If I had to pick one
By Tom Hargreaves, Falmouth, Cornwall ยท
Of everything on this list, this is the one I'd buy with my own money. I've thought about it more than is healthy.
Here's why. 39 mm across, 11.8 mm thick, 20 mm lugs, titanium case and bracelet. That's the BB58's sensible size in a lighter metal, with a ceramic bezel and a matt black dial that's a pure tool, no gilt, no frills. The lume is bright. The hands are clear. 200 m, closed back, no date.
Inside, the MT5400, 70 hours. Leave it in the glove box on Friday, it's still ticking Monday.
And the clasp. The Pelagos 39 gets Tudor's T-fit clasp, which you can adjust without tools while it's on your wrist. Not as good as a Rolex Glidelock, but close, and plenty to go over a thin wetsuit.
What's wrong with it? A couple of things. 200 m is the minimum I'd want on a full-time diver, and the Pelagos used to be 500 m in its bigger 42 mm form, so this feels like a step back on paper, even if I'll never need it. And titanium bracelets pick up scratches like a magnet; give it a month and the polished clasp will look like it's been in a cement mixer. That's fine by me.
$5,000 to $5,300. A Submariner costs nearly twice that and is harder to get. The Pelagos 39 does most of what the Sub does, in a lighter case, without the image baggage. I'd wear it every day and not worry about it.
An aside I can't help making here. When I first left the Navy and started teaching, I had a big 44 mm diver that I thought was the business. Within a year I'd stopped wearing it. Too heavy, too tall, caught on everything, banged against every door frame. The watch I actually wore every day after that was a cheap 38 mm thing I'd bought on a whim. Size beats spec for daily wear, and the Pelagos 39 gets that.
The only other thing I'd do is buy a rubber strap for the summer. I always do.