I Got A Tudor Pelagos FXD. Here's What I Think.
I never pictured myself an MSRP guy, but this watch pulled me in!
Everyone posts those "got the call" stories and, for better or worse, I now have one. I bought a Tudor for my wife a few years ago (pre-pandemic) and it took nearly 8 months to be delivered. That gave me plenty of time to send "any update?" emails to the sales rep at my local Ben Bridge and build a "relationship" as they say.
When the FXD was announced in late 2021, I emailed just asking to see one when they came it. Now, 6+ months later, she called to say they just got in only their second FXD since launch (the first was sold before it arrived). I popped in the next day, just to see it in the metal...and walked out with it.
Here are my takeaways after a couple weeks of wear:
It's super light. Obviously, titanium and a nylon strap help in that department. But it is still slightly noticeable on the wrist -- it's not carbon or plastic. Compared with my monster Breitling Chrono Avenger with a titanium case and bracelet, however, it's a lightweight.
It's very thin. I have a Tudor Black Bay GMT (purchased second-hand, thank you r/watchexchange!) and this is much more svelte. I'm not as worried about clanking it against a door (which I've done plenty with other watches, sadly).
It wears small. I tried it on and thought it was 40mm. Had to then hit the Tudor website to confirm that it is, in fact, 42mm in diameter.
The nylon/velcro strap is super nice, the best feeling (soft, smooth, but not shiny) nylon I've felt and that's compared with my Toxic Nato, Zulu Alpha, GasGasBones , and an OEM from Montblanc (for the Geosphere).
The rubber strap is underwhelming. It looks like nylon but feels like rubber. I wouldn't say it feels or looks cheap (it's also very thin, 1.6mm, which hurts it's lux score 😂), but if someone said it came from any midrange online strap shop, I wouldn't be surprised. I'll be curious to see how it holds up with some good wear. I wonder if it'll crack, fray, or tear within a year or so?
Regarding straps, it’s a NATO strap monster. I’ve had it on grays, blues, and blacks, and it looks great on all. That’s good, considering that FXD = fixed springbars, so there really are no other options.
The dial is close to the crystal. Online reviewers have mentioned this and it's very true. It just seems closer than other watches, and that's a good thing.
The dial is much darker blue than I expected. I love the standard Pelagos blue and this ain't that. I was a bit disappointed but this FXD blue is still brighter than most standard blue dials.
The markers are ultra white and very modern. I gotta admit that the beige fauxtina lume is starting to get old for me. This is the opposite, like as white as white can be. I love it, even if only because it contrasts so much with my other watches with the off-white lume. And the "chicklet" style markers look great, too!
The sharpness of the bezel edge is a tactile wonder! The coin edge just feels amazing - sharp, edgy (it is an edge, after all), and precisely machined. Much different from the BB GMT, which feels more elegant along the edge. The bezel clickiness is great, too.
The countdown bezel is…interesting. My brain still hasn't adjusted to that as this is the first countdown timer bezel I've ever had or seen. Not sure how I feel about it yet...
Ok, that's that. Just my two cents. Check back to see if I still have it in 6 months. 😎