that the Pelagos is now a chronometer, certified by COSC. Moreover, the Tudor manufacture movement supplies the Pelagos with 70 hours of power reserve instead of the previous 38-hour reserve.
In addition to the movement change, there is a notable difference between the Tudor Pelagos 25500 and the 25600. The former has only two lines of text on the dial (ROTOR SELF-WINDING // 500m:1650ft) while the latter includes five lines (PELAGOS // CHRONOMETER // OFFICIALLY CERTIFIED // ROTOR SELF-WINDING // 500m-1640ft). As such, the original Pelagos watch is often nicknamed the “two liner” within the Tudor-collecting community. Furthermore, the current Reference 25600 is available in blue or black while the previous Reference 25500 was exclusively made in black.
Also, while the “lefty” Pelagos LHD is not a limited edition, the watches are individually numbered (with an engraving on the caseback) and thus have a limited production run.
TUDOR Pelagos Price, Value and Collectibility
Tudor is renowned for offering high-quality watches at value-driven prices. In fact, when Hans Wilsdorf founded the brand in 1926, he explicitly declared that Tudor was to be an affordable alternative to its premium sister brand Rolex. Today, Tudor has successfully established itself as a luxury watchmaking brand perfectly suited for a younger generation of collectors.
In 2021, the retail prices of current-production Tudor Pelagos watches are all the same, regardless of the reference:
- Tudor Pelagos Black: $4,575
- Tudor Pelagos Blue: $4,575
- Tudor Pelagos LHD: $4,575
The last published price of the discontinued Tudor Pelagos was $4,125.
In 2021, preowned Tudor Pelagos watches typically sell between $2,500 and $4,200 for regular-production models.
However, some rare Pelagos watches are valued higher in the preowned market. For example, Tudor has made some special-order black Pelagos watches with a “State of Qatar” inscription in Arabic and English on the dial instead of the customary five lines of text. In 2021, the value of a Pelagos “State of Qatar” edition is over $7,200 — more than 1.5 times the price of a brand-new standard black Pelagos.