Page 96 - BFM F/W 2024

Field Goals
Tudor celebrates its growing presence in the world of international sports with a string of covetable new watches
By Jeremy Freed
TUDOR’S BLACK BAY AND PELAGOS DIVER’S WATCHES HAVE EARNED a cult following for their combination of vintage looks, top-tier Swiss quality, and a long legacy of performance on the wrists of professional divers. More recently, however, thanks to several new editions dedicated to Major League Soccer, Formula One racing, and pro cycling, these watches have taken on a new role as the timepieces of choice for some of the world’s most high-profile athletes, too.
In March 2024, Tudor grabbed headlines by announcing its newly-minted status as the Official Timekeeper of Inter Miami CF, the Major League Soccer team co-owned by David Beckham and led by superstar forward Lionel Messi. Tudor has become an increasingly familiar presence at high-level sporting events around the world, and
fans didn’t have to wait long for their hopes of a new watch to be realized. The next day, Tudor announced the launch of the Black Bay Chrono “Pink,” a new edition of the best-selling Black Bay Chronograph with a dial in the same rosy hue as Inter Miami CF’s uniforms. While not specifically labelled as the official watch of Inter Miami CF, when long-time Tudor ambassador David Beckham was spotted wearing one pitch-side in Miami shortly after its reveal, the Black Bay Chrono “Pink” was well on its way to becoming one of the hottest watches of the summer.
Beckham’s bubblegum pink Black Bay is just one in a steady stream of new releases celebrating Tudor’s growing roster of elite sports partnerships. In July, it added another colourful piece to the mix with the official launch of the Black Bay Ceramic “Blue,” the brand’s first production model dedicated to its recently announced partnership with the Visa Cash App RB Formula One team. Following the reveal at the Miami Grand Prix of a pair of special-edition Tudor Black Bay watches with “chameleon” dials in the same rainbow livery as the Visa Cash App RB Formula One cars, the blue dial model is now available as a non-limited edition, much to the joy of Formula One and Tudor fans alike. With a 41 mm matte black ceramic case, a bright blue dial, and a COSC-certified chronometer movement, the watch comes three years after the launch of the first Tudor Black Bay Ceramic model, and several months after quietly appearing
on the wrist of Australian Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo.
While the Black Bay tends to be the star of the Tudor lineup, the Pelagos line of diver’s watches has been ascendant in recent years thanks to its pro-level specs and — in the Pelagos FXD — a unique fixed-bar case design created in collaboration with Commando Hubert, a prestigious specialist unit of the French Navy. Following a pair of special editions dedicated to Tudor’s partnership with the Swiss Alinghi Red Bull Racing America’s Cup sailing team introduced last year, the brand added yet another tantalizing model to the Pelagos family this spring with the launch of the new Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition.” Part of Tudor’s collaboration with the up-and-coming Tudor Pro Cycling Team, the new watch reflects the team’s obsession with speed and precision timing
as well as the high-end materials used in their equipment.
Much like the “chameleon” dial Black Bays created exclusively for Visa
Cash App RB Formula One drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, the new Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition” is a follow-up of sorts to the special-edition Black Bay Chronograph created for the Tudor Pro Cycling Team. Unlike the Black Bay piece — whose case is made from PVD-coated steel — the newest Pelagos FXD features a 41 mm carbon composite case and matching black fabric strap whose light weight and durability make it ideally suited to the team’s needs. In addition to complementing the team’s red and black colour scheme, the dial features a unique tachymeter scale that’s been specifically calibrated for cyclists. Printed on a 45-degree-angled rehaut (not unlike the track of a velodrome) around the edge of the dial, the scale’s spiralled inner ring makes it easy to use the chronograph counter to clock the speed of a cyclist at a glance.
After earning a reputation for making some of the world’s best diver’s watches, releases such as the Black Bay Chrono “Pink,” Black Bay Ceramic “Blue,” and Pelagos FXD Chrono “Cycling Edition,” reveal a growing versatility in Tudor’s repertoire. Whether it’s a colourful new dial, a high-tech case material, or a clever twist on a classic complication, these are surely just a small taste of what’s to come as the brand continues to establish itself synonymously with the world of professional sports.
96 BFM / FW24 WATCH / FIELD GOALS
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