The navigation function of this watch is still relevant today. Im a divemaster and have a specialty in underwater navigation. Unfortunately, GPS still does not work underwater, no matter how deep/shallow you are. The signal does not travel through water. Garmin is planning to release a device that floats on the surface. Your Garmin dive watch will then communicate your location to the surface transmitter via sonar (as I understand it). I can imagine that this technology is already available to military units around the world. However, in covert underwater operations, I can see the benefit of not dragging a floating bouy above the dive team. We still teach underwater navigation with two divers, one timing and the other keeping heading and pace. All that to say, this is still a relevant watch/function today. Not a requirement but definitely a useful tool. Thanks for the great video!!
I'd like to address this from a recreational scuba diver's perspective: 1) A little about me; I am a multi-certified diver with hundreds and hundreds of dives. This includes night dive, search and rescue and underwater navigation certifications. 2) I always dive with an analog watch (not always mechanical). I am not alone in this. Computers have batteries that always fail on a dive. I dive with two computers, one on my wrist, one in my BCD pocket PLUS a watch. I have on 2 dives been very grateful to have a watch as on those two dives BOTH computers failed. 3) GPS does not work under water, you navigate under water with a compass and watch. There is deffinately a lot of marketing happening here, but it is not a "dive watch" it is a diver's watch. I hope this is helpful info from an avid scuba diver, watch enthusiast and Pelagos LHD ownwer/diver.
No GPS underwater was exactly what I thought when the gentleman mentioned it. Thanks for confirming it. Divers are careful people; having multiple backups is the standard
@@1am1der I dive, usually, with a Citizen Promaster Depth Gauge, I have 4 different ones that I have used over the years, two are retired. That said I test all of my watches on at least one or two dives below 90 feet for 5 minutes. I just wanna see if they fail. They usually don't. I have had one fail but it was after a recent service (by me) so not the watches fault. I currently own 3 Tudor watches but only one diver, the Pelagos LHD. It is my most expensive dive watch and is an awesome underwater tool.
I know it's been said a thousand times, but this new format is great. The generous dose of sarcasm and humor is hilarious. It's all hugely entertaining. Well done.
@@conduit242 I agree 100% I much prefer the old format with the easy to understand information and no banter. I truly do not care to have banter in a watch review video I want information and great visuals.
This is spot on. Before was special, uniquely infomative, also visually. This is nothing of the above anymore. It is almost Theo-and-Harris-y, which is not a good thing..... At all.
Let me clarify. I don't want talking hands going anywhere either, as it's obviously the more informative. As I understood it, this was being recorded in addition to the former. You like hands better, watch hands and pass on these. I definitely still think there's room for a talk that doesn't take itself so seriously though.
I was an 18A Special Forces, and I usually wore a Sinn diver and a G-Shock. We still wear these type watches because they can’t be EMP’d, don’t need batteries, no electronic signature, etc. You’ll still use a dive computer, but you’ll always have a durable analogue instrument. Part of it is just tradition and personal taste, and when everyone in the military is wearing GShock/Suunto, it’s a way to show your style, or you’re an officer, part of a special unit.
@@ivangamer8022 It’s made in Japan. They don’t give it to you, units are allotted money for such things, some people get a G-Shock or Seiko, some get a Doxa, Sinn, Omega, Rolex, IWC, Otis, etc. Every G-Shock I own(d) has been made in Japan, my Garmins are made in US, Suunto Traverse made in Finland, everything else was German or Swiss. SOF gets whatever SOF wants.
As someone who is in the military and has experience with special forces units, a large reason that a country would prefer to use this watch over a modern watch is because it simply doesn't have any technology. When a unit is operating behind enemy lines and in the dark (in a rural region, attacking an enemy compound for example), the more technology you bring, the more likely you are to get caught. Especially if you are operating in an area without technology, the enemy can use sensors to identify electromagnetic waves travelling through the air, alerting them of your presence. For this reason, it may be beneficial to leave the high tech stuff behind in favor of lower profile equipment. However, this still doesn't justify spending this much money on a watch for each soldier in the French special forces, though I doubt they are too concerned about the price tag when it costs a few hundred thousand dollars to equip and deploy each soldier in a special forces unit.
The biggest reason I see it being viable is to have a nondigital version available that would be harder to detect or usable in the event the digital format fails. Military always has paper maps as back up in the event of technology failing.
True, the French military is still keeping it's ability to work with "obsolete" technologies such as paper maps and magnetic compass because of a limited confidence in high-end technologies.
I agree with technology issue in general - but really? Let's compare the possible failure rate of a $500 GShock to the possible failure rate of a $5000 mechanical movement dive watch under severe military conditions. Hmm, I wonder which one would possibly fail first? See my point? The old adage of technology failing I don't really feel applies to a GShock - in my experience with owning multiples of each over the years.
@@bozartg You are certainly right, there is also very probably a commercial reason here. ;) Maybe the rusticity of a tight crown is better appreciated than the risk of pushing a button by mistake. Maybe the simplicity and rapidness of rotating a bezel is preferred to a longer time taken to push buttons several times. We can't completely know the reasons, only try to guess.
As an owner of 3 Tudors I actually prefer my Tudors over the Rolex equivalents. The Pelagos is a very unique piece and pound for pound is very hard to beat. And to all the Rolex fan boys out there be reminded that the shield protects the crown.
I agree. I love Rolex and owned 3, but the Pelagos is by far the better option for me. It's also nice not seeing my Pleagos on the wrist of every middle aged man at the Delta Club.
If this was the first model pelagos I would probably love it, but I’ve already fallen in love with the “original” models and this model (as mentioned) takes away a lot of the superpowers which made me fall in love with of the original
I love these discussions. Terrific format! Right, now to answer the BIG question at hand. "Do the MN actually wear the Pelagos FXD", my mole who will remain nameless underground making a mess of my lawn tells me the answer is a resounding YES. The MN actually do wear these watches, Dave (not his real name of course) had his on his wrist when he went down the pub last Saturday. Albert (again not his real name) goes a little further telling the mole that he wears his on a daily basis actually in the water.... when doing the washing up. So there we have it. The MN do in fact wear the FXD Pelagos for mission critical activities. Obvious really, Dave would have been late to the pub and Albert would have been beaten up by his lovely girlfriend Olive (not her real name) for not getting the washing up done on time..
And I imagine the value of using this piece of equipment is as a backup to tech. By the same token this is why they still teach land navigation using terrain map reading and navigation using a compass (very old technology) and a watch.
I’ve owned a Pelagos Blue dial and bezel for a while now and love it it only loses 1 second a day, which is remarkable. It keeps better time than any other watch I have, including my Rolexes, Date Just and Explorer ll, or my IWC Portugieser.
The majority of the military in the UK buy their own watches. The £7 Argos Casio being the chosen watch by almost every new recruit for the last 20 years (sometimes even specifically on the kit list). Once they are past basic training then many will go on to buy a Garmin, suunto or other ‘smart watch’ with GPS capability etc. The issue with those is that they require power and charging which isn’t always possible. Further to that. If your watch has GPS then that’s a signal that can be tracked by your adversaries. Sometimes the most simple, mechanical watch is what you need. It’s stealthy and it doesn’t lose power after a day. To that end, the British military wouldn’t issue something like this anymore given the price. Bremonts are often ‘private purchase’ items that are available to members of military units through the unit directly, some of which are not available to general members of the public.
Are you sure about your point that GPS watches make you track able by adversaries? As I understand it, the transmitter is on the atomic clock system of the orbiting GPS satellites and the watch (or other GPS unit) is a receiver which calculates your position from the incoming time and co-ordinate system signal of three (or more) GPS satellite signals. I might be wrong as I was only involved with the early days of GPS using it for desert and offshore positioning.
