Should Tudor Make an Ultra-Deep Pelagos?

In recent years, the watch industry has leaned into ultra-deep dive watches—those rated for depths beyond 1,000 meters. Just last year, Rolex overhauled their Deepsea lineup. In 2019, Omega released the first Planet Ocean Ultra Deep. Even Oris, a brand more associated with approachable tool watches, released the 4,000-meter-rated AquisPro back in 2023.

These watches push the limits of mechanical engineering and durability, but they also tend to be on the larger side, prioritizing depth resistance over everyday wearability. They’re true tools for diving, built for extreme conditions that few owners will ever experience.

Could Tudor enter this space? I’ve heard the idea floated more than once, most notably on The Grey NATO podcast with James Stacey and Jason Heaton. I believe James referred to the hypothetical watch as "the Apex Predator Pelagos." So, by no means am I claiming the idea, but it’s an interesting one to explore: would an Ultra-Deep Pelagos make sense?

The Case for an Ultra-Deep Pelagos

Image Source: Tudor

The Pelagos is already a serious dive watch. The core model and its LHD variant boast a 500-meter depth rating, a helium escape valve, and a titanium case. That’s more capability than almost anyone will ever need. But in recent years, Tudor has expanded the Pelagos lineup in unexpected ways. The introduction of the Pelagos FXD Chrono ‘Cycling Edition’ and ‘Alinghi Red Bull Racing’ models shows a willingness to push boundaries.

A true Ultra-Deep Pelagos rated for 1,000 meters or more wouldn’t be out of the question. It would likely feature a titanium case with a helium escape valve and a larger case size somewhere in the 43 to 50mm range. As we’ve seen with other deep divers, thickness would increase, likely to at least 15 to 16mm to handle the pressure.

Image Source: Bob's Watches

Pricing is hard to predict for a watch that doesn’t exist—yet. I’d expect an Ultra-Deep Pelagos to land under $10,000, positioning it closer to the $6,600 Oris AquisPro 4000M than the $12,700 Omega Ultra Deep or $14,000+ Rolex Deepsea. Tudor operates in a different price bracket from Omega and Rolex, which could make this a more accessible option in the ultra-deep category.

Why It Might Not Happen

Image Source: Wrist Review

Despite the intrigue, there are solid reasons why Tudor might never make an Ultra-Deep Pelagos.

The current Pelagos is already deep enough. Recreational divers rarely exceed 40 meters, and a 500-meter rating already far exceeds real-world needs. Even most professional saturation divers don’t push anywhere close to that limit (and are using dive computers, anyway).

Tudor also operates under Rolex’s umbrella, and Rolex already owns the deep-diving category with the Deepsea (3,900m) and Deepsea Challenge (11,000m). Would Tudor risk competing with Rolex’s extreme dive watches? While the watches would be vastly different, the deep-diving segment is nonetheless niche.

Then there’s the cost. Developing and manufacturing an ultra-deep diver isn’t cheap. Tudor thrives in the sub-$5,000 category, and a watch like this could push them into a pricing space they don’t usually occupy.

Image Source: Hodinkee

And finally—would anyone actually wear it? At 44 to 46mm wide and over 16mm thick, an Ultra-Deep Pelagos would be massive. Watches like the Deepsea and Ultra Deep already push wearability limits, and Tudor’s customer base tends to favor practical tool watches over experimental size extremes.

Final Thoughts

At the moment, there’s no evidence that Tudor is working on an Ultra-Deep Pelagos. This is pure speculation—one of those “what if” scenarios that’s fun to explore. But Tudor is in an era of experimentation, and if they ever decided to take the plunge, an ultra-deep diver would be an interesting addition to the Pelagos lineup.

Would you want to see an Ultra-Deep Pelagos? Let us know in the comments.

We’ll be covering all Tudor and Rolex releases live from Watches and Wonders Geneva. Follow us on Instagram (@everestbands) and subscribe to our newsletter to stay up to date.