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Back in November, Tudor took us all by surprise with the seemingly out-of-nowhere release of the Pelagos LHD, or Left Hand Drive. Inspired by a bespoke model of the Tudor Submariner made in the ’70s for the French Navy, the big and rather unexpected difference between the LHD and previous versions of the Pelagos was that the case had been flipped, putting the crown on the left side. But this wasn’t the only difference, as Tudor also changed around some colors and some details, giving the watch a more stylized appearance than that of its siblings. A style that, to me at least, spoke to a more cult watch concept.
Apart from the aesthetic differences, it’s still the same Pelagos, with a titanium case (and a steel caseback), ceramic bezel, 500 meters of water resistance and the MT5612 in-house movement. It’s Tudor’s most proper tool watch, with serious specs and a mean, utilitarian aesthetic that still speaks to the heritage of the brand, most specifically to the now very valuable Snowflake Submariners. While a bit overshadowed by its more playful brother, the Black Bay, the Pelagos illustrates that Tudor isn’t just a style brand. It shows the company can make a technical dive watch with professional specs.
Well, we somehow have never reviewed the Pelagos (despite having one in the office most days), so it was about time. In the following review, I look at the LHD, but speak about the details generally with a focus on what makes the LHD different. At $4,400, there is no price difference between the models, so it really comes down to personal taste as to which model is right for you.