@@agw100100 you’re right re the atomic clock on many variations. However; phones, GPS watches, small GPS units (wrist versions), and everything digital with more technology than a Gshock or Foretrex is usually banned from use or wear inside of rooms where discussions concerning mission planning happen. Yes, we still wear and use certain items (I’ve been issued 2 Garmins, 2 Casios, 1 other wrist band GPS, & a Suunto), but most of it has to be locked away with phones during briefings. I still wear a few different autos when I’m not in the field or on range, but most of my watch duties are handled by something far more modern.
@@darrellreid9915 Agreed, 100%. But I figured Jay M was trying to make the point that all those fancy electronics didn’t help us as much as we’d hope in Afghanistan. I have to agree at least to some extent based on a number of outcomes in that particular country. Regardless, I’ll still have my Garmin on my wrist, my other GPS on my plate carrier, and whatever other wiz bang tech that makes sense for the next time I find myself in a conflict somewhere not familiar to me.
My understanding is that the FXD's would be used for military divers 'in training', divers using analogue watches to master old school knowledge/skills of submerged navigation. It teaches principles. Like learning how a basic analogue compass works is important before you just push computer buttons on the new version. At least thats what I figured.
@@cakraparindra4659 Oh i like it just as much. I will however wait for Tudor to release it with a bracelet, so that i have more freedom. The fixed lugs are too limiting.
Do remember that for example the UK military issued Rolex and Omega divers before CWC replaced them in the early 80s. In fact the current issue CWC divers still have the Omega style dials.
They dont swim just below the surface because they would be silhouetted. GPS doesnt penetrate underwater. No landmarks so a compass and stopwatch is the only way, which is the backup navigation method for submarines when underwater to complement the inertial navigation system which divers obviously dont have.
Navy Seals in Vietnam were issued Tudor Pelagos. I saw in an interview of a Seal veteran that if their watch was damaged or lost, they’d be issued a 2nd one but if it happens again the 3rd one they had pay for them and it would be deducted from their paycheck.
Since I’m not a diver, i can only speak from the aviation navigation perspective. Modern aircrafts have multiple navigation systems: couple of GPS systems, two IRS (Inertial Reference Systems) etc, but they still all have a traditional, mechanical compass on them. Of course it’s only to be used when all the other systems fail, but I would think the same reasoning would be behind equipping a diver with traditional means (and skills) of navigation. To provide a backup system.
after having done my Rescue-Diver course, I found out the bezel is way faster for setting countdown times, which you do have to use when navigatin underwater (together with your compass), to A; save time, and B; be quick enough to be more exact (and not have currents move you from your position), because using a dive computer (if you even have one with timer function) or a digital watch to set a timer is way too tedious, having to push multiple buttons to reset/restart or even adjust the countdown timespan... with this watch you set it within 1-2seconds and on you go.
A lot of people are hating on this watch, but I love it. I like the fixed bar. I love military watches that are designed for actual military people. I lost a nice watch when I was in the Army when the spring bar failed.
Perhaps one reason could be a, “defence in depth”, philosophy. If the digital technology fails (an EMP attack as an example) a magnetically shielded, mechanical watch would allow them to maintain a higher level of operational capability than they would otherwise have. It’s a stretch, but I imagine that’s the sort of thing militaries think about…
Frankly quite disappointed with the snarky tone and comments: as other people said obviously under water gps navigation is impossible, analog is more unlikely to fail, the point is also for these guys to share a cool nice watch… I come to this channel because of well prepared, informative videos. Here it was 15min of "hon hon hon, they are stupid to make us think military divers would use this instead of a gps watch…."
GPSs don't receive a signal underwater! There's a reason why all military dive teams use a compass, timing and measuring distance by fin-kick counts for navigation!
I bought my son a BB 58 because it’s a good watch. I own Rolex, and these days the price isn’t great for the value. Tudor has stepped out form Rolexes shadow and are now a real competitor in their own price point.
I agree realistically they probably use dive computers or G Shocks for missions, at least that's what my friends in the military use, but they are not special forces. However, i think the FXD is issued to all the members, one as momento for being in the special forces and to wear when in formal uniform and likely they chose Tudor because of the history. The FXD can also be a functional piece of backup equipment if one chooses to wear it, because some missions lasts days, weeks or even months and dive computers depending on the model will likely need to be recharged (and you're screwed if you can't) so you will need a backup. Gshocks at night you can't see, unless you use the backlight function which can be too bright and annoying, flashing everytime you need to check and because of the contrast of the bright flash, at pitch black night it can give away your position. Lume is more consistent and not as bright, you just need enough light to make out the markings, also most special forces wear a cover over the face incase the crystal reflects light, so when they peak to check it won't look like a sudden flash. These are some reasons, but best have someone actually from the French MN special forces to verify.
One of the best Bracelets, just gone , so sad! The Pelagos bracelet with it‘s clever self adjusting mechanism is such a great idea, so sad it didn’t make it to other watches. Instead they just killed it all together…
@@jhatgotagat300 kidding? 🤦🏻♂️ It’s a cooperation with the French Marine to equip their marine soldiers with this toolwatch, and by the way: he Pelagos is a real diver. So where’s the sense in your opinion? 🤦🏻♂️
well, the reason why they still use "old" tech is simply because using a gps doing a deep enemy territory infiltration the gps can give radio frequency signal, that can be use to detect them in hostile territory, for that reason you don't see military using cellphones on the battlefield...
As far as I know most military GPS are receivers. But even without a GPS, as much as I love my Black Bay, I cannot see why it would be more usefull than a Gshock.
Rarely, in civilian diving do you see guys wearing g a watch . When you do , you can be assured that they're probably military trained divers . Although dive computers are prevalent, all military divers , world wide are trained to use redundant systems, ergo a dive watch for military divers . There are a myriad of mission requirements that would mandate a watch for sub-surface operations in military applications. Just sayin'.
the Analog mechanical watch will be used as a fail-safe, in case your electronics go belly up regarding fauxtina: I don't always see it as false aging. A cream colour lume can be a design choice. (especially if it's not made to look old, but just a different colour. Like orange lume)
Mechanical watches certainly aren't necessary anymore, but the quick to use bi-directional countdown bezel certainly adds a "nice to have" additional feature next to a dive computer. Underwater gps navigation doesn't work that well. Most GPS equiped nav computers don't work that deep and require resurfacing for repositioning. They probably also create a detectable signal which probably isn't very "covert". Resurfacing probably isn't very covert either.
GPS on a dive computer, can tell you the entry and exit coordinates, however GPS does not work underwater! A watch and compass is used for underwater navigation. - I expect the main reason for analog mechanical watch issue to special ops units is the need to go silent, when operating behind enemy lines, as well as a redundancy and failsafe option for these type of operations.
Love the discussion, and I'm going to chime in here: 1. IF I'm going to have an issued watch, it'll be an Elliot Brown, it's 1/10 of the Tudor price and likely can be run over by the proverbial tank 2. IF I'm going to be hanging out under the soggy stuff, I'm going to have a primary computer, a backup computer AND a watch, and it's going to have a ONE way bezel, not a bloody bi-directional.... 3. IF I had to have an issued Tudor Pelagos it would be the old one, can't stand that this now looks like a blue 58, it's lost the plot 4. Even IF I'm in training, and in the swimming pool I'm going to be wearing the exact same gear I'd be in theatre with..... 5. I'm NOT going to be using a commercial GPS watch, I really do NOT want anyone knowing where I'm at..... Again, I'd go knock on the door of EB down in Poole and ask them for one of their NATO issued ones, not a pretend Tudor (and this comes from someone whom has both....)
The bezel is to aid navigation as the divers don't need the regular one as they don't dive deep making tracking dive time for decompression stops irrelevant.
