As The Industry Trends Toward Luxury, Tudor Embraces Its Tool Watch Heritage With Watches and Wonders 2025 Releases
Last year, we compiled a list of Watches and Wonders releases for the W.O.E. community (Read Here), and we planned to do the same thing this year, but the reality is that there aren't many releases that embrace our “Use Your Tools” ethos. In 2025, whether we like it or not, the watch industry has trended toward luxury, precious metals, horologically intriguing complications, and smaller case diameters. Said differently; jewelry. However, even as much of the industry leans away from the utilitarian ethos that serves as an integral part of the culture of our community, one brand continues to carry the proverbial torch: Tudor. This is still the way.
While big brother Rolex was unveiling the Land-Dweller, an integrated bracelet “sports” watch starting at $13,900 that feels infinitely more jewel than tool, Tudor’s 2025 collection remained true to the brand’s modern ethos, producing luxurious yet utilitarian watches informed by the brand’s impressive heritage in diving and the military. To be clear, other brands are striking the balance between utility and luxury with certain models situated within broader collections. However, no brand in its price tier is as dedicated to the tool watch as Tudor in 2025.
While a horologically significant development and overall cool watch, the Rolex Land-Dweller probably isn’t going to be the next watch trend among the military elite. (Photo Credit: Rolex)
This position is no accident. Tudor’s 70-plus-year relationship with the military and adventurers, secure spot within the Rolex organization, thriving modern unit watch program, and willingness to experiment in both design and technology all contribute to making Tudor the tool watch leader of today. Perhaps the best encapsulating demonstration of this is Tudor’s collection of 2025 releases, unveiled last week at Watches and Wonders in Geneva.
Tudor’s 2025 New Releases
Tudor’s novelties weren’t what anyone expected, but they do speak to the brand’s tool watch focus. (Photo Credit: Tudor Watch)
Where IWC led with an expanded Ingenieur offering including a perpetual calendar, Rolex provided the Land-Dweller as well as a green dial for the Sprite GMT, and A. Lange & Söhne unveiled a full “Honeygold” Odysseus, Tudor continued to do what it does, leaning into more adventurous use cases with watches like the Tudor Pelagos Ultra, a 1000-meter-rated diver, a suite of new Black Bays including the new 43mm Black Bay 68, and a white (“opaline”) dial for the Black Bay Pro.
Tudor Pelagos Ultra - Because We Can
A 1000-meter dive watch isn’t a tool everyone needs, but it feels like a tool. (Photo Credit: Tudor Watch)
In our previous look at Tudors of Espionage, we argued that the standard 42mm Pelagos is the apex predator of Tudor’s collection (credit to Jason Heaton for coining the term), which makes the new Pelagos Ultra the apex predator of apex predators. No one needs 1,000 meters of water resistance. Even the deepest diving commercial saturation divers rarely approach 1,000 feet or approximately 300 meters. The Ultra is large by any standard at 43mm and contains a helium escape valve which allows expanding helium atoms to safely escape during a saturation dive’s days-long decompression process without making the watch explode. (Read more about this process HERE.)
The blue Pelagos text might not be to everyone’s taste, but we dig it. (Photo Credit: Tudor Watch)
Why make a larger, 1000-meter member of the already dense Pelagos family? Because such a tool didn’t already exist in the collection, and Tudor still values the idea of having different tools for specific jobs. Will anyone actually use the Pelagos Ultra for extreme deep-sea diving? Probably not. But the Pelagos Ultra fulfills this use case, whether real or theoretical, like no watch in Tudor’s history, and that's cool. Other features include luminescent material in two colors, a METAS-certified Master Chronometer caliber, and a grade two titanium case and bracelet with a fancy diving extension system complete with a lume plot.
While this may be a niche watch that no one asked for, we expect it to resonate with members of our community.
Black Bay 68
The larger 43mm Black Bay 68. (Photo Credit: Tudor Watch)
Another interesting release from Tudor I never would have predicted was the Black Bay 68, a larger 43mm addition to the pre-existing 37, 39, and 41mm options. Speaking generally, the Black Bay is Tudor’s modern recreation of its earliest “Big Crown” diving watches, but the range has expanded massively since its 2012 introduction to include a chronograph, multiple GMT models, and numerous colors. Why did Tudor go bigger when the entire industry seems to be going smaller? It’s possible Tudor saw a need for a Black Bay for large wrists or simply wanted people to have the option, but the more likely answer is: because Tudor can. In any case, the Black Bay is still one of the best “heritage-inspired” dive watches in its class, and the addition of the larger 68 will only make that argument stronger across a wider range of wrists.
