The new Pelagos FXD GMT builds upon the 2021 FXD by adding a dual-time complication, which is useful for pilots and for those who operate overseas. The idea behind this particular GMT watch is that a pilot from the Aéronautique Navale (French naval aviation) would keep the bright orange GMT hand on “Zulu” time (a..ka. UTC time, or the time zone used for coordination in aviation) while using the snowflake hour hand for local time and, if necessary, spinning the rotating 24-hour bezel to track a third time zone. (Tracking a third time zone on a watch like this without a fixed 24-hour scale on the dial requires memorizing a set of 24-hour indices that don’t actually exist—which is tricky, but technically possible.)
For military watch geeks and for those who prioritize utilitarianism in their timepieces, additions like the Pelagos FXD and Pelagos FXD GMT are extremely welcome. That you can purchase such a well-built, purposeful tool for $4,625—not “nothing” money, to be sure, but not outrageous by any means considering the competition—is an attractive notion, especially considering the quality of Tudor’s modern output. The Pelagos FXD GMT is made from titanium and is powered by a manufacture-caliber movement, the MT5652-U.
Of course, the extent to which watches such as these are actually utilized by commandos, naval special operators, and the like is fairly limited. A cheap G-Shock with a digital display is the tool of choice in many militaries worldwide. But even the idea of a co-developed platform will surely do wonders in the eyes of consumers, many of whom were introduced to watches through the lens of utilization by soldiers, explorers, and other intrepid adventurers.
Read the full article here