Jesus guys...it's not the primary, it's the back up. This watch is the iron sights on a rifle because the laser ones might fail. It's the sidearm on your hip incase you get a jam in your primary carbine. As for utility, The same thing happened with military vehicles like the Hummer and military rifles like the AR-15 or any other piece of kit. Military uses it, civilians see it and like it, make a civilian version, and the military keeps using the same item. Mechanical watches are still being used around the world. They're reliable, don't require batteries and can be used for trade or bargain during an E&E.
I don’t know why you haven’t seen the reverse bezel before. It’s incredibly useful, and I’ve looked for this on watches because countdown is just so useful, especially when diving. Except I’d use a dive computer…
I wouldn’t say the Pelagos FXD is ‘better’ than a Submariner. It’s certainly brilliant in its own right. I sold my Pelagos LHD when l got the call from my AD to pick up my Submariner 124060 after a 5 month wait (yes you can still buy a Rolex at an AD for retail) But after that I still missed the LHD. Then a few weeks later, l heard about the new Tudor MN might be released so l mentioned to my AD to keep my name in mind and a few days later, l got the call to pick up the FXD. Double win 😅
Is a jewelry - no it is not better. As a practical tool, especially without the danger of failing lugs - FXD trumps the Submariner any day. You are misunderstanding it seems what each of the watches represent. Now it is true with the FXD you won't get the "special recognition" like when you ware Sub, but believe it or not - there are fans of these type of watches Tudor make. Once upon a time - Rolex made them too.
Good evening Andrew ..as you know i own the FXD and love it .. the MN have access to them but it is slightly different . it only has 2 lines of text . Jon
It's just a mechanical, redundant backup tool. Even with a lot of recreational divers, they will wear a dive computer on one wrist and a G-shock or something on the other wrist. But some like a purely mechanical backup and I think the military requires it.
I'm by far no expert but if you used a GPS type watch, doesn't that mean that you are signalling your exact whereabouts? For the military that couldn't be good.
What i gravitate towards are brands that dare to do something different rather than just throw out their best sellers with new colours. And this is one of those. Like they re-designed Pelagos to a more functional tool rather than a beastly wrist presence like the original Pelagos.
“Mil-spec” is just a bunch of specifications a bureaucrat drew up for military procurement contracts: Water resistant to x Magnetic resistant to y Case made of certain materials Lumed Etc. That’s why the Hamilton Khaki Field (essentially a 1960’s milspec watch with an updated mechanical movement) and the Marathon Quartz GP are both 30m water resistant. To conform to milspec.
I dont thing the Pelagos FXD is as useless as they make out personally. If there was a complication with equipment such as malfunction or even an attack with an Electro-Magnetic Pulse, surley having a watch as a back up would be highly useful. I mean a Speedmaster got Neil Armstrong home after complications.
I own a FXD and a 5 and 6 digit submariner and others Out of all of my collection I’m only wearing the FXD because I’m wearing a wrist brace and it fits over it and still stays safe. I *love* the FXD, but to say it’s better than the sub patently untrue. In pretty much every front other than amount of lume really, in all other respects the submariner is superior
GPS doesn't really work underwater. Submarines use a system called POSYDON which uses GPS with an internal acceleromotor (and lots of computery words) to function but divers can't exactly carry this. Watches still function in this regard. The only really question is why not quartz? For this I think batteried can add complications ti medical procedures if shot at. I know G-Shocks will probably survive bullets, but it's something I can imagine a French officer pitching.
@@robertjohnson9971 my ignorance gives me room to grow and improve, maybe someday I'll become an ascended, enlightened fountain of all knowledge like yourself
I´m not MN either but i do dive a lot and i think at the end of the day i wear my diving watch just for fun and to actually use the timing bezel from time to time for what´s intended to be and not just the clicky click, like for real i wouldnt rely on my eyesight and bezel alingment skills my oxigen time, thats why you always carry your diving computer anyway. I mean its more of something you would wear for what it represents than for what you´d use it for. Basically you can take this line of thought to any "sports" watch, tell me would any of you guys go sailing with a white gold rolex?
If you were to spend some time in military, you would be surprised how rustic the equipment has to be, because it needs to operate far from any energy source or repair facility. For the same reason GIGN uses Manurhin guns still today. Reliable above technology.
Actually, most of them carry both a MR73 (for its precision and .357 stopping power) and a high capacity 9mm pistol (Glock, SIG) for additional firepower.
I respect Tudor and I like Rolex but I just can’t deal with the stigma a Rolex comes with - If you don’t want a dive watch that lives in the shadow of another watch then just buy a mid / high end Seiko - they truly are excellent and have real heritage - beautifully made nowadays too - then you can go on holiday with the money saved over a Submariner and still have a great watch
i'm going to sound critical here, but this should be taken as a correction, no anger or malice involved. GPS doesn't work underwater. Like any other RF device, like two way radios, RF energy doesn't pass through water. so using it undewater to navigate is a non-starter. Also, most militaries these days are using somethng like Casio G-Shocks. Lume is not an issue, as the ones they use are backlit, and completely off when not being used, unlike lume. They are also far more rugged, and if they get smashed up, you have lost a $100 Casio, not a $3000-4000 Tudor.
There is a definite need for analog devices, especially as backups. What other's have said below are great in this regard. Here's my experience regarding analog v. electronic: One of my several jobs aboard our destroyer was ship's photographer and I was issued a fully-mechanical SLR 35mm Canon. At the time (late '80s) I had my first electronic SLR, the Minolta X-700 with autowinder (oooh, ahhh). If I was near the radar antennas my Minolta would start taking pictures by itself, thus wasting precious film. The Canon did nothing, like I was carrying a rock, because there was nothing electronic for the radar energy to futz with. When you are out at sea for 90+ days at a time -- without even seeing land mind you -- getting batteries could be an issue if one forgot to stock up. So for pictures above deck and near the super-structure I used the Canon camera but the rest of the time I used my Minolta. Also, being the '80s, I was told that if we were near a nuclear EMP strike the camera would still work, which was a real possibility for the times and with weapons we may or may not have been carrying.
Honestly for dead reckoning this would be way faster and probably more precise than a digital count down. It would be two slow to set a digital while you float and move. And with a digital everytime you push the buttons underwater you open yourselves up for failure with the water seal…. This is a legitimate tool. I’ve always found a magnetic compass to be more reliable than a digital compass in a watch… different but similar between digital and analog comparison.
Diving GPS's are very unreliable, they use an above surface ping then base the location based on acceleromotors and compass. Issue is, your GPS will not function well if you disembark from a submarine vehicle prior to your operation. It's good to have the skills to use methods that don't rely on tech.
Not Marine National, but Canadian airforce. Just my 2 cents and reason I wear a mechanical seiko, when operating in -30 to -40 conditions, most batteries on small electronics die within 30 minutes. along the same line, we use computers for almost everything we do, but everyone must be trained and able to move completely back to pen and paper. its rare but sometimes computers just fail, its also a fan safe against any sort of cyber attack
In my opinion that watch is the most perfect watch Tudor makes. It's everything I want in a watch...no date, blue, Rolex crown, and is a legitimate throwback to the milsub. I like what Tudor is doing. I don't like what Rolex is doing.
I just don't see the controversy over that Longines faux aged look. I like what Laco does with their specially aged Flieger watches. Looks very cool. And, like Longines, has the history and heritage to back up that particular aged style and look. Now, there's also a metal G-Shock square which is limited edition and has aged look as well.. sorry, don't have the ref, but it was from maybe just over a year ago. True, there wasn't any metal g-shock squares that were all metal way back in the day. But, I dare say Casio has the heritage and just old enough to justify pulling off the aged look of a metal square. And, like the aged watches I'm talking about, they look pretty good and I am not personally turned off by the faux aged application.