The new “Opaline” dial Tudor Black Bay Pro. (Photo Credit: Tudor Watch)
There were, of course, several other updates from Tudor, including the addition of a five-link bracelet for the Black Bay Chrono, a new burgundy version of the Black Bay 58 that calls back to a prototype Tudor Submariner, and the welcome addition of a white-ish dial for the Black Bay Pro. I’m not sure any of these watches represented an answer to a specific consumer request, but they do speak to what Tudor is all about, real tool watches at the “entry to luxury” tier.
Tudors Of Espionage (T.O.E.)
Tudor tool dive watches new and old. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)
As we described in our detailed look at Tudors of Espionage, part of what forms modern Tudor’s DNA is its longstanding associations with militaries including the French Navy or Marine Nationale, the United States Navy, and numerous other military and government organizations. Perhaps the best example of this reverence for the military is the Tudor Pelagos FXD, a watch that was released in 2021 after being developed in close collaboration with the Commando Hubert Combat Swimmers, the French equivalent of the US Navy SEALs.
A US Navy EOD Technician wears a Tudor Pelagos FXD during training operations in 2025. (Photo Credit: US Navy)
More than slapping a unit logo on an existing watch for marketing’s sake à la Panerai, the FXD wouldn’t exist were a development process for a fixed lug dive watch not put forth by an elite maritime SpecOps unit. Several rounds of prototyping, extensive testing, and real money went into crafting a $4k dive watch that can only be worn on pull-through straps including the hook-and-loop strap that accompanies the FXD.
The French Commando Hubert collaborated with Tudor in the development of the Pelagos FXD.
An oddity in a world possessed by Submariners and Seamasters, the FXD has become successful in our community because it is two things: a legitimate diving tool watch and a respectable timepiece, powered by an in-house caliber and manufactured in Switzerland with a luxurious level of attention to detail that even watch dorks can get behind.
The Shield Protects The Crown
(Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)
Another aspect that allows Tudor to continue to provide more utilitarian options compared to many “luxury” brands is its secure position within the Rolex organization. Tudor’s growth since its global relaunch in 2009 and the release of the Pelagos and Black Bay in 2012 has been explosive, but it’s important to contextualize Tudor within the greater Swiss watch industry. According to the recent report from Morgan Stanley and LuxeConsult, Tudor accounted for only 1% of the Swiss industry’s implied retail market share. Further, from 2023 to 2024, Tudor reportedly recorded a massive 34% decrease in sales, so does this mean Tudor is screwed?
While Tudor execs are no doubt concerned, Tudor is also Rolex, the brand claiming the top spot in the Swiss industry and a staggering 34% market share based on turnover eclipsing CHF 10.5B. Tudor exists in the shadows of Rolex in some respects, but that also comes with the security of knowing money ain’t a thing. A down year is a down year, but it’s hard to imagine Tudor pivoting from its core competency, which continues to be utilitarian watches.
(Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)
As we’ve described before, an internal adage within the Rolex organization is that the “Shield Protects the Crown”, but it’s important to remember the Crown is the thing with the gold and the jewels and is ultimately responsible for the bottom line.
Tudor’s Modern Unit Watch Program
US Secret Service CAT Tudor Pelagos (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)
Another aspect demonstrating Tudor’s position on tool watches and celebrating its military associations is the brand’s modern unit watch program, which has grown steadily since its inception several years ago. Tudor’s involvement in unit watches, customized versions of the brand’s standard models produced in small numbers for military units or government organizations, is significant because these programs are almost certainly not a key driver of revenue for a brand Tudor’s size.
While other brands have expanded their unit watch programs, we would argue that Tudor is still the leader in this space, having completed unit-specific watches for some of the most elite forces in the United States and Europe, many of which have not been seen in the public. Many of these unit watches would have serious marketing value for Tudor, but the fact that the brand does not advertise or even acknowledge the existence of the program is clear evidence that Tudor is in this space for the right reasons.
Tudor & Tool Watches
A Tudor unit watch produced for the Diplomatic Security Service. (Photo Credit: James Rupley/W.O.E.)
We acknowledge that for most, watches with prices starting around $4,500 (for the standard Black Bay 58) aren’t going to be pushed to the limit in operational settings for either military or intelligence professionals. However, within the context of our community, many do exactly that, balancing the utility presented by their timepieces with a genuine appreciation for horology. For practitioners embodying the Use Your Tools ethos, modern Tudor presents an excellent option, being less expensive than big brother Rolex as well as competitors like Omega while also offering more watchmaking intrigue compared to less expensive brands like Seiko.
