Tudor Pelagos LHD: A Modern Dive Watch for Left-Handers
If you are familiar with Tudor, then you probably are aware of its reputation for high-calibre and robust mechanical watches. The brand has produced a wide array of high-grade tool watches that cater to both professional divers and military personnel. As the “little sister” of Rolex, Tudor is also known for pairing impeccable Rolex-level luxury with surprisingly affordable prices.
One extraordinary timepiece from Tudor that sees a lot of use is the Tudor Pelagos LHD. On top of being a powerful dive piece made with strong contemporary engineering, the Tudor Pelagos LHD also manages to cater to a unique marker, as a watch crafted especially for left-handed wearers.
In today’s article, we will explore in depth the Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001, along with its specifications and everything it has to offer.
About the Tudor Pelagos LHD
The Tudor Pelagos collection is a series of high-utility dive watches that was first introduced in 2012. Just four years later, in 2016, Tudor officially launched an extension of its Pelagos model: the Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001. Its “LHD” name is an abbreviation of “Left Hand Drive”, which refers to the dive watch’s identity as a timekeeper made exclusively for left-handed divers.
Right off the bat, you can tell that the Tudor Pelagos LHD possesses a lot of features similar to the existing, modern Pelagos models. The feature that best distinguishes the Tudor Pelagos LHD from the rest of the Pelagos watches is the placement of its crown on the left side of the watch case.
The Tudor Pelagos LHD also comes with superior dive watch trappings, including top-notch specifications, robust materials and an excellent water resistance capacity. In this next section, let us take a closer look at the specifications of the Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001.
Specifications
Case and Case Back
Compared to Tudor’s best-selling Black Bay collection, the Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001 is a little chunkier, with dimensions that measure 42mm x 50mm x 14.45mm. This sturdy case is made out of lightweight titanium, which helps a lot in reducing the watch’s weight so that it rests lightly on the wrist despite its bulky size. This case is also embellished with a sleek, brushed finish, which adds to its refined look.
On the left side of the watch’s case, you can find a crown that is tightly screwed down. This placement of the watch’s crown is one of the most distinctive traits of the Tudor Pelagos LHD, distinguishing it from the other Pelagos models. It makes the Tudor Pelagos LHD an ideal dive watch tool for southpaws, as it makes it easier for them to access the crown. This crown is also surrounded by short crown guards made of titanium, which helps protect the crown from any impacts.
The Tudor Pelagos LHD is also equipped with a subtle helium escape valve, which is located at 3 o’clock. This is a crucial feature for a dive watch. It releases gas from within the case of the Tudor Pelagos LHD, ensuring that the watch will not be damaged by built-up pressure as it ventures deeper underwater.
On the underside of the Tudor Pelagos LHD, you can find a solid caseback made of stainless steel. It helps protect the robust movement that powers this watch. The caseback is also engraved with details on the watch, including its serial number, the movement it uses, the Tudor shield logo, and more.
Bezel
Seated on top of the Tudor Pelagos LHD’s watch case is a matte black ceramic bezel. It bears clean, luminous white indicators for a handy elapsed time scale. This unidirectional rotating bezel also has 60 clean clicks. It does not come with any form of backplay whatsoever, which ensures that you will not lose track of your elapsed time underwater.
Dial
The dial of the Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001 has a very simple and straightforward layout that is somewhat reminiscent of the modern Rolex Submariner. This watch comes with a striking matte black dial. It is furnished with thick hour indices in various geometric shapes, along with oversized snowflake hands that are a Tudor signature. A small date window rests at 3 o’clock.
The hands and indices of this watch are all coated with lume. This helps to illuminate the dial, so that it can be easily read at all times, even in low-light conditions. A layer of luxurious sapphire crystal also helps guard the watch’s face from any scratches or impacts.
Movement
The Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001 runs on a powerful in-house Tudor Calibre MT5612. First introduced in 2015, this is an automatic movement that is typically used to drive the brand’s Pelagos models. In order to fit the unique Tudor Pelagos LHD, the Calibre MT5612 has been turned 180 degrees, which allows the crown to be placed at 9 o’clock.
The Calibre MT5612 is made up of 26 jewels and beats at a frequency of 28,800 vibrations per hour. As a COSC-certified movement, it boasts excellent timekeeping precision and an outstanding power reserve of up to 70 hours.
Bracelet
The Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001 is paired with a three-link bracelet that is also made from lightweight titanium. It showcases a lovely brushed finish so that it perfectly matches the watch’s case.
This strap is equipped with a titanium folding clasp, which keeps the watch securely fastened to your wrist. A dive extension is also added to the clasp, containing a link extender and a spring-loaded slider that will mechanically adjust while you are diving. This allows you to change the length of the bracelet at will so that it can fit around your wrist more comfortably.
If you want something a little sportier, Tudor also offers the Tudor Pelagos LHD with a rugged black rubber strap. The rubber strap has a more casual and laidback appeal, which enhances the versatility of the Tudor Pelagos LHD.
