Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT, Inspired By the Aéronautique Navale

The Tudor Pelagos launched in 2012 as a lightweight legibility-centric dive watch that many regard to be as “practical” as a multi-thousand-dollar mechanical watch can be nowadays. On every Pelagos, generous lume is applied not only to the signature Snowflake hands, but to the bezel insert as well. The first Pelagos FXD model appeared in 2021 with fixed lugs, a bidirectional bezel, and a caseback referencing the shared heritage of Tudor and Marine Nationale (French Navy). For 2024, Tudor has again joined forces with Marine Nationale–in particular the airborne Aéronautique Navale division–to come up with the Pelagos FXD GMT.

Some of the most collectible vintage Tudor Mil-Subs were made to the specs of the Marine Nationale, and lots of watch nerds think it’s cool that they’ve kept the connection alive. The Pelagos FXD GMT comes on an olive drab fabric one-piece strap with the Aéronautique Navale logo on the loop.

The colors resemble the Pelagos LHD, with light tan hands and hour markers (sometimes known as “fauxtina”) against a black dial. The model name is written in orange, with otherwise white text. This is the first Tudor GMT outside of the Black Bay collection since the unloved Aeronaut and Iconaut. This is also the first Pelagos to receive Master Chronometer certification by METAS. Let’s go over all the specs.

Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT Specs

The “U” in the MT5652-U denotes the movement’s Master Chronometer status, as opposed to the now-familiar MT5652 found in the Black Bay GMT and Black Bay 58 GMT. Like most GMT watches, this has a jumping hour hand that can be set independently of the 24-hour hand. Some people call that a “true GMT” or a “pilot’s GMT” as opposed to an “office GMT” (where, conversely, the 24-hour hand jumps).

Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT Pricing & Availability

This should be a popular release for Tudor at its list price of $4,625. The price isn’t bad considering it’s a Master Chronometer, and secondhand prices might even exceed MSRP for a while. But Tudor’s supply chain operates differently than the Rolex supply chain, and they actively try to maintain minimal inventory while meeting the demand for every single model they produce–although it may take some time. So your local Tudor AD should be able to get you one, but you might have to wait.

Two-Color Lume

Tudor decided to give the Pelagos FXD GMT two-tone lume, which was a nice touch.

The bezel insert glows green, as does the tip of the 24-hour hand. All the other hands have blue lume that matches the hour markers.

More on Tudor:

➢	Tudor Black Bay Collector’s Guide
➢	Tudor Pelagos Collector’s Guide
➢	Tudor Chronograph Collector’s Guide
➢	Tudor vs. Rolex: How Do They Stack Up Now?
➢	The Tudor Hydronaut Era: Blocky, Forgotten Watches of the Early 2000’s

A Note About Titanium

As you can see in our Tudor Pelagos collector’s guide, aside from the Red Bull Alinghi editions that debuted in 2023 with carbon composite cases, all Tudor Pelagos models are made from titanium. Unlike Grand Seiko titanium watches, which use titanium alloys, Tudor uses grade 2 titanium, which is considered “commercially pure.” Pure titanium is lighter, harder at the surface, more corrosion-resistant, and more hypoallergenic than steel.

The main reasons you probably don’t see more titanium watches are that it’s harder to machine than steel and a bit less scratch-resistant (because underneath the thin natural hard titanium dioxide layer, titanium is softer than stainless steel).

But if you’re worried about scratching a Pelagos, don’t let anyone on the internet know. You’ll be quickly barraged by comments that it’s a “tool watch!” Even if you don’t use the Tudor Pelagos FXD as a tool for diving or navigating a plane, it’s still a nice-looking watch.