The Pelagos FXD platform, initially developed with a French Navy specialist unit, has now expanded to suit the needs of the French Naval Aviation, with the addition of a function that allows aviators and flight support personnel to keep track of what is referred to as “Zulu time”, in addition to local time and a third time zone.
A History of Military Collaboration
Since the 1950s, TUDOR has been officially supplying the Marine Nationale (French Navy) with reliable diving watches. The first Pelagos FXD model – "FXD" referring to the extra robust FiXeD strap bars of the watch case - was introduced in 2021, continuing the legacy of TUDOR and the French Navy.
Proven track record
After years of use in the field, the Pelagos FXD platform has a proven track record of service. In 2024, the FXD family is expanding to the meet the needs of the Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation).
Three times zones at once
The Pelagos FXD GMT can keep track of time in up to three time zones at once, one being "Zulu time", the military name for Universal Time Coordinated (UTC) and the standard reference time for all aviators – a valuable tool when undertaking crucial missions. The word "Zulu" is the standardized phonetic alphabet code word used in aviation for "Z" or the first letter of the word "zero".
Form follows function
The French Naval Aviation force operates in Zulu time. To easily keep track of Zulu time, TUDOR has developed the Pelagos FXD GMT. This watch is all about functionality, featuring a robust yet lightweight grade 2 titanium case with fixed strap bars that is waterproof to 200m. The 42 millimeter case, housing a high-performance mechanical movement, features a high contrast dial and colour-coded hands, the 24-hour Zulu time arrow-head hand made distinctive thanks to the use of a bright orange lacquer. These attributes combine to allow for enhanced legibility in dark environments or at night when the potent luminous material of its hands, hour-markers and bezel allow for instant gathering of time-tracking information.