Tudor Pelagos Black

The History

Tudor was founded and patented in 1926 by Veuve de Philippe Hüther, a Rolex distributor, on behalf of Hans Wilsdorf, the man behind the Rolex crown. Tudor began to really take shape after Hans Wilsdorf officially took over the brand ten years later. Another decade after that, in 1946, he created a newer version of the brand, Montres Tudor SA. In the 1940s and early 1950s, Tudor heavily marketed itself as a tool watch company championing the Oyster case in the Tudor Oyster Prince, a model famously put to the test by the British Royal Navy in their 1952 North Greenland Expedition. Needless to say, it passed with flying colors. Mr. Wilsdorf described the idea of Tudor as a brand sold “at a more modest price than our Rolex watches and yet one that would attain the standard of dependability for which Rolex is famous.” Translation, take ebauche (ie – generic) movement calibers and put them in Rolex cases.

That was vintage Tudor. Modern Tudor is a different story. The major inflection point came in 1996 when Tudor decided to no longer use any Rolex brand parts such as cases, crowns, or bracelets in favor of Tudor branded ones. After a short hiatus from the US market, Tudor returned with a whole new look in 2013. They introduced new product lines that were truly their own and watch enthusiasts have embraced them with open arms.

The Reference

The Pelagos was introduced to the world at Basel in 2012 alongside the also new Heritage Black Bay. Both watches were extremely well received and would be the catalyst for the rebirth and exponential growth that Tudor has seen over the last almost decade. The watch took many of the classic Tudor elements, such as snowflake hands, square hour markers, and pointed crown guards, and brought them into the modern era all wrapped in a 42mm titanium case. The use of titanium was not only a first for Tudor but a first for any watch coming out of the Rolex family. It was an indication of how Tudor was to use the Tudor brand going forward. A place where they could push the boundaries of design and materials that they weren’t quite ready to place on their classic Rolex models. All of this came together to create an incredibly appealing combination and as Ben Clymer said, this watch has “an undeniably truthful purpose – this is a tool watch”.

The Case and Bracelet

The 42mm titanium case and bracelet are in excellent condition. There are light scratches throughout from normal wear but there are no major faults to note. All of the components are correct and original to the watch. The bracelet comes with all of its original links and features a “floating” clasp that allows the bracelet to flex with the movement of your wrist. The watch also comes with its original accompanying rubber strap with a diving extension.

The Dial and Hands

The dial and hands are also in excellent condition. Noticeably absent from the dial is a magnifier over the date window, which leads to a very clean and simple dial that is appreciated. The modern lume can be found on the hour markers, the hands, and the bezel and has a great blue tint to it when glowing.

The Movement

This watch features a Tudor Calibre MT5612 (COSC) automatic winding movement. The watch is running and has not been serviced since it was purchased new by the current owner.

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