I would agree that military units have little need for a automatic movement watch. For instance: I own a Frogman Royal Navy watch and this model has real uses and is no delicate auto movt. watch (not saying the Pelagos would break under normal hard use) although, the Frogman will likely never care what you do short of having a demolition going off on top of it. The likely use of this by the French navy divers as a real dive watch is curious. Considering the price for one of these vs. a Casio Frogman which is a real backup computer for divers would make little sense.
It does not requre battery. It would work even in case of EMP caused by nuclear explosion. So yeah, GPS and stuff is nice and cool until your batteries run out.
A would be very surprised if a mechanic watch is able to survive EMP still working well with the amount of things inside it capable of working as coils.
On Land the military is using jammers to destroy electronically signals including GPS that could ignite bomb traps while EODs are working on it. Maybe they have similar needs at the Marine?
In the US military you supply your own watch. There's 2 ways you normally see it go, the $9 gas station special from the PX, and a Luminox, or Hamilton Khaki Auto for those who don't want to worry about a battery on a 18 month deployment to some 3rd world shithole.
@@Jay_812 same here. The only parts I wasn't a fan of was changing the battery, and the heat dried out the rubber strap I had so I switched it out with a nato strap.
2 года назад
I love the Watchfinder videos, but guys, please reduce the bass on the audio. Please.
I've owned and worn Rolex Subs or a SDs for 4 decades. The FXD is the first watch I have bought that wasn't. Take it for what that is worth. My FXD 22 has been my everyday watch since the moment I picked it up. Timer works perfect for baking cookies as well :) Love the watch and am looking at the carbon version now.
Absolutely outstanding video!! Loved the format with the microphones! Most of us are here to see the watches but this was spot on funny! Keep it up! 👍👍
My unbiased opinion as a reserve UDT, tactical specialist, and owner of both the FXD and Submariner, amongst other collectibles - the FXD Is indeed Better than the Submariner. Not interested to prove itself in terms of glitz nor glamour, but simply a raw and reliable no nonsense/frills watch that serves as a functional go-anywhere-do-anything companion which has everything you need and nothing you don't. The best model Tudor has made to date, yet so pure and stunning to look at. Less, is truly More.
Gents, great conversation and good genuine dialogue with snark and humor. Adding some perspective to your question for the comments; anyone who values their life, personal safety and safety of their dive partner, would always wear a mechanical watch along with a dive computer when diving. Always! The mantra has to be 2 is one and 1 is none when your life depends on your equipment. Always have a backup when your life depends on it. It’s why the new MN doesn’t have spring bars, because they are just another piece to fail. And… re: the vid title, if the military ordered it that way to meet their exact needs then it’s perfect for them and their use. But for wearing casually, on land, I don’t think it’s a better watch than a Submariner, especially because it’s NATO strap only, and as a mens jewelry piece (which is how 99% of owners will treat/use it, all those hash marks on the bezel are just not to my liking 🤢
There has been concerns raised about smart watches and fitness trackers and the potential data that can be stolen by adversaries from them they can reveal military secrets. So I having an analog watch it makes perfect sense as a way to limit some of this information loss.
When i was searching online a while ago, i have the exact the same question. What to military really wear... On quite a few forums, the answer is very simple... G-Shock... Then there's the Rolexes, and some Bremonts...
In a day when technology is amazing, it will fail you when you most need it to not fail. Mechanical - "old school" can fail, but statistically is more reliable. It's why we still carry paper maps on our fire apparatus. I like the original Pelagos more than the FXD for a couple of reasons, the biggest reason being the bezel. Otherwise, it's a nice piece from Tudor.
I beg to disagree. As someone that owns gshocks and and multiple mechanical watches I know which one I never had to take to and AD because was running too fast or too slow. The same with cars. I have an 80s BMW and Kia. Which one do you think reliably starts in the mornings?
The US coast guard still trains some of its officers on a fully rigged tall ship so being able to use and potentially fall back on old technology is still a part of the armed forces ethos. Plus it's good to have something that doesn't rely on batteries on hand in case your batteries fail which is a super common occurrence.
Not a diver here, but I see countless posts from divers on all forums saying they prefer to have a mechanical watch on their body in addition to the diving computer as a backup, because the old ways are less prone to gliches etc. So what’s funny to me is that watch guys (like me) who know nothing about diving (me) who love dive watches they don’t need (me again) not only buy dive watches (yep) but are so out of touch we actually question whether or not actual divers would even use them. They use them, folks. LOL
You know something they do small dive missions boat to boat or boat to land and for be like ghost they can use GPS watch or electronic instrument for navigation, they only use the watch and the compass The bezel it’s use for navigation and also for countdown before attack, the need to be precise and coordinate. Love the watch, for me just need a date window !!!
I wonder if Tudor has fixed the lume falling out of the bezel problem on this new Pelagos 🤔 Modern military personnel only wear mechanical watches down the pub. It’s Casio FW91’s G-Shocks and Garmin’s all day long when in active service 👍🏼 The £9.99 Casio FW91 is almost standard issue for new recruits in the British army and navy.
I absolutely love you guys, but just for reference GPS doesn't work under water. Like at all. No idea if the military use anything else but yeahhhh, no GPS.
I think it would be useful to get the viewpoint of a MN commando regarding the use of this watch in action. Regarding its use alongside a computer, multiple redundancy is generally employed when reliability is paramount... You only need to consider fly by wire aircraft design to see that. I really like the FXD. 😀
We know you want more watches…. click here: linktr.ee/watchfinder
The navigation function of this watch is still relevant today. Im a divemaster and have a specialty in underwater navigation. Unfortunately, GPS still does not work underwater, no matter how deep/shallow you are. The signal does not travel through water. Garmin is planning to release a device that floats on the surface. Your Garmin dive watch will then communicate your location to the surface transmitter via sonar (as I understand it). I can imagine that this technology is already available to military units around the world. However, in covert underwater operations, I can see the benefit of not dragging a floating bouy above the dive team. We still teach underwater navigation with two divers, one timing and the other keeping heading and pace. All that to say, this is still a relevant watch/function today. Not a requirement but definitely a useful tool. Thanks for the great video!!
I'd like to address this from a recreational scuba diver's perspective:
1) A little about me; I am a multi-certified diver with hundreds and hundreds of dives. This includes night dive, search and rescue and underwater navigation certifications.
2) I always dive with an analog watch (not always mechanical). I am not alone in this. Computers have batteries that always fail on a dive. I dive with two computers, one on my wrist, one in my BCD pocket PLUS a watch. I have on 2 dives been very grateful to have a watch as on those two dives BOTH computers failed.
3) GPS does not work under water, you navigate under water with a compass and watch.
There is deffinately a lot of marketing happening here, but it is not a "dive watch" it is a diver's watch.
I hope this is helpful info from an avid scuba diver, watch enthusiast and Pelagos LHD ownwer/diver.
What watches do you use?
Same, been diving since 90 with thousands of dives. I’ve never been without a watch once.
All the divers in our Search and Rescue Sqn (442 Sqn RCAF) on Vancouver Island use Tudor watches. Rugged, reasonably cheap and reliable.
No GPS underwater was exactly what I thought when the gentleman mentioned it. Thanks for confirming it. Divers are careful people; having multiple backups is the standard
@@1am1der I dive, usually, with a Citizen Promaster Depth Gauge, I have 4 different ones that I have used over the years, two are retired. That said I test all of my watches on at least one or two dives below 90 feet for 5 minutes. I just wanna see if they fail. They usually don't. I have had one fail but it was after a recent service (by me) so not the watches fault. I currently own 3 Tudor watches but only one diver, the Pelagos LHD. It is my most expensive dive watch and is an awesome underwater tool.
I know it's been said a thousand times, but this new format is great. The generous dose of sarcasm and humor is hilarious. It's all hugely entertaining. Well done.
Not really, it’s twice as long and half as informative.
@@conduit242 I agree 100% I much prefer the old format with the easy to understand information and no banter. I truly do not care to have banter in a watch review video I want information and great visuals.
