Despite recently unveiling a handful of new models at Watches & Wonders Geneva, Tudor has just announced another new watch joining its catalog for 2024. While the Pelagos began its life as a titanium dive watch, the collection has slowly expanded in more recent years, and the new Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” represents the most significant departure from the original concept the brand has created so far.
Rather than being built for saturation diving, underwater navigation or boat racing like previous versions of the Pelago, the new FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” was created for members of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team, and features a stainless steel case. carbon with a fixed bezel and a dial that includes a spiral tachymeter scale specifically calibrated for cycling speeds.
The new Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” (ref. M25827KN-0001) is the second version of the FXD Chrono that the brand has offered, and both models have been racing-themed offerings. Last year, Tudor released a duo of Pelagos FXD watches with the Red Bull Alinghi racing team; However, the new Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” isn't just a different colorway of the race-inspired model we originally saw a year ago. Both watches feature carbon composite cases with titanium used for their screw-down crowns and pushers, although unlike the Red Bull Alinghi version, which was fitted with a rotating countdown bezel, the new “Cycling Edition ” offers a slimmer profile with a fixed bezel that is graduated to 60 units.
In addition to the different bezel style, the new Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” also offers slightly different dimensions compared to its Red Bull Alinghi siblings. While it maintains the same 43mm diameter with a flat sapphire crystal protecting the dial and 22mm fixed bars between the lugs, its case offers a slimmer overall profile with a height of 13,2mm. Additionally, because the Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” is designed for competitive cycling rather than boat racing, it offers a lower depth rating than the Red Bull Alinghi version, with 100 meters of water resistance fairly standard. To complement its largely black and red (the colors of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team) appearance, the various titanium components have been given a matte black finish and mounted across the fixed lugs is a 22mm one-piece strap made from woven technical fabric Black jacquard which is complemented by a black agrovo style buckle.
The dial fitted to the Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” also represents a departure from what can be found on other models in the collection, and features a large angled chapter ring with a spiral tachymeter scale that has been specifically reworked to match the speed of bicycles (rather than cars). To accommodate the increased size of the tachymeter chapter ring, the indices are positioned slightly closer to the center of the dial than on the Red Bull Alinghi version, although they are still made from the same luminous ceramic composite material and applied directly to the dial surface. Beyond the slightly revised proportions and tachymeter chapter ring, the rest of the dial is very similar to its sibling the Pelagos FXD Chrono, with a set of “snowflake” hands, a running seconds register at 9 o'clock , a 45-minute totalizer at the 3 o'clock position and a date window at the 6 o'clock position.
Powering the new Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” is the Caliber MT5813 automatic chronograph movement, which is based on the core architecture of the Breitling Caliber 01 and can also be found within models like the original Red Bull Alinghi version of the Pelagos FXD Chrono and the brand's various Black Bay Chrono watches. Operating at a frequency of 28.800 vph (4 Hz) with a power reserve of approximately 70 hours, the 41-jewel Tudor Cal. The MT5813 movement features a silicone balance spring with a one-piece tungsten rotor and as it is based on Breitling's Cal. 01 design, also works with a column wheel and a vertical clutch. In addition to being an officially certified COSC chronometer (guaranteeing an accuracy rating of -4/+6 seconds per day), Tudor goes a step further and tests its watches fully assembled, holding them to even more rigorous timekeeping standards than - 2/+4 seconds per day.
Despite being created for members of the Tudor Pro Cycling Team and even appearing in the squadron's colours, there doesn't appear to be any additional logos or branding on the new Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” (although we have yet to see its caseback). Furthermore, as Tudor's logo and corporate colors inform those of its cycling team, this version doesn't seem to have nearly all that in character for the brand, despite its rather unusual cycling-themed chronograph concept. While tachymeter scales are most frequently calibrated to the speeds associated with cars or airplanes, the fundamental function of a tachymeter can be applied to a wide assortment of different uses, and it's especially pleasing to see Tudor recalibrate the tachymeter to create a purpose-built sports watch which is designed for competitive cycling.
A key part of Tudor's history is the creation of purpose-built tool watches, and while a watch designed for competitive cycling isn't necessarily the most obvious concept, nor is it a watch built for saturation diving. While the Pelagos began as Tudor's contemporary take on an ultra-capable diver, the collection has finally grown into a surprisingly diverse line with the common trend being modern materials and purpose-built functionality.