Destro Diver

Tudor are now getting a reputation for surprising us mid-year, outside of the normal Baselworld arena. The watch world was both shocked and incredibly excited when Tudor unveiled a ‘piece unique’ for the Only Watch auction in 2015. The watch itself was actually really cool, a Black Bay Black with pencil hands and a red depth rating on the dial. It wasn’t, however, the watch that necessarily caused the excitement but rather the fact that Rolex had officially produced a unique watch (albeit through Tudor). Tudor followed this with the unexpected launch of the Black Bay Black. Yesterday they did it again with the Tudor Pelagos LHD (Left Hand Drive – an interesting amalgam of ultra modern tool watch mixed with some key aspects from Tudor’s rich heritage.

Team Bulang was represented when Tudor unveiled the new Pelagos LHD at a great Amsterdam location. Bernhard loved the not so typical ‘luxury watch brand’ surrounding – but then that’s what we love about Tudor!

The Daddy of Divers

The Pelagos has become a very successful member of the Tudor line and is available in both black and blue. We have discussed both watches in some detail in the past and have enjoyed owning and wearing both variations. It is a modern dive watch with professional capabilities due to its highly legible snowflake dial and hands configuration and the deployment of the Rolex pioneered Gas Escape Valve.

The most noticeable aspect of the Left Hand Drive (LHD) is the fact that the winding crown is on the opposite side of the case; a layout known as ‘destro’ by collectors. This is useful for those who wear the watch on their right wrist (as many commercial divers seem to do) and is also a comfort aid for ‘regular wristed’ wearers too. The inspiration for this comes from a small batch of pieces delivered in this configuration to the French National Navy, the so-called MN.

Red (and Black)

Red accents on dials is a big deal in the vintage Rolex and Tudor dive watch world and it has been celebrated recently in modern Tudors too in the aforementioned Only Watch Black Bay and also the BB Dark. The red returns royally on the LHD, but instead of the depth rating it is the PELAGOS text that is rouged. Another cool vintage-esque aspect is the roulette date wheel, first seen in Tudor dive watches in reference 7021 (although the Oysterdates of the 1950s also had roulette dates). I have to say here that I really love date windows without a cyclops bubble on the crystal and this has always been a great point personally on the Pelagos line.

Live Feeling

Bernhard really loved the watch in the flesh. “Where the standard black Pelagos has a very modern and technical feel on the wrist and the Pelagos Blue is striking, the LHD is warmer. The red text and ‘macchiato’ lume colour enhances the almost tobacco tones of the dial. The whole thing is warm and has that vintage vibe that I love”.

100% Bullishot approved!

Unique Numbers

Each Pelagos LHD has a unique number on the caseback. Whilst there is no real guidance on exactly how many will be produced, it’s a nice touch that you will be wearing a uniquely numbered Tudor on your wrist. This could really only ever be experienced when wearing a Tudor MilSub from Argentina or South Africa and so I am delighted by this touch on the LHD. Now wait for the clamor for certain numbers…007 anybody?!?