This is spot on. Before was special, uniquely infomative, also visually. This is nothing of the above anymore. It is almost Theo-and-Harris-y, which is not a good thing..... At all.
Let me clarify. I don't want talking hands going anywhere either, as it's obviously the more informative. As I understood it, this was being recorded in addition to the former. You like hands better, watch hands and pass on these. I definitely still think there's room for a talk that doesn't take itself so seriously though.
@@carstendettmar7210 agreed, I just can’t with those two (T&H), just can’t, got to swipe away or x out the screen.
I was an 18A Special Forces, and I usually wore a Sinn diver and a G-Shock.
We still wear these type watches because they can’t be EMP’d, don’t need batteries, no electronic signature, etc.
You’ll still use a dive computer, but you’ll always have a durable analogue instrument.
Part of it is just tradition and personal taste, and when everyone in the military is wearing GShock/Suunto, it’s a way to show your style, or you’re an officer, part of a special unit.
lol such a poor country giving you a chinese plastic watxch
@@ivangamer8022 It’s made in Japan.
They don’t give it to you, units are allotted money for such things, some people get a G-Shock or Seiko, some get a Doxa, Sinn, Omega, Rolex, IWC, Otis, etc.
Every G-Shock I own(d) has been made in Japan, my Garmins are made in US, Suunto Traverse made in Finland, everything else was German or Swiss.
SOF gets whatever SOF wants.
As someone who is in the military and has experience with special forces units, a large reason that a country would prefer to use this watch over a modern watch is because it simply doesn't have any technology. When a unit is operating behind enemy lines and in the dark (in a rural region, attacking an enemy compound for example), the more technology you bring, the more likely you are to get caught. Especially if you are operating in an area without technology, the enemy can use sensors to identify electromagnetic waves travelling through the air, alerting them of your presence. For this reason, it may be beneficial to leave the high tech stuff behind in favor of lower profile equipment. However, this still doesn't justify spending this much money on a watch for each soldier in the French special forces, though I doubt they are too concerned about the price tag when it costs a few hundred thousand dollars to equip and deploy each soldier in a special forces unit.
I’m fairly certain they got wholesale pricing on a large batch of them, along with a service agreement
The biggest reason I see it being viable is to have a nondigital version available that would be harder to detect or usable in the event the digital format fails. Military always has paper maps as back up in the event of technology failing.
True, the French military is still keeping it's ability to work with "obsolete" technologies such as paper maps and magnetic compass because of a limited confidence in high-end technologies.
I agree with technology issue in general - but really? Let's compare the possible failure rate of a $500 GShock to the possible failure rate of a $5000 mechanical movement dive watch under severe military conditions. Hmm, I wonder which one would possibly fail first? See my point? The old adage of technology failing I don't really feel applies to a GShock - in my experience with owning multiples of each over the years.
@@bozartg You are certainly right, there is also very probably a commercial reason here. ;)
Maybe the rusticity of a tight crown is better appreciated than the risk of pushing a button by mistake.
Maybe the simplicity and rapidness of rotating a bezel is preferred to a longer time taken to push buttons several times.
We can't completely know the reasons, only try to guess.
"Sarge, is this a real mission or can I wear the tudor?" Lol.
As an owner of 3 Tudors I actually prefer my Tudors over the Rolex equivalents. The Pelagos is a very unique piece and pound for pound is very hard to beat. And to all the Rolex fan boys out there be reminded that the shield protects the crown.
I agree. I love Rolex and owned 3, but the Pelagos is by far the better option for me. It's also nice not seeing my Pleagos on the wrist of every middle aged man at the Delta Club.
@@John_John121 Lol.
“…The shield protects the crown.” Made me proud as a Tudor owner. 😝
If this was the first model pelagos I would probably love it, but I’ve already fallen in love with the “original” models and this model (as mentioned) takes away a lot of the superpowers which made me fall in love with of the original
Absolutely i love my original blue.
Owner of the OG Black. But I also want the FXD. I am just a big Pelagos fan and little by little - Tudor fan.
I love these discussions. Terrific format! Right, now to answer the BIG question at hand. "Do the MN actually wear the Pelagos FXD", my mole who will remain nameless underground making a mess of my lawn tells me the answer is a resounding YES. The MN actually do wear these watches, Dave (not his real name of course) had his on his wrist when he went down the pub last Saturday. Albert (again not his real name) goes a little further telling the mole that he wears his on a daily basis actually in the water.... when doing the washing up. So there we have it. The MN do in fact wear the FXD Pelagos for mission critical activities. Obvious really, Dave would have been late to the pub and Albert would have been beaten up by his lovely girlfriend Olive (not her real name) for not getting the washing up done on time..
Lol
And I imagine the value of using this piece of equipment is as a backup to tech. By the same token this is why they still teach land navigation using terrain map reading and navigation using a compass (very old technology) and a watch.
I’ve owned a Pelagos Blue dial and bezel for a while now and love it it only loses 1 second a day, which is remarkable. It keeps better time than any other watch I have, including my Rolexes, Date Just and Explorer ll, or my IWC Portugieser.
The majority of the military in the UK buy their own watches. The £7 Argos Casio being the chosen watch by almost every new recruit for the last 20 years (sometimes even specifically on the kit list).
Once they are past basic training then many will go on to buy a Garmin, suunto or other ‘smart watch’ with GPS capability etc.
The issue with those is that they require power and charging which isn’t always possible. Further to that. If your watch has GPS then that’s a signal that can be tracked by your adversaries.
Sometimes the most simple, mechanical watch is what you need. It’s stealthy and it doesn’t lose power after a day.
To that end, the British military wouldn’t issue something like this anymore given the price.
Bremonts are often ‘private purchase’ items that are available to members of military units through the unit directly, some of which are not available to general members of the public.
Are you sure about your point that GPS watches make you track able by adversaries? As I understand it, the transmitter is on the atomic clock system of the orbiting GPS satellites and the watch (or other GPS unit) is a receiver which calculates your position from the incoming time and co-ordinate system signal of three (or more) GPS satellite signals. I might be wrong as I was only involved with the early days of GPS using it for desert and offshore positioning.
@@agw100100 you’re right re the atomic clock on many variations. However; phones, GPS watches, small GPS units (wrist versions), and everything digital with more technology than a Gshock or Foretrex is usually banned from use or wear inside of rooms where discussions concerning mission planning happen. Yes, we still wear and use certain items (I’ve been issued 2 Garmins, 2 Casios, 1 other wrist band GPS, & a Suunto), but most of it has to be locked away with phones during briefings. I still wear a few different autos when I’m not in the field or on range, but most of my watch duties are handled by something far more modern.
@Jay M none, lol. Turns out knowing your land beats advanced electronics every time.
@@brandonchism6960 fair point in regards to Afghanistan but they are unfortunately not our only adversaries
@@darrellreid9915 Agreed, 100%. But I figured Jay M was trying to make the point that all those fancy electronics didn’t help us as much as we’d hope in Afghanistan. I have to agree at least to some extent based on a number of outcomes in that particular country. Regardless, I’ll still have my Garmin on my wrist, my other GPS on my plate carrier, and whatever other wiz bang tech that makes sense for the next time I find myself in a conflict somewhere not familiar to me.
My understanding is that the FXD's would be used for military divers 'in training', divers using analogue watches to master old school knowledge/skills of submerged navigation. It teaches principles. Like learning how a basic analogue compass works is important before you just push computer buttons on the new version. At least thats what I figured.
No way in hell. Tudor just paid money to have its watches worn by the military for a couple of days and that's it.
@@Sandouras dude chill. lol
@@Sandouras Yes it's an obvious and blatant marketing act. But I can't argue the fact that the watch looks stunning, I want one more than the BB58..
@@cakraparindra4659 Oh i like it just as much. I will however wait for Tudor to release it with a bracelet, so that i have more freedom. The fixed lugs are too limiting.
