Swiss watchmaker Tudor has long held a reputation for engineering excellence. The company, which was established in 1926 by Hans Wilsdorf, the same mastermind behind Rolex, is best known for its robust, reliable tool watches crafted for extreme conditions, often in collaboration with various military forces around the world, including the French Navy and the US Army.

The Pelagos line, a range of high-performance mechanical dive watches, has cemented itself as one of the most versatile collections in the brand’s catalogue. Debuting in 2012, the range is most recognisable for its titanium construction paired with a hefty water resistance and military-grade durability thanks to its signature helium escape valve and ceramic bezel. 

With its deep-sea functionality, the Pelagos quickly gained popularity among professional divers and watch enthusiasts who valued its no-nonsense design. Over the years, Tudor has continued to expand the range, introducing models like the left-handed Pelagos LHD and the FXD, which was developed in partnership with the French Navy. Now, the all-new Pelagos FXD continues this legacy, adding a GMT complication to this beloved diver’s timepiece. 

In keeping with the needs of the Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation), the force responsible for France’s naval aviation operations, 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. 

On the dial, Zulu time can be tracked via a bright-orange hand that completes a full lap every 24 hours. Once set, the hand typically does not need resetting, allowing sailors of the French Naval Aviation to check the global aviation reference time at any moment. The angular hour hand – also known as the snowflake hand – meanwhile, indicates local time, while a third time zone can be checked using the 24-hour luminous bi-directional bezel and orange Zulu time hand. The dial itself is set to a matte black finish and features a subtle date window and large, luminescent hour markers for optimal readability in underwater or low-light environments. 

Although Tudor has long been a staple in the watch world, its history with GMT watches is relatively recent. The first modern GMT from the brand arrived in 2018 with the Black Bay GMT, blending a vintage-inspired appeal with dual time-zone tracking. The Pelagos FXD GMT takes this functionality in a more military-inspired direction, building on the first Pelagos FXD which launched in 2021.

The FXD GMT also boasts some seriously high-performance aesthetics, with a 42mm brushed-titanium case, presented on a fabric strap and fixed lugs, also sculpted from solid titanium, for an impressive 200m water resistance. Beating within the model is the in-house MT5652-U automatic movement, certified by COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres), which provides the GMT function, allowing independent adjustment of the local hour hand, as well as an impressive 65-hour power reserve. A bi-directional 24-hour bezel, meanwhile, allows for easy tracking of a second time zone with a subtle black ceramic insert, which is both scratch-resistant and highly legible in various lighting conditions. Practical and beautifully built, the FXD GMT “Zulu time” is a true tool watch with style to boot. 

£4,000; tudorwatch.com