Tudor unveils the new Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time”, a GMT model that keeps track of time in up to 3 time zones at once. Ref. 2542G247NU. Price €4,750
Originally designed in 2021 by Tudor for the French Navy's combat swimmers, the Pelagos FXD line – with “FXD” referring to the extra robust FiXeD strap bars of the watch case – has expanded to also suit the needs of the French Naval Aviation with the creation of the Pelagos FXD GMT.
This new model 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.
Zulu Time — where Zulu is the standardized phonetic alphabet code word used in aviation for “Z” or the first letter of the word “zero” — corresponds to zero-meridian time or the time at zero degrees of longitude, commonly known as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
Zulu Time is tracked by the highly legible bright orange hand that completes a full lap around the matte black dial every 24 hours.
Once set, this hand allows the wearer to check the global aviation reference time at a glance. The angular hour hand, commonly nicknamed “Snowflake,” indicates local time. It is set through the winding crown and “jumps” in increments of one hour for easy setting when changing time zones. The date changes when the hour hand passes midnight, in either direction—backwards or forwards.
A third time zone can be checked using the 24-hour luminous bi-directional bezel and the orange Zulu Time hand.
The Pelagos FXD GMT comes in a lightweight Grade 2 titanium case with fixed strap bars that is fully brushed for a technical matte effect. Measuring 42 mm in diameter with a thickness of 12.7 mm, it ensures water-resistance to 200 metres / 660 feet also thanks to a screwed crown, adorned with the Tudor shield in relief.
The Grade 5 titanium caseback bears the logo of the Aéronautique navale (French Naval Aviation) composed of a winged anchor topped with a star, as well as a historically inspired engraving of “M.N.24” for “Marine nationale 2024” indicating the year of production of each batch of the watch.
Designed to ensure robustness and precision, Tudor's Calibre MT5652-U features a sturdy traversing bridge with two-point anchoring to maintain the variable inertia balance wheel.
This self-winding movement with integrated GMT function operates at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) with a power reserve of 65 hours, provided by a bidirectional rotor system.
The colour of the strap of the Pelagos FXD GMT matches the specific colour of the flight suit worn by aviators of the French Naval Aviation.
Made from a 22 mm green polyester woven ribbon, the strap features a Grade 2 titanium pin buckle and keeper as well as a removable fabric keeper, finely embroidered with the French Naval Aviation’s roundel, composed of the French flag’s blue, white and red colours, circled in gold and topped with a black anchor.
The watch is certified as a Master Chronometer by the Swiss Federal Institute of Metrology (METAS). To qualify, a watch must function within a daily variation range of 0 to +5 seconds, which is 5 seconds narrower than the standard set by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC) (-4/+6), which tests only the movement itself.
Master Chronometer certification ensures not only timekeeping precision but also resistance to magnetic fields up to 15,000 gauss (achieved also thanks to a non-magnetic silicon hairspring), alongside manufacturer-claimed waterproofness and power reserve.
Two prerequisites are necessary before the certification can be obtained: Swiss manufacturing must conform with the criteria of Swiss Made, and the movement must be certified by the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).
The new Tudor Pelagos FXD GMT “Zulu Time” ref. 2542G247NU has a price of €4,750 / US$4,625. tudorwatch.com
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