Review: Tudor’s Pelagos Ultra Diver Is Unapologetic In All The Right Ways

When Tudor first launched the Pelagos in 2012 alongside the now-iconic Black Bay range, it was clear the brand was carving out two distinct paths forward. The Black Bay would become Tudor’s love letter to vintage dive watch aesthetics, while the Pelagos represented something else entirely — a no-nonsense, modern tool watch built for serious diving capability.

Over the past thirteen years, the Pelagos has quietly evolved into one of the most respected dive watch collections in the industry. We’ve seen the original 42mm model transition from ETA to in-house movements, the fixed-lug FXD models developed for the French Navy’s combat swimmers, and welcomed the surprisingly wearable 39mm version that brought the collection to smaller wrists.

But at Watches and Wonders 2025, Tudor did something unexpected. Instead of updating the original Pelagos 42mm — the model many of us have been quietly hoping would get a refresh — they introduced an entirely new reference: the Pelagos Ultra. With 1,000m of water resistance, Tudor’s first METAS-certified Pelagos movement, an all-titanium construction, and design tweaks throughout, the Ultra represents Tudor’s answer to a question the watch world has been asking: What does a flagship professional dive watch look like from Rolex’s sister brand?

And before we get into the details, it’s worth noting that while we were able to get out in the water with the watch during some morning surf sessions, we weren’t able to do any actual diving. Although we imagine most people who purchase the Tudor Pelagos Ultra will be in the same boat — no pun intended.

Alright, let’s cut straight to it — we loved the Pelagos Ultra from the moment we saw it at Watches and Wonders. As self-proclaimed dive watch enthusiasts who prioritize utility and purpose-built design above all else, this watch hits every note we care about (even if it’s overkill for our daily tasks). 

While some in the community scratched their heads asking “why not just update the 42mm?” or “what’s the point of only adding 1mm?”, we immediately understood what Tudor was going for here.

This feels like Tudor’s Sea-Dweller moment. Much like Rolex positioned the original 1967 Sea-Dweller as a higher-spec Submariner without making it unwearable, the Ultra takes the Pelagos formula and amplifies everything that makes it great – more water resistance, better movement certification, enhanced legibility, refined ergonomics — all while maintaining the same fundamental wearability.

What struck us immediately is how the watch looks much more substantial without actually feeling heavier. At just 117g on the bracelet, the titanium Ultra actually weighs less than many steel dive watches half its size. 

The teal “PELAGOS” text on the dial? We’re here for it. It’s the only splash of color on an otherwise monochrome tool watch, and it gives the Ultra just enough personality to distinguish itself without compromising its utilitarian character. Some might call it unnecessary, but we think it’s a subtle nod to the watch’s deep-water capability without being heavy-handed about it.

And let’s address the comparisons head-on because they’re inevitable. The Omega Seamaster 300M sits at a similar price point. The Rolex Sea-Dweller 43mm costs nearly double. And the original Pelagos 42mm is about $800 cheaper. But after wearing the Ultra, the value proposition becomes crystal clear. This is a legitimate professional dive instrument at a price that won’t make you afraid to actually use it.

Moving onto the case, the dimensions only tell part of the story: 43mm wide, 14.5mm thick, with a 52mm lug-to-lug measurement. On paper, these numbers might seem intimidating. In practice, the Ultra wears surprisingly well, even on our wearer’s 6.75-inch wrist shown here for reference.

Tudor has constructed the case from Grade 2 titanium for the main case, bezel, and crown, while using the harder Grade 5 titanium for the caseback. Why the mix? Grade 2 is easier to machine and lighter, while Grade 5 offers superior scratch resistance where the watch meets your skin and surfaces.

The finishing is relentlessly matte. Every surface has been treated with a tight satin brushing that gives the titanium a darker, more tactical appearance than polished or bead-blasted titanium. There are subtle bevels on the lugs — the only concession to visual interest on an otherwise utilitarian case – but this watch makes no apologies for being a tool.

