I'm a big Tudor fan. I currently own three Black Bays: BB58s in both black and blue, and a BB Steel.
Been thinking a lot about the new 39mm Pelagos and it strikes me that this is more of a Pelagos-styled-BB-58, than a downsized-42mm-Pelagos. The movement and specs of this new model more closely resemble the BB58s than they do the original Pelagos.
From a sales point of view, this seems to be a good move. 39mm is the current sweet spot for many watch enthusiasts and Tudor now has a whole range of sport watches in that size: five different BB58s, the GMT BB Pro, the Range and now the smaller Pelagos. I don't doubt that this watch will be a big seller.
From an enthusiast point of view, however, I can’t disagree with those who wish that the Pelagos had maintained the same specs and aesthetics of the original. Obviously, most of us don’t need the increased depth rating nor the HEV, but the presence of those items plus the stark aesthetics are what made the original Pelagos distinctive in the Tudor lineup. This new model seems to blur the lines between the Pelagos and Black Bay lines. At least it does in my eyes.
Having said that, I still really like this new watch. If I come across a good deal in the future, I’ll probably buy one and sell my black/gilt BB58.