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Tudor Pelagos FXD deep dives in the Western Caribbean

Tudor's mil-spec titanium diver's perfect watches website is full of surprises.

Years of scuba diving with a mechanical watch on my wrist revealed some of the advantages and disadvantages of functional design that would otherwise be hidden on land. I also learned that my aesthetic evaluation of a dive watch changes frequently once I have the opportunity to dive with it. The importance of specific design details—and the corresponding satisfaction—can vary considerably in depth.

After a few weeks with the Tudor Pelagos FXD, including a week of SCUBA diving on the Dutch island of Bonaire in the western Caribbean countryside, my attitude shifted from the middling curiosity of a watch nerd to a full-blown diver's frenzy. My perspective gradually shifted as I began to better appreciate the FXD's aesthetics, experience its functional design, and ultimately maximize its unique capabilities as an underwater navigation tool.

Jack Forster summed up my initial reaction to Pelagos FXD in his Second Look. Like Jack, I found the concept of the best replica watches a bit interesting until I strapped it on and found myself completely hooked. This is where I used it near water a long time ago.

Before dealing with the FXD, I had no idea how different it was from other dive watches, including the standard Pelagos. I didn't expect FXD's various design tweaks to result in such a fresh and cohesive aesthetic.

The strap slot provides an undeniable sense of security and purpose. Also note the bezels that overhang the case for excellent grip.

Thanks to the one-piece satin-brushed titanium case and no bracelet, the FXD is remarkably lightweight and surprisingly stylish for a 42mm watch (just 12.75mm tall). For this reason, FXD provides a completely unique tactile experience for a mechanical dive watch, similar to lifting a piece of ultralight camping equipment or a carbon fiber bike. Wearing an FXD feels the exact opposite of wearing a heavy-duty Rolex Submariner with a solid link bracelet.

As a mechanical cheap fake watches, the FXD doesn’t feel exactly futuristic or high-tech on the wrist, but it does feel cutting edge – like a serious, purposeful and relevant mechanical tool.

The FXD instantly ranks among the clearest dive watches I've ever used, which further enhances its sense of purpose. "Snowflake" hands, square hour markers and rich blue tones echo the look of the original Tudor Submariner ref. The 9401/0 "MN" is a military-spec watch, issued in 1969 to the elite diving teams of the French Marine Corps. However, despite its pedigree, once strapped on and ready to use, the FXD doesn't look particularly retro.

The fabric Velcro straps that go through the securing titanium straps feel ready for action (there's also a rubber strap option, which I didn't use in this story). A fabric strap with Velcro might sound bland, but this lovely dark blue device is made by renowned French ribbon maker Julien Faure. It's soft and hard-wearing, a very rare combination. Velcro allows instant adjustment on the wetsuit and is definitely the easiest instant adjustment mechanism while diving. It dried in less than 15 minutes after we dived.

The strap bars on the FXD are derived from an older military design and are intended for heavy abuse in combat scenarios. I've never hit my watch as often as I did on a SCUBA dive, especially before and after a dive, while moving tanks in and out of a truck, or climbing a metal ladder in rough seas. Spring bars never seem to be strong enough, and the confidence that the FXD's strap bar inspires is a revelation to me.

Combined, the FXD inspires a lot of what I'm looking for in a dive watch: a sense of purpose and adventure. However, none of these inspirations came until I got my hands on FXD. Since many of its unique design details express themselves through haptic interactions, I think FXD needs to be worked on to be fully appreciated.

Since dive computers became the norm decades ago, the reference to mechanical watches has become redundant, and it has become a cliché in dive watch stories. Watch lovers dive with mechanical watches because it's fun, because it's retro-chic, because we love iconic tools from the 20th century, and more. We openly admit that diving with a mechanical watch is redundant.high quality replica watches

Dive computers, however, are not very good at what the FXD does so well, which is to time the divers one by one under the guidance of a compass while they are on a stealth mission, usually at night. For this reason alone, FXD is not superfluous at all. This is a rare mechanical tool that actually outperforms any digital option.

Standard dive watch bezels count so that one can budget for air consumption, and they only turn counter-clockwise to prevent any accidental increases in time. Standard Tudor Pelagos work this way.

Unlike standard Pelagos, however, the FXD uses a countdown bezel that turns in both directions. Additionally, the designers extended the knurling of the bezel beyond the case to increase grip. These choices make the FXD ideal for repeatedly setting and resetting the bezel when timing swimming legs during missions. You align the desired interval with the minute hand, then immediately move in the direction of the compass until the minute hand hits the dot; then set the next interval on the bezel and follow the next compass direction, and so on.

Anyone who's ever adjusted a unidirectional bezel a little too far knows how cumbersome it can be to turn it all the way around again to reach your goal. While not a problem if you time your eggs in the morning, it can be a serious problem in a potential life-or-death situation. This is why pilot watches also use a bidirectional bezel. These navigation tools need to be set up quickly in the middle of a task, usually when wearing gloves in a disorienting environment.Corum Black Ti-Bridge Replica watches

While a unidirectional bezel isn't ideal for navigation tasks, most dive computers will be far worse. Often, dive computers include a counting stopwatch, which will require the diver to remember the length of each swim. In combat situations, any additional use of short-term memory and/or external orientation lists is a no-no in the design of military functions.

Even though the dive computer has a countdown function, setting up a digital stopwatch requires the use of multiple buttons or buttons to access and activate it from an often confusing menu system. If you've ever tinkered with a digital watch with a timer, you'll know what I mean. Lastly, most dive computers (including mine) don't show you important information while using the stopwatch function. While a modern dive computer with a large illuminated TFT screen (similar to a smartphone) might display all of this information at the same time, such a screen can show the combat swimmer's position.

But legibility is still key here. Tudor completely redesigned the dial of the original Pelagos, omitting the date and 3D rehaut. The FXD's dial is flat and closer to the crystal, thus reducing shadows and other potential visual clutter. These changes may seem insignificant on land, but when you're 100 feet (30 meters) below the surface, it's clear that FXD's designers managed to optimize legibility.

Taken together, these details ensure that FXD is neither cosmetic nor superfluous. It is a tool, not a symbol. The FXD is a useful addition to a diver's kit, especially in diving situations where low visibility navigation is required.Chopard Mille Miglia GTS Power Control Grigio Speciale