Tudor has upgraded the crown and bezel knurling for the Ultra, with deeper, more aggressive serrations that provide excellent grip even with wet or gloved hands. The screw-down crown sits at 3 o’clock with pointed crown guards that curve to follow the bezel’s profile. At 9 o’clock, you’ll find the helium escape valve, necessary for saturation diving even though approximately zero owners will ever need it. But that’s not the point – it’s there because this is a watch built to spec.

The unidirectional bezel features a matte ceramic insert with a fully luminous 60-minute scale. Unlike glossy ceramic bezels that can catch light, this matte surface maintains the watch’s stealthy profile. The bezel action is excellent and really satisfying to use — 60 crisp clicks with just the right amount of resistance.

A domed sapphire crystal sits above the dial. The doming isn’t dramatic, but it serves a purpose beyond aesthetics — curved crystals handle pressure more effectively than flat ones, contributing to that 1000-meter depth rating without requiring an absurdly thick crystal. Flip the watch over and you’ll find a solid Grade 5 titanium screwdown caseback to round things out.

Underneath that domed sapphire is where the Ultra diverges most significantly from the original Pelagos. Gone is the sloped rehaut with hour markers nestled into carved recesses — a signature design element that gave the original Pelagos incredible dial depth and three-dimensionality. In its place, the Ultra uses a slightly elevated chapter ring with minute markings, similar to what we saw on the Pelagos 39.

We have to acknowledge that this is definitely the most controversial change. The sloped rehaut gave the original Pelagos a unique character that no other dive watch could claim. Its absence here feels like a sacrifice made in service of the Ultra’s increased depth rating and thinner case proportions. Not everyone will forgive this compromise, and we certainly understand why.

What Tudor has done to compensate is upsize everything else. The monobloc hour markers are noticeably larger, the snowflake hands are beefier, and the overall legibility is exceptional. These are “maxi” dial elements in every sense, scaled for maximum readability at depth or in low light.

The lume application is where the Ultra really shines. Tudor uses Swiss Super-LumiNova in two distinct colors: BGW9 blue for the dial markers, bezel, hour hand, and seconds hand, while the minute hand glows in X1 green. This dual-color approach provides instant visual differentiation when timing dives or any other activity where you need to quickly identify which hand is which. The Ultra’s lume is noticeably brighter and more evenly applied. The entire bezel glows uniformly — no hotspots, no dead zones.

The dial text feels a bit cleaned up, especially above the 6 o’clock. Where the original Pelagos crammed five lines of text here,, the Ultra uses just three including “PELAGOS” in that distinctive teal, alongside “MASTER CHRONOMETER” and the 1000m depth rating. A white-background date window sits at 3 o’clock to finish off the affair.

Inside the Ultra beats Tudor’s Calibre MT5612-U. That “U” at the end is crucial — it indicates this movement has achieved METAS Master Chronometer certification in addition to COSC chronometer certification.

And for those unfamiliar, unlike COSC, which tests only the movement, METAS tests the entire assembled watch through eight rigorous tests over 10 days. Your watch has been tested for accuracy (0 to +5 seconds per day) after exposure to magnetic fields, water resistance verification on the complete watch, power reserve confirmation, and magnetic resistance up to 15,000 gauss — roughly three times the resistance of a standard COSC-certified chronometer. The testing simulates real-world conditions, including testing the watch at different positions and after magnetization to ensure it maintains chronometric performance. 

The movement runs at 4Hz with a silicon hairspring and offers 65 hours of power reserve. Some have noted the original Pelagos MT5612 advertises 70 hours of power reserve, questioning why Tudor “reduced” it by five hours.

As with most things, the answer is more nuanced than it appears. METAS certification requires Tudor to guarantee accuracy across the certified power reserve window. Watch movements are most accurate in the middle portion of their power reserve — they run fast when fully wound and slow as they wind down. By certifying 65 hours instead of 70, Tudor is saying “we guarantee the watch will be accurate for these 65 hours.” The actual mechanical runtime hasn’t changed — Tudor has just narrowed the window where they’re guaranteeing chronometer-level accuracy.

