Sunday Morning Showdown: Tudor Pelagos Vs. Pelagos Ultra
It’s Sunday morning, so it’s time for a cup of coffee and a new installment of Sunday Morning Showdown. This week, we continue the series with another watch unveiled during Watches and Wonders. The most talked-about Tudor release was, without a doubt, the new Pelagos Ultra. This new beefed-up and modernized version of the regular Pelagos got lots of praise from dive-watch fans. But it also begged the question: which of the two would you buy? Would it be the classic Pelagos, or is the new Pelagos Ultra the better pick? It’s time to find out!
Tudor had a relatively modest showing at Watches and Wonders this year. The two big new releases were the Black Bay 68 and the Pelagos Ultra. The other introductions were new dial variations for the Black Bay 58 and Black Bay Pro, along with a new bracelet option for the Black Bay Chronograph. With the new Pelagos Ultra, the brand upped the specs compared to the regular Pelagos. The watch made the favorites lists of Fratello’s Nacho and Gerard. Not coincidentally, both are avid divers, so their picking the Pelagos Ultra makes sense. But considering the marginal increase in dimensions, you could ask whether the new Ultra will eventually take the place of the standard Pelagos. We would love for you to share your opinions after Mike and Jorg make their respective cases today.
Last week, on Sunday Morning Showdown…
Before they do that, let’s briefly look at last week’s results. In last week’s battle, Jorg’s Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso Tribute Monoface Small Seconds in pink gold on the Milanese bracelet beat Mike’s Rolex 1908 in yellow gold on the Settimo bracelet by quite a wide margin. The Reverso ended up taking 68% of the votes, leaving the 1908 with just 32%. That result was in line with the opinions voiced in the comments. The JLC Reverso is the classic option, whereas the Rolex 1908 does not get that status and recognition. Consequently, the Reverso easily beat the 1908. Let’s see how this week’s battle plays out. We expect a much closer result. Over to Mike and Jorg to make their cases.
Jorg: Tudor Pelagos Ultra
To say I was instantly excited about the Tudor Pelagos Ultra would be a lie. However, I do indeed appreciate Tudor’s efforts to devise a new and improved Pelagos. The watch introduces an impressive spec list that easily places it above the regular Pelagos. On top of that, the latest addition to the Pelagos lineup introduces a slightly bigger case, a new dial design, a brilliant new clasp, and some minor but clever updates that we’ll get into in a minute. But after letting all the updates sink in, I had one question: why would you buy a regular Pelagos now that the Ultra is here?
Nacho and I have a soft spot for Tudor, so we tend to discuss the brand’s watches often. We briefly talked about the current Pelagos lineup. Most of you will know that if you leave the FXD models out of the equation, there are three distinct Pelagos models — the Pelagos 39, the regular Pelagos, and now the new Pelagos Ultra. The regular model comes in blue, black, and an LHD version. After seeing the new Pelagos Ultra, I asked Nacho whether he preferred the new Ultra over the regular version, and as an avid diver, he does. The new Ultra boasts specs that should appeal to anyone looking for a serious dive watch.
The specs of the new Tudor Pelagos Ultra
The Pelagos Ultra features a 43mm titanium case with a 1,000m depth rating. That’s a 1mm increase in diameter but double the water resistance of the 500m-rated 42mm Pelagos. Importantly, the Tudor engineers managed to give the Ultra a 14.5mm profile, meaning a mere 0.2mm increase over the regular model.
This ensures that the watch is at least as wearable as the regular model. Like the original Pelagos, the Ultra has a helium escape valve and comes with a titanium bracelet as well as a rubber strap. As a fan of bracelets, I much prefer the former.
Speaking of the bracelet, Tudor equipped it with a new optimized clasp that is equally fun and practical. The Pelagos signature spring-loaded adjustable clasp now comes with a light blue luminous indicator for the level of adjustment and a more minimalist look. The light blue dot corresponds with the color of the word “Pelagos” on the dial. It’s a subtle but nicely chosen shade that I like quite a bit. Overall, I think the dial design of the new Ultra is also better. The new dial features the characteristic Tudor style but has been completely redesigned.
The dial design is clever and a step forward from the regular Pelagos
Contrasting the matte black dial are larger hands and hour markers for improved readability. Additionally, the mix of Grade X1 and BGW9 Swiss Super-LumiNova ensures that the indexes and hands light up brightly in the dark. The green-glowing compound is present in the minute hand and bezel’s lume pip to keep track of the elapsed time during dives. The remaining hands, bezel markings, and hour indexes light up bright blue in darker conditions.