No matter where the watch industry goes in the future, we believe and hope Tudor will continue to produce tool watches as it has done for the past seven decades.
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Read Next: The Dive Watch - Everything You Need To Know
18 comments
What about the Rolex sea-dweller? Less retarded, more depth.
At the very least, we can acknowledge that Tudor has successfully moved past its former reputation as the ‘poor man’s Rolex’. I haven’t heard anyone use that phrase in quite some time.
I agree with JM below in his admiration of Tudor’s pursuit of Rolex’s erstwhile role in the tool watch market. I’ve had a Rolex Submariner for just short of 40 years now and unless it is stolen or crushed beyond repair, I don’t expect to ever replace it. When I managed to come up with the money ($1,000 at the time) to buy it, I did do because of the watch’s reputation for durability and the cachet of Submariners and GMTs from their military and other use. I think JM had it right and if I were 40 years younger and buying a watch, I’d probably go for a Tudor FXD rather than a Submariner or certainly the current GMT. Ian Fleming and Charles McCarry, among others, have used Rolex as literary devices in their spy novels to help set the mood for their spies or Vietnam-era soldiers. I did the same, dealing with the changing image of Rolex in my new spy novel, The Tiger and the Bear (https://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Bear-Philip-Lazar/dp/B0F1YZRVF2/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?encoding=UTF8&dib_tag=se&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.wn8zNFLjuwcrjy3nsHLHRxClKqwYQ-iWbv2WeXwTEMlrz8EGAOQOHiE1jjF_gmjTjWC9-YOJ9ySAhDCKVUDniLqENw40G6HVja16MsUvEvuAVYeMoXz2YpPjOboy6xEjMiWEVrTN5sf0BpTVBOEPinHT-UCP6cOvFyRbr-POT1ANlLQtyse2D48VAAuUSW2IBNUUDnbEPxRjBpMH4pasozvXrTEXRD1Dk-rtuTs1iw.X3XC7Y53ekLu5O5-UlZpjpkIgZ11vvR12HKO3lDnIHw&qid=1742574270&sr=8-1) in which I have the main character chasing down an apparently secret Russian document in 2014. His Rolex is first spotted in a Texas sports bar by a guy who assumes he is former military because of his watch and opens up about his views of the country, then, later, a wealthy Russian is reassured by the expensive Rolex that he can deal with the guy. The changing image of the watch was an easy way for me to help set the mood in both of these scenes.
A 36mm Ranger would fill a gap too…
First time commenting on here, but fantastic article and I absolutely agree. I think that Tudor’s continued, and dare I say, belligerent pursuit of professional grade watches is not only fantastic in an era where ‘mechanical wrist watches serve no real purpose’ (they do) but continues to fly in the face of the ‘demands’ of the watch buying public.
Case in point – when the original FXD was launched in 2021 the various communities were awash with people saying things like ’I’d buy it if it had spring bars not fixed’, or ‘count down timers aren’t ISO standard for dive watches, it’s not a dive watch, it’s a miss’ etc. etc. Guess what. The watch isn’t for you. It was designed with a singularity of purpose, to a brief, in concert with the intended user. If you dig it, hats off and what luck – you can buy it too. If you don’t, that’s also cool – there are literally thousands of alternatives. But don’t accuse Tudor of ‘missing the mark’. Paradoxically, I think this continued work in the genuine tool category, and the published (and even more so not published) work with agencies and teams adds a further strand of legitimacy to the Wilsdorf group overall.
I work in a world many of you will recognise: all of my timing marks are published in UTC/Z time. My local time constantly changes depending on where I am, and a lot of the people I’m coordinating with are in different parts of the word.
I also have an old fashioned brain. I don’t want a watch that requires software updates, or one that runs out of batteries if it mistakenly thinks I’m running (I’m almost always not. That’s for the infantry). Or one that has the capacity to actively or passively monitor what I and my colleagues are saying. Or if lost and interrogated will give up where I’ve been and potentially where I am.
For me, I prefer robust, reliable, mechanical, legible. Call me old fashioned.
So after years of reverse engineering the timing bezel on my dive watch to function as a second time zone the FXD GMT made immediate and absolute sense to me when it was released and I got hold of one as soon as I could.
Titanium, waterproof, METAS movement, flyer GMT, mil spec, subtle and accurate as hell. Job done.
And, bonus, the strap colour matches the HALO O2 hook ups. If you know, you know…