Do remember that for example the UK military issued Rolex and Omega divers before CWC replaced them in the early 80s. In fact the current issue CWC divers still have the Omega style dials.
They dont swim just below the surface because they would be silhouetted. GPS doesnt penetrate underwater. No landmarks so a compass and stopwatch is the only way, which is the backup navigation method for submarines when underwater to complement the inertial navigation system which divers obviously dont have.
Navy Seals in Vietnam were issued Tudor Pelagos. I saw in an interview of a Seal veteran that if their watch was damaged or lost, they’d be issued a 2nd one but if it happens again the 3rd one they had pay for them and it would be deducted from their paycheck.
The GPS signal doesn't penetrate the water, even at the shallow depths they are diving.
Since I’m not a diver, i can only speak from the aviation navigation perspective. Modern aircrafts have multiple navigation systems: couple of GPS systems, two IRS (Inertial Reference Systems) etc, but they still all have a traditional, mechanical compass on them. Of course it’s only to be used when all the other systems fail, but I would think the same reasoning would be behind equipping a diver with traditional means (and skills) of navigation. To provide a backup system.
after having done my Rescue-Diver course, I found out the bezel is way faster for setting countdown times, which you do have to use when navigatin underwater (together with your compass), to A; save time, and B; be quick enough to be more exact (and not have currents move you from your position), because using a dive computer (if you even have one with timer function) or a digital watch to set a timer is way too tedious, having to push multiple buttons to reset/restart or even adjust the countdown timespan...
with this watch you set it within 1-2seconds and on you go.
A lot of people are hating on this watch, but I love it. I like the fixed bar. I love military watches that are designed for actual military people. I lost a nice watch when I was in the Army when the spring bar failed.
Then Go buy a Marathon 🤷🏻♂️
@@jhatgotagat300 I have a Marathon. Great watch.
@@charles_the_elder get ur self a g shock de 5600. And you have all the mill specs you can get 🤷🏻♂️
Buy a CWC G10 or diver. Both Ministry of defence specification.
The Pelagos seems to be the modern day rightful heir to what the Rolex Submariner used to be.
Perhaps one reason could be a, “defence in depth”, philosophy. If the digital technology fails (an EMP attack as an example) a magnetically shielded, mechanical watch would allow them to maintain a higher level of operational capability than they would otherwise have. It’s a stretch, but I imagine that’s the sort of thing militaries think about…
Frankly quite disappointed with the snarky tone and comments: as other people said obviously under water gps navigation is impossible, analog is more unlikely to fail, the point is also for these guys to share a cool nice watch…
I come to this channel because of well prepared, informative videos. Here it was 15min of "hon hon hon, they are stupid to make us think military divers would use this instead of a gps watch…."
GPSs don't receive a signal underwater! There's a reason why all military dive teams use a compass, timing and measuring distance by fin-kick counts for navigation!
I bought my son a BB 58 because it’s a good watch. I own Rolex, and these days the price isn’t great for the value. Tudor has stepped out form Rolexes shadow and are now a real competitor in their own price point.
BTW, it costs an estimated average of 1.5 million dollars to train a special forces operator. $4k for a watch is a drop in the bucket.
I agree realistically they probably use dive computers or G Shocks for missions, at least that's what my friends in the military use, but they are not special forces.
However, i think the FXD is issued to all the members, one as momento for being in the special forces and to wear when in formal uniform and likely they chose Tudor because of the history. The FXD can also be a functional piece of backup equipment if one chooses to wear it, because some missions lasts days, weeks or even months and dive computers depending on the model will likely need to be recharged (and you're screwed if you can't) so you will need a backup. Gshocks at night you can't see, unless you use the backlight function which can be too bright and annoying, flashing everytime you need to check and because of the contrast of the bright flash, at pitch black night it can give away your position. Lume is more consistent and not as bright, you just need enough light to make out the markings, also most special forces wear a cover over the face incase the crystal reflects light, so when they peak to check it won't look like a sudden flash.
These are some reasons, but best have someone actually from the French MN special forces to verify.
This new pelagos was all i ever wanted... Untill I saw the fixed lugs and no bracelet 😭
I don’t think anyone wanted a nav bezel….
One of the best Bracelets, just gone , so sad!
The Pelagos bracelet with it‘s clever self adjusting mechanism is such a great idea, so sad it didn’t make it to other watches.
Instead they just killed it all together…
@@jhatgotagat300 it's not like a navigation bezel can't be used in the exact same way as any other bezel 😂
@@jhatgotagat300 kidding? 🤦🏻♂️
It’s a cooperation with the French Marine to equip their marine soldiers with this toolwatch, and by the way: he Pelagos is a real diver.
So where’s the sense in your opinion? 🤦🏻♂️
@@HRM.H you mad🤣
well, the reason why they still use "old" tech is simply because using a gps doing a deep enemy territory infiltration the gps can give radio frequency signal, that can be use to detect them in hostile territory, for that reason you don't see military using cellphones on the battlefield...
As far as I know most military GPS are receivers.
But even without a GPS, as much as I love my Black Bay, I cannot see why it would be more usefull than a Gshock.
@@Damasiofa still even has receivers they do emite radio signals...
Rarely, in civilian diving do you see guys wearing g a watch . When you do , you can be assured that they're probably military trained divers . Although dive computers are prevalent, all military divers , world wide are trained to use redundant systems, ergo a dive watch for military divers . There are a myriad of mission requirements that would mandate a watch for sub-surface operations in military applications. Just sayin'.
the Analog mechanical watch will be used as a fail-safe, in case your electronics go belly up
regarding fauxtina: I don't always see it as false aging. A cream colour lume can be a design choice. (especially if it's not made to look old, but just a different colour. Like orange lume)
Mechanical watches certainly aren't necessary anymore, but the quick to use bi-directional countdown bezel certainly adds a "nice to have" additional feature next to a dive computer.
Underwater gps navigation doesn't work that well. Most GPS equiped nav computers don't work that deep and require resurfacing for repositioning.
They probably also create a detectable signal which probably isn't very "covert". Resurfacing probably isn't very covert either.
Woudn't a mechnical be safe from an emp blast, where a battery watch could fail?
GPS on a dive computer, can tell you the entry and exit coordinates, however GPS does not work underwater! A watch and compass is used for underwater navigation. - I expect the main reason for analog mechanical watch issue to special ops units is the need to go silent, when operating behind enemy lines, as well as a redundancy and failsafe option for these type of operations.
Love the discussion, and I'm going to chime in here:
1. IF I'm going to have an issued watch, it'll be an Elliot Brown, it's 1/10 of the Tudor price and likely can be run over by the proverbial tank
2. IF I'm going to be hanging out under the soggy stuff, I'm going to have a primary computer, a backup computer AND a watch, and it's going to have a ONE way bezel, not a bloody bi-directional....
3. IF I had to have an issued Tudor Pelagos it would be the old one, can't stand that this now looks like a blue 58, it's lost the plot
4. Even IF I'm in training, and in the swimming pool I'm going to be wearing the exact same gear I'd be in theatre with.....
5. I'm NOT going to be using a commercial GPS watch, I really do NOT want anyone knowing where I'm at.....
Again, I'd go knock on the door of EB down in Poole and ask them for one of their NATO issued ones, not a pretend Tudor
(and this comes from someone whom has both....)
The bezel is to aid navigation as the divers don't need the regular one as they don't dive deep making tracking dive time for decompression stops irrelevant.
Jesus guys...it's not the primary, it's the back up. This watch is the iron sights on a rifle because the laser ones might fail. It's the sidearm on your hip incase you get a jam in your primary carbine. As for utility, The same thing happened with military vehicles like the Hummer and military rifles like the AR-15 or any other piece of kit. Military uses it, civilians see it and like it, make a civilian version, and the military keeps using the same item. Mechanical watches are still being used around the world. They're reliable, don't require batteries and can be used for trade or bargain during an E&E.