A nice design solution is the separation of the hour markers and the minute track. The latter sits on a raised, flat ring around the dial. In my opinion, this is better than the regular model’s design, which integrates the hour markers into the sloping rehaut. On top of that, the 3D lume blocks look crisper than the lume-filled markers on the Ultra’s smaller brother.
Lastly, the dial looks much better with three lines of text than the five lines found on the 42mm model. This is partly due to the shorter “Master Chronometer” text replacing “Chronometer Officially Certified.” Of course, this hints at the updated caliber MT5612-U, which is now tested to both COSC specs and the stricter METAS standards, instead of the COSC-certified caliber MT5612 inside the regular Pelagos. The MT5612-U offers 65 hours of power reserve and is the reliable power train that a dive watch like this needs.
The real discussion about these two Pelagos models
Compared to the regular Tudor Pelagos, this new Pelagos Ultra is objectively the better watch in terms of specs. In reality, though, that is often only relevant for dive aficionados. We all know that most Pelagos watches will never see any open water, so you could argue that improved specs are irrelevant in a community full of desk divers. Honestly, I wouldn’t choose one very competent dive watch over the other based on more impressive specs. I don’t need them because I don’t have any deep-sea adventures planned. So why would I pick the Pelagos Ultra? That’s primarily because I like its updated design. The new Pelagos Ultra looks crisper and more relevant than its smaller brother, which dates back to 2015.
This brings me to my last point, which Nacho and I also touched upon in our talks. The new Tudor Pelagos Ultra feels like an update to the regular Pelagos. Sure, the increased water resistance makes it “Ultra,” but the design and the size make it a modern version of the regular Pelagos. The 1mm size increase almost feels like something Tudor had to do to make it the Ultra, or else the lack of differences would make it too close for comfort.
The real question is: why would you choose the regular Tudor Pelagos if you could have the new Pelagos Ultra? The only thing that might keep you from choosing it is its €6,030 price compared to €5,270 for the standard Pelagos. I would gladly put up the €760 difference to get my hands on the Tudor Pelagos Ultra, but I’m curious what your thoughts are, Mike.
Mike: Tudor Pelagos
I’m back in my corner defending another nice watch against a great competitor from Jorg. This year’s Pelagos Ultra was a surprise from Tudor. Even if it was slightly large on paper, I give the brand massive credit for making a comfy 43mm watch. It’s cool and even comes with Tudor’s sexy self-expanding dive clasp. But is it better than the Tudor Pelagos that has been for sale since 2015? I’m not so sure.
The regular Pelagos’s big advantage — style
The latest 1,000m-rated Pelagos Ultra may improve upon the standard model by doubling its water resistance. On the other hand, in the styling department, it looks more like the lightweight Pelagos 39, a watch with a 200m depth rating. I say this because the Ultra has molded lume plots and lacks the intricately shaped rehaut. Yes, this scalloped piece that fits around the original’s lume plots is part of what made the design unique. I’d argue that the new model, if anything, now looks more generic.
Aren’t 500 meters enough?
I get that more water resistance likely means a tougher watch, but comparing 500 meters against 1,000 is a pointless competition. Neither watch will ever be used to its potential, which is why I don’t understand the need for more. Plus, the Ultra is 0.2mm thicker at 14.5mm. That’s a small difference, but is it truly necessary?
Options and a similar movement
Another positive that the original Tudor Pelagos has in its favor is the choice of three distinct options. We’re featuring photos of the super cool LHD version in this article, but basic black and bold blue are also options. The best thing is that all still look as new and fresh as when they debuted. Also, let’s spend a moment on the movement. Versions of the MT5612 power both watches, but the standard Pelagos makes do with “just” a chronometer certification instead of METAS. Is that a big deal? It isn’t to me.
Great on the wrist
The Tudor Pelagos is great on the wrist! Like the Ultra, the titanium construction makes it incredibly comfortable. Plus, with a 1mm-smaller diameter and slightly less thickness, the watch has a better chance of vying for everyday duty on medium-sized wrists. Honestly, it’s a great watch, and it must be well liked to have survived for a decade in this fast-fashion market.
Time to choose
We’ve had a lot of tough Sunday Morning Showdowns lately, and today’s is no different. The standard Tudor Pelagos is up against the new Pelagos Ultra. It’s a battle of minuscule differences, but they are differences nonetheless. Ultimately, you need to cast your vote for one of these lightweight, heavy-duty divers. Let us know why you chose the way you did, and thanks for playing along!