Shifting our attention to the three-link titanium bracelet — this thing really deserves its own dedicated section because it’s legitimately one of the best-engineered bracelets in modern watchmaking. It measures 22mm at the lugs with a gentle taper, fully brushed to match the case’s matte aesthetic.

But the real story is the clasp. It’s a marvel of over-engineering in the best possible way. The system combines three adjustment methods: First, there’s the T-Fit micro-adjustment with four positions providing 4mm of adjustment for everyday fine-tuning. Second, there’s a spring-loaded expansion system that adds 14mm of dynamic adjustment – this is specifically designed for diving, allowing the bracelet to automatically adjust as your wetsuit compresses and expands at different depths due to water pressure. Third, there’s a fold-out diver’s extension that provides up to 25mm of additional length for wearing the watch over a wetsuit in the first place.

The real party trick here though is inside the clasp itself, Tudor has added a small block of teal-colored lume attached to the adjustment mechanism. As you change the clasp settings, this luminous indicator slides along a scale showing which position you’re in. Is it necessary? Absolutely not. Is it delightful every single time you catch a glimpse of it? Absolutely yes.

The bracelet also features PEEK carbon composite internals where titanium-on-titanium contact would normally occur. Tudor includes both the bracelet and a matching rubber strap with titanium buckle and wetsuit extension in the box.

So the age-old question we always ask: Is the Tudor Pelagos Ultra worth it?

At $6,425, the Ultra occupies fascinating territory. It costs $825 more than the standard Pelagos 42mm, roughly the same as an Omega Seamaster Professional 300M, and about half the price of a Rolex Sea-Dweller 43mm.

What you’re getting for that money is a complete package. This is a legitimate 1000-meter dive watch that also looks great while doing it. But, do you need that capability? Almost certainly not. But there’s something undeniably appealing about a watch that could survive depths most humans will never see, packaged in a form factor you can actually wear every day.

The METAS certification alone would cost you considerably more at Omega. The all-titanium construction is lighter and more corrosion-resistant than steel. The bracelet is genuinely innovative. And you can actually walk into a Tudor boutique and buy this watch.

The criticisms are fair: It’s larger than many would prefer, even if it wears well. The loss of the sloped rehaut removes some of the original Pelagos’s unique character. The Grade 2 titanium will scratch more easily than Grade 5 or steel. And the positioning as an “Ultra” model rather than a Pelagos 2.0 creates some confusion about where it fits in the lineup.

But having worn it for several months of this last summer season, this watch makes sense on the wrist in a way it might not on paper. It’s a tool watch that actually wants to be used.

For Tudor collectors, this is the new flagship. For tool watch enthusiasts, this is a legitimately capable professional instrument. And for anyone who’s ever looked longingly at a Sea-Dweller but balked at the price and availability, the Pelagos Ultra offers most of the capability with none of the drama.

We genuinely love this watch. It’s chunky, uncompromising, and makes no apologies for being a purpose-built dive instrument. In an era where too many “tool watches” are really just jewelry with depth ratings, the Ultra feels refreshingly honest.

Recap

Tudor Pelagos Ultra

Tudor’s new Pelagos Ultra takes everything great about its dive watches and pushes it to the extreme, pairing 1,000m of water resistance with a full-titanium build and METAS-certified movement. It’s an overbuilt beast that still manages to look clean and wearable for everyday use.

Pros

• Excellent 1000m water resistance for true dive capability
• METAS-certified movement ensures top-tier accuracy and magnetism resistance
• Lightweight full-titanium construction enhances comfort and durability
• Exceptional bracelet with dynamic adjustment and fine-tuning options
• Clean, highly legible dial with dual-color lume for quick readability
• Balanced proportions that wear smaller than the specs suggest
• Subtle teal accents add character without breaking the tool-watch aesthetic

Cons

• Larger case size may be too bulky for smaller wrists
• Loss of the sloped rehaut removes some of the Pelagos’s signature depth
• Grade 2 titanium scratches more easily than steel or Grade 5
• Slightly higher price than the standard Pelagos 42mm
• Design overlap with the 42mm version makes its place in the lineup unclear
• Over-engineered clasp and helium valve feel unnecessary for everyday users

Learn More: Tudor