I don’t know why you haven’t seen the reverse bezel before. It’s incredibly useful, and I’ve looked for this on watches because countdown is just so useful, especially when diving. Except I’d use a dive computer…
Please never stop making your own thing, this is a new twist and love it!!!
I wouldn’t say the Pelagos FXD is ‘better’ than a Submariner. It’s certainly brilliant in its own right. I sold my Pelagos LHD when l got the call from my AD to pick up my Submariner 124060 after a 5 month wait (yes you can still buy a Rolex at an AD for retail) But after that I still missed the LHD. Then a few weeks later, l heard about the new Tudor MN might be released so l mentioned to my AD to keep my name in mind and a few days later, l got the call to pick up the FXD. Double win 😅
Is a jewelry - no it is not better.
As a practical tool, especially without the danger of failing lugs - FXD trumps the Submariner any day.
You are misunderstanding it seems what each of the watches represent. Now it is true with the FXD you won't get the "special recognition" like when you ware Sub, but believe it or not - there are fans of these type of watches Tudor make. Once upon a time - Rolex made them too.
Good evening Andrew ..as you know i own the FXD and love it .. the MN have access to them but it is slightly different . it only has 2 lines of text . Jon
It's just a mechanical, redundant backup tool. Even with a lot of recreational divers, they will wear a dive computer on one wrist and a G-shock or something on the other wrist. But some like a purely mechanical backup and I think the military requires it.
I'm by far no expert but if you used a GPS type watch, doesn't that mean that you are signalling your exact whereabouts? For the military that couldn't be good.
What i gravitate towards are brands that dare to do something different rather than just throw out their best sellers with new colours. And this is one of those. Like they re-designed Pelagos to a more functional tool rather than a beastly wrist presence like the original Pelagos.
“Mil-spec” is just a bunch of specifications a bureaucrat drew up for military procurement contracts:
Water resistant to x
Magnetic resistant to y
Case made of certain materials
Lumed
Etc.
That’s why the Hamilton Khaki Field (essentially a 1960’s milspec watch with an updated mechanical movement) and the Marathon Quartz GP are both 30m water resistant.
To conform to milspec.
I dont thing the Pelagos FXD is as useless as they make out personally. If there was a complication with equipment such as malfunction or even an attack with an Electro-Magnetic Pulse, surley having a watch as a back up would be highly useful. I mean a Speedmaster got Neil Armstrong home after complications.
Wrong Apollo mission dude
I own a FXD and a 5 and 6 digit submariner and others
Out of all of my collection I’m only wearing the FXD because I’m wearing a wrist brace and it fits over it and still stays safe.
I *love* the FXD, but to say it’s better than the sub patently untrue. In pretty much every front other than amount of lume really, in all other respects the submariner is superior
GPS doesn't really work underwater. Submarines use a system called POSYDON which uses GPS with an internal acceleromotor (and lots of computery words) to function but divers can't exactly carry this. Watches still function in this regard. The only really question is why not quartz? For this I think batteried can add complications ti medical procedures if shot at. I know G-Shocks will probably survive bullets, but it's something I can imagine a French officer pitching.
Upon hearing that this Pelagos was worn by the Marine Noationale, my initial reaction was "who?"
Nothing like advertising your ignorance to a wider audience.
@@robertjohnson9971 my ignorance gives me room to grow and improve, maybe someday I'll become an ascended, enlightened fountain of all knowledge like yourself
I´m not MN either but i do dive a lot and i think at the end of the day i wear my diving watch just for fun and to actually use the timing bezel from time to time for what´s intended to be and not just the clicky click, like for real i wouldnt rely on my eyesight and bezel alingment skills my oxigen time, thats why you always carry your diving computer anyway. I mean its more of something you would wear for what it represents than for what you´d use it for. Basically you can take this line of thought to any "sports" watch, tell me would any of you guys go sailing with a white gold rolex?
They’ll use them as a backup/ you have to train analog Incase the digital thing won’t work.
If you were to spend some time in military, you would be surprised how rustic the equipment has to be, because it needs to operate far from any energy source or repair facility. For the same reason GIGN uses Manurhin guns still today. Reliable above technology.
Actually, most of them carry both a MR73 (for its precision and .357 stopping power) and a high capacity 9mm pistol (Glock, SIG) for additional firepower.
I respect Tudor and I like Rolex but I just can’t deal with the stigma a Rolex comes with - If you don’t want a dive watch that lives in the shadow of another watch then just buy a mid / high end Seiko - they truly are excellent and have real heritage - beautifully made nowadays too - then you can go on holiday with the money saved over a Submariner and still have a great watch
Seiko divers forever baby!
i'm going to sound critical here, but this should be taken as a correction, no anger or malice involved.
GPS doesn't work underwater. Like any other RF device, like two way radios, RF energy doesn't pass through water. so using it undewater to navigate is a non-starter.
Also, most militaries these days are using somethng like Casio G-Shocks. Lume is not an issue, as the ones they use are backlit, and completely off when not being used, unlike lume. They are also far more rugged, and if they get smashed up, you have lost a $100 Casio, not a $3000-4000 Tudor.
Do a comparison on Seamasters since the Pierce Brosnan era abiut which ones will the most collectible
Tom is a man of subtle nuance and yet a virtual laundry list of qualities he demands in a watch. 1) Blue.
It was not a classified lake. It was a classified shopping trolley.
“Millionaire Special” just about killed me
There is a definite need for analog devices, especially as backups. What other's have said below are great in this regard. Here's my experience regarding analog v. electronic:
One of my several jobs aboard our destroyer was ship's photographer and I was issued a fully-mechanical SLR 35mm Canon. At the time (late '80s) I had my first electronic SLR, the Minolta X-700 with autowinder (oooh, ahhh). If I was near the radar antennas my Minolta would start taking pictures by itself, thus wasting precious film. The Canon did nothing, like I was carrying a rock, because there was nothing electronic for the radar energy to futz with. When you are out at sea for 90+ days at a time -- without even seeing land mind you -- getting batteries could be an issue if one forgot to stock up. So for pictures above deck and near the super-structure I used the Canon camera but the rest of the time I used my Minolta. Also, being the '80s, I was told that if we were near a nuclear EMP strike the camera would still work, which was a real possibility for the times and with weapons we may or may not have been carrying.
Honestly for dead reckoning this would be way faster and probably more precise than a digital count down. It would be two slow to set a digital while you float and move. And with a digital everytime you push the buttons underwater you open yourselves up for failure with the water seal…. This is a legitimate tool. I’ve always found a magnetic compass to be more reliable than a digital compass in a watch… different but similar between digital and analog comparison.
Electronics can fail, and 1st world Naval divers have all the cool toys, but a mechanical watch to back up their gps is always a good idea.
Diving GPS's are very unreliable, they use an above surface ping then base the location based on acceleromotors and compass. Issue is, your GPS will not function well if you disembark from a submarine vehicle prior to your operation. It's good to have the skills to use methods that don't rely on tech.
Not Marine National, but Canadian airforce. Just my 2 cents and reason I wear a mechanical seiko, when operating in -30 to -40 conditions, most batteries on small electronics die within 30 minutes.
along the same line, we use computers for almost everything we do, but everyone must be trained and able to move completely back to pen and paper. its rare but sometimes computers just fail, its also a fan safe against any sort of cyber attack
In my opinion that watch is the most perfect watch Tudor makes. It's everything I want in a watch...no date, blue, Rolex crown, and is a legitimate throwback to the milsub. I like what Tudor is doing. I don't like what Rolex is doing.
‘I was going to say high and dry but I’ll say low, and wet, and dead.’
Fuck me sideways mate I wasn’t ready for that
Love the new format. However, in no way did you guys back up the clickbait title. How is it better?