Water Resistance
As a dive watch tool for left-handed users, the Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001 has an outstanding water resistance capacity of 500 metres. This is more than enough for all sorts of water-based activities, including professional and saturation diving, making the Tudor Pelagos LHD a great buddy for underwater exploration.
Price
The Tudor Pelagos LHD can be purchased at around $5,389 USD. Considering its niche features and superior craftsmanship, you will find that this is quite a reasonable price for the number one left-handed dive watch in the market.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is the Tudor Pelagos LHD Limited?
The Tudor Pelagos LHD is not a limited-edition timepiece. That said, Tudor has not disclosed how many pieces of the Pelagos LHD they intend to produce, or when they might discontinue it. As such, if you plan to get this watch, you should make your purchase as soon as possible.
2. Is the Tudor Pelagos LHD worth it?
The Tudor Pelagos LHD offers supreme value and superior craftsmanship that you would expect from a luxury dive watch. In addition, it is one of the few timepieces in the industry that truly caters to left-handed wearers. As such, if you are a southpaw, the Tudor Pelagos LHD is definitely a worthwhile buy.
3. How do you wind Tudor Pelagos LHD?
To wind the Tudor Pelagos LHD, simply unscrew the crown and turn it counterclockwise.
4. Is Tudor Pelagos COSC?
Every Tudor Pelagos model is driven by an in-house Tudor Calibre MT5612. This is indeed a COSC-certified chronometer movement, so it delivers great stability and accuracy.
Alternatives to the Tudor Pelagos LHD
1. Sinn Diving Watches U50 Ref. 1050.040-Solid-2LSS
First up, we have the Sinn Diving Watches U50 Ref. 1050.040-Solid-2LSS. Also known as the Sinn U50, this is a rugged and robust dive watch fitted with a plethora of advanced features. Although it does not quite cater to left-handed users like the Tudor Pelagos LHD, it does have an unusual crown placement that is more comfortable for lefties to wear.
This Sinn Diving Watch is presented in a slim 41mm case and a matching H-link bracelet. Both the case and bracelet are made from sturdy German submarine steel, which gives the watch a darker and cooler lustre. Resting on top of the watch case is a thick bezel made of stainless steel and black ceramic. It has a count-up bezel in contrasting white and red indicators for easy readability.
This watch has a thick screw-down crown, which lies at 4 o’clock. It has lightly grooved sides, which provides wearers with a better grip so they can turn the crown more easily. The placement of the crown at this angle also gives wearers a more comfortable wearing experience, as it prevents it from digging into the skin of your wrist.
The dial of this watch also showcases a jet-black finish, which goes well with the bezel. It is adorned with blocky hour indices and thick, broad syringe hands coated in white and red lume. A compact date aperture can also be found at 3 o’clock.
Ticking inside this watch is the first-class DIN 8309 Calibre. This movement has a frequency of 28,800 semi-oscillations per hour and is held together by 25 bearing jewels. It possesses an accuracy rate of +/-30 seconds per day and is resistant to magnetic fields up to 4,800 A/m. Like the Tudor Pelagos LHD, this Sinn piece also has a superb depth rating of 500 metres.
The Sinn Diving Watches U50 Ref. 1050.040-Solid-2LSS sells at around $2,489 USD.
2. Panerai Luminor 1950 Ref. PAM00557
Next, we have another timeless dive watch for left-handers: the Panerai Luminor 1950 Ref. PAM00557. With its massive 47mm stainless steel case, this watch is great for wearers that have thicker wrists, or who enjoy oversized watches. It is coupled with a handsome brown leather strap, which gives the watch a very suave and laidback vibe.
On the left side of the watch case, you can find a stout, flat screw-down crown with deeply grooved sides, meant to accommodate left-handed users. It is protected by Panerai’s unique semi-circle crown guard, which fully encircles the crown.
This watch’s matte black dial has a very simple and straightforward layout that prioritises legibility. It is filled with stick hour indices, large Arabic numerals in a round typeface, and luminous yellow-gold hands. The hour markers of this watch are also filled with a yellow-beige lume, which adds to this watch’s retro look.
On the underside of this Panerai Luminor 1950 watch is an exhibition-style caseback made of steel and sapphire crystal. Through it, you can view the in-house Calibre P.3000 that powers this timepiece. Made up of 21 jewels, this manual-winding movement beats at 21,600 vibrations per hour (3Hz). It also possesses a depth rating of 100 metres and an extensive 72-hour power supply.
Be prepared to shell out around $8,049 USD to get your hands on this sophisticated southpaw dive watch.
Final Thoughts
On the whole, the Tudor Pelagos LHD is a timeless watch that caters to a niche and often neglected market. It is arguably one of the best creations of Tudor, broadening the accessibility of the brand by fulfilling the needs of left-handed users. So if you are a southpaw looking for the ultimate dive tool watch for your next abyssal exploration, you should definitely consider the Tudor Pelagos LHD Ref. 25610TNL-0001.
All images courtesy of eBay unless otherwise stated.
Featured image courtesy of Watch Collecting Lifestyle.
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