TUDOR’s legacy in creating robust dive watches meets the thrill of high-speed yacht racing in its partnership with Alinghi Red Bull Racing for the ultimate sailing challenge, the 