Here’s the lines you need
Pelagos
Chronometer
200m=660ft
I just don't see the controversy over that Longines faux aged look. I like what Laco does with their specially aged Flieger watches. Looks very cool. And, like Longines, has the history and heritage to back up that particular aged style and look.
Now, there's also a metal G-Shock square which is limited edition and has aged look as well.. sorry, don't have the ref, but it was from maybe just over a year ago. True, there wasn't any metal g-shock squares that were all metal way back in the day. But, I dare say Casio has the heritage and just old enough to justify pulling off the aged look of a metal square. And, like the aged watches I'm talking about, they look pretty good and I am not personally turned off by the faux aged application.
I would agree that military units have little need for a automatic movement watch. For instance: I own a Frogman Royal Navy watch and this model has real uses and is no delicate auto movt. watch (not saying the Pelagos would break under normal hard use) although, the Frogman will likely never care what you do short of having a demolition going off on top of it. The likely use of this by the French navy divers as a real dive watch is curious. Considering the price for one of these vs. a Casio Frogman which is a real backup computer for divers would make little sense.
It does not requre battery. It would work even in case of EMP caused by nuclear explosion. So yeah, GPS and stuff is nice and cool until your batteries run out.
I was thinking emp! Good old fashioned mechanical technology👍🏼
A would be very surprised if a mechanic watch is able to survive EMP still working well with the amount of things inside it capable of working as coils.
On Land the military is using jammers to destroy electronically signals including GPS that could ignite bomb traps while EODs are working on it. Maybe they have similar needs at the Marine?
In the US military you supply your own watch. There's 2 ways you normally see it go, the $9 gas station special from the PX, and a Luminox, or Hamilton Khaki Auto for those who don't want to worry about a battery on a 18 month deployment to some 3rd world shithole.
Funny you mention that. I wore a luminox for almost 9 years while on active duty. The tritium was fantastic in low light conditions.
@@Jay_812 same here. The only parts I wasn't a fan of was changing the battery, and the heat dried out the rubber strap I had so I switched it out with a nato strap.
I love the Watchfinder videos, but guys, please reduce the bass on the audio. Please.
Well done chaps, another funny vlog. Keep ‘em coming on a weekly basis if you can. They make a great addition to your normal review videos.
I've owned and worn Rolex Subs or a SDs for 4 decades. The FXD is the first watch I have bought that wasn't. Take it for what that is worth. My FXD 22 has been my everyday watch since the moment I picked it up. Timer works perfect for baking cookies as well :) Love the watch and am looking at the carbon version now.
One of these would go well with my CWC fixed bar diver.
Absolutely outstanding video!! Loved the format with the microphones! Most of us are here to see the watches but this was spot on funny! Keep it up! 👍👍
In contrast to the somewhat slower paced high brow oration and macro shots of the original presentation format, nonetheless refreshing….
01/12/2021- Two years into the pandemic. 716.000 subs and we still don't know the face of the voice guy.
My unbiased opinion as a reserve UDT, tactical specialist, and owner of both the FXD and Submariner, amongst other collectibles - the FXD Is indeed Better than the Submariner. Not interested to prove itself in terms of glitz nor glamour, but simply a raw and reliable no nonsense/frills watch that serves as a functional go-anywhere-do-anything companion which has everything you need and nothing you don't. The best model Tudor has made to date, yet so pure and stunning to look at. Less, is truly More.
Gents, great conversation and good genuine dialogue with snark and humor. Adding some perspective to your question for the comments; anyone who values their life, personal safety and safety of their dive partner, would always wear a mechanical watch along with a dive computer when diving. Always! The mantra has to be 2 is one and 1 is none when your life depends on your equipment. Always have a backup when your life depends on it. It’s why the new MN doesn’t have spring bars, because they are just another piece to fail.
And… re: the vid title, if the military ordered it that way to meet their exact needs then it’s perfect for them and their use. But for wearing casually, on land, I don’t think it’s a better watch than a Submariner, especially because it’s NATO strap only, and as a mens jewelry piece (which is how 99% of owners will treat/use it, all those hash marks on the bezel are just not to my liking 🤢
The Military won't be spending 3k. There will be some deal or agreement at play that will be a fraction of the cost.
My guess: Back up for the dive computer. Military loves robust back up solutions
You can't use GPS or phones because they could pick up the signal and use it to track them
Love the new chill atmosphere. Great video as always!
Great video as always! Maybe it’s just a few of the top generals who receive one or something.
There has been concerns raised about smart watches and fitness trackers and the potential data that can be stolen by adversaries from them they can reveal military secrets. So I having an analog watch it makes perfect sense as a way to limit some of this information loss.
When i was searching online a while ago, i have the exact the same question. What to military really wear...
On quite a few forums, the answer is very simple...
G-Shock... Then there's the Rolexes, and some Bremonts...
In a day when technology is amazing, it will fail you when you most need it to not fail. Mechanical - "old school" can fail, but statistically is more reliable. It's why we still carry paper maps on our fire apparatus. I like the original Pelagos more than the FXD for a couple of reasons, the biggest reason being the bezel. Otherwise, it's a nice piece from Tudor.
I beg to disagree.
As someone that owns gshocks and and multiple mechanical watches I know which one I never had to take to and AD because was running too fast or too slow.
The same with cars. I have an 80s BMW and Kia. Which one do you think reliably starts in the mornings?
I believe they always recommend an analog back up to a dive computer.
Hate to break it to you. I did one enlistment in the United States Marine Corps. Just about everyone wore a G-Shock.
The US coast guard still trains some of its officers on a fully rigged tall ship so being able to use and potentially fall back on old technology is still a part of the armed forces ethos. Plus it's good to have something that doesn't rely on batteries on hand in case your batteries fail which is a super common occurrence.
Really nice new format. Attention catching, informative and entertaining at the same time. Congrats guys!
Not a diver here, but I see countless posts from divers on all forums saying they prefer to have a mechanical watch on their body in addition to the diving computer as a backup, because the old ways are less prone to gliches etc. So what’s funny to me is that watch guys (like me) who know nothing about diving (me) who love dive watches they don’t need (me again) not only buy dive watches (yep) but are so out of touch we actually question whether or not actual divers would even use them. They use them, folks. LOL
You know something they do small dive missions boat to boat or boat to land and for be like ghost they can use GPS watch or electronic instrument for navigation, they only use the watch and the compass
The bezel it’s use for navigation and also for countdown before attack, the need to be precise and coordinate.
Love the watch, for me just need a date window !!!
Nice format. Very handsome gents. Little thinner than anticipated, but yeah 8 for looks. 😎👍🏼
Fun podcast. But it would be nice to see the faces behind too, since we are on a video platform
Hahahaah ya right 🤣 watch finder did a April fools joke video it was about 1 min long the title was something to the effect of “face reveal”
I wonder if Tudor has fixed the lume falling out of the bezel problem on this new Pelagos 🤔 Modern military personnel only wear mechanical watches down the pub. It’s Casio FW91’s G-Shocks and Garmin’s all day long when in active service 👍🏼 The £9.99 Casio FW91 is almost standard issue for new recruits in the British army and navy.
Maybe you talk for the U.S. I’ve seen mechanical watches a lot in European army’s, yema, omega, tissot, mido, seiko, a looooooot of breitlings.
Could you one day talk about the spirit range from longines? And the spirit titanium? Many ways a bit of a bb58 from longines
I absolutely love you guys, but just for reference GPS doesn't work under water. Like at all. No idea if the military use anything else but yeahhhh, no GPS.
I think it would be useful to get the viewpoint of a MN commando regarding the use of this watch in action. Regarding its use alongside a computer, multiple redundancy is generally employed when reliability is paramount... You only need to consider fly by wire aircraft design to see that. I really like the FXD. 😀