Sooner or later, you just knew it was going to happen. For as long as there’s been a Pelagos, and as long as there’s been a Tudor GMT movement, and as long as there’s been a human impulse to speculate, there’s been a call for the Swiss brand to release a Pelagos with the ability to track multiple time zones. It just makes sense for the brand’s most tool-forward dive watch: GMTs are what the people want and it’s an undeniably useful feature. And so, like an infinite number of chimpanzees at an infinite number of typewriters are certain to eventually produce the works of Shakespeare, now Tudor has finally issued a diver with all the features their loyal fans have been asking for. Titanium case: check. GMT movement with chronometer certification: check. Rotating 24 hour bezel: check. Spring bars: hey, no one has it all.
The all new Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” might feel like an inevitability on the one hand, but on the other it still has a fascinating mix of little quirks that are capable of surprising even the most loyal Tudor fans (and speculators). Like the very first Pelagos FXD, this one is presented under a partnership with the French military. Specifically, the Zulu Time has been developed with the needs of the Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation) in mind, and according to the brand the watch has been designed for the “adverse real-world conditions” faced by their personnel. For the original FXD, that meant a bi-directional bezel set up in a countdown configuration meant to assist with underwater navigation more than dive timing. It doesn’t appear that the Zulu Time has a similar twist on GMT functionality – it’s just a robust, sporty, GMT diver (with a caseback marking the year of production, naturally). Nothing wrong with that.
The Zulu Time has a black matte dial with square, applied hour markers in the fashion of other Pelagos references, with the familiar snowflake hour hand. The addition of an orange 24 hour hand fits in nicely with this aesthetic, and calls back to the long history of GMT equipped watches from Rolex with a hand in this color. There appears to be a heavy application of lume to all dial elements, and while it glows blue, it seems likely that much of the discussion around this watch will be the choice to go with a beige color for the hands, markers, and numerals on the bezel. The FXD (and the Pelagos more broadly) has never been a platform, really, for overt vintage inspired design cues, so this is a bit of a surprise.
The grade 2 titanium case of the Zulu Time measures 42mm and has a uniformly applied satin-brushed finish. It measures 12.7mm tall and the lug to lug span is listed as 52mm. Yes, that’s a scary figure, but anyone who has strapped on an FXD in the past knows that the lug to lug measurement is a bit misleading. The fixed strap bars extend the measurement, but wear small, thanks to a combination of the contours of the case and the lightweight titanium. The 200 meter water resistance rating feels sufficient and certainly on track with the (modest) case height. The bezel insert is matte black ceramic, matching the tone of the dial.
The new Zulu Time runs on the MT5652-U caliber, which is the same base movement found in many iterations of the Black Bay GMT, as well as the Black Bay Pro. This one, however, is METAS certified in addition to being COSC certified. Tudor has been gradually moving their collection to METAS certification over the last few years, and this watch represents another step in that process. METAS, in addition to offering exceptional timing accuracy, also indicates certification for things like magnetic resistance and waterproofness (METAS actually performs the depth rating tests). The movement’s functionality, at this point, is well understood. The orange 24 hour hand tracks home time, the snowflake hour hand jumps to local time as needed without the need to hack the movement, and the 24 hour bezel allows for the tracking of a third time zone. This feature is the one that Tudor is leaning on quite heavily in their marketing materials, the Zulu Time being a watch made specifically with military pilots in mind.
The final detail worth mentioning here is the strap. The straps for FXD references tend to get some special consideration, as they are so integral to the wearing experience of these watches given the lack of removable spring bars. You’ll recall that quite a bit of ink was spilled over the hook and loop strap that was paired with the original FXD. For the Zulu Time, Tudor has paired their new watch with a drab olive green fabric strap that matches the color of flight suits worn by French Naval Aviation personnel. Tudor’s textile straps tend to be very high quality, and in the brand’s supplied images this one looks particularly robust. Tudor notes that like other fabric straps in their catalog, this one is woven in France on traditional looms built in the 19th century.
The Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” is sure to be the topic of many conversations in the watch community over the coming months. It’s hard to quantify exactly how frequently a watch like this has been discussed by enthusiasts and collectors on forums, Instagram, and at in-person watch meetups the world over. Now that it’s here, it will be fascinating to see and hear feedback from the community on what Tudor got right, what it got wrong, and where this new platform goes next (we expect that like the original FXD, we haven’t seen the last Zulu Time). We’re certainly looking forward to getting our hands on one, hopefully soon.
The retail price of the Zulu Time is set at $4,625. Tudor
