Quick Look: The All-New Tudor Pelagos 39 Caters To The Smaller-Wristed Urban Diver

Just before everyone went on summer holiday, Tudor introduced the 39mm reinterpretation of the Ranger. And now, just while we’re all rubbing the beach sand off our feet, the brand is back with another 39mm watch. Namely, a very welcome, smaller version of the Pelagos. The watch stays very true to the design language of the Pelagos family. But Tudor also tweaked the design to make it a unique member of said family. Let’s take a better look at the all-new Tudor Pelagos 39.

The Tudor Pelagos collection stands for true tool watches. The cases and bracelets are made of brushed titanium, and the designs of the bezel and dial bezels mainly focus on readability. The crown guards protect the crown from knocks and bruises, and a diver’s extension helps when you need to wear the watch over a wetsuit. Now Tudor introduces the Pelagos in a 39mm case, which, as Tudor says, is ready for “technical diving and urban sophistication”. Let’s take a quick look at what the brand has done here.

Toolish sophistication

First things first. The 39mm case is made of entirely satin-brushed Grade 2 titanium. It also features crown guards, which are so typical for the Pelagos family. Then we get to that awesome grippy bezel and its black ceramic inlay. Unlike the plain matte versions on the 41mm models, this bezel insert has a sunburst satin finish. It’s still equipped with Super-LumiNova all around, though, for great visibility, even underwater. But let’s move on to the dial because I think that’s the real conversation starter here.

And that’s not because of its no-date layout that certainly screams “tool watch” right from the get-go. I think this layout is one of the best-looking ones in Tudor’s entire collection. We see the characteristic snowflake hands and matching rectangular hour markers, which, in this case, are applied blocks of luminescent ceramic. The surprising thing is that Tudor has chosen to apply a satin sunburst finish to the black dial. I guess this was done to achieve the urban sophistication that the designers were looking for, but it doesn’t seem to match the tool-watch identity of the Pelagos family. That said, I haven’t seen it in person yet, so let’s not jump to conclusions here.

Extending your comfort

The Tudor Pelagos 39 comes with both a titanium bracelet and a rubber strap. The bracelet doesn’t have fake rivets and seems to taper from 20 to 16mm (awaiting confirmation from Tudor). The T-fit clasp allows you to quickly adjust its length on the go without tools, providing a range of 8mm. And it also features a dive extension, which will extend the bracelet’s length by another 25mm. In addition to the bracelet, Tudor also includes a black rubber strap with the purchase of the Pelagos 39.

The rubber strap attaches to the case via titanium end links and comes with a titanium pin buckle. It’s also possible to adjust the length of the strap with an additional rubber extension piece included in the box. Again, this is for when you need to wear the watch over a wetsuit. I think it’s great that Tudor includes a rubber strap with the watch. Aftermarket options do not always have the best fit. This way, you start with two great options to wear the watch. Although, I do think the Pelagos 39 would also look great on a NATO, accentuating its toolish character.

Do-it-all movement

Ticking away inside the Pelagos 39 is Tudor’s manufacture caliber MT5400. I’m guessing from its reference number that it’s quite close to the Black Bay Fifty-Eight’s caliber MT5402. I was comparing the two movements because I wanted to get a sense of the thickness of the Pelagos 39. At the time of publication, we have no official information on this (nor its weight or lug-to-lug) from Tudor yet. But as both movements measure 5mm in height, and both watches are water resistant to 200 meters, I’m expecting more or less the same case thickness of about 12mm. UPDATE: Tudor has confirmed that the case is 11.8mm thick with a lug-to-lug measurement of 47mm. We’re still awaiting confirmation on the weight.

The rest of the movement’s features are identical to those of the Black Bay Fifty-Eight and other models in Tudor’s portfolio. There’s a sturdy balance bridge and an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring. It also provides 70 hours of power reserve, so you won’t have to wind it after you put it down for the weekend. The movement is chronometer-certified by COSC, but Tudor uses even stricter parameters when regulating the watches during assembly. Thus, the Pelagos 39 will run between +4 and -2 seconds per day (instead of the +6/-4 COSC standard). All-in-all, this is a great movement for an everyday tool watch.

My initial impressions

I think it’s great that Tudor tries to cater to the (tool-)watch enthusiast with a smaller wrist. The designers previously brought down the size of the Black Bay line with the Black Bay Fifty Eight and the Black Bay Pro. Now they’re doing the same for the unique Pelagos lineup. I do think they’re taking a risk with that black satin-finished sunburst dial. I’m sure my colleague Gerard won’t be a fan, as he thinks a tool watch should always have a matte dial. I’m not so sure about that, though, because the sunburst dial on my 38mm Blancpain Bathyscaphe looks absolutely brilliant!

Just like the Bathyscaphe, the Pelagos 39 adds a pop of red to the dial, here in the “Pelagos” wording at 6 o’clock. I think it very much adds to the sporty nature of the watch. I also would’ve loved to have that satin-brushed bezel on my Bathyscaphe. I already loved the brushed bezel on the Seiko SPB143, and I’m sure it will suit the Pelagos 39 very well too. Looking at the whole package of the Pelagos 39, I think this is another great release by Tudor. Let me know what you think of Tudor’s new release in the comments!

The Tudor Pelagos 39 is available as of today (August 30th) for €4,170. Please check Tudor’s official website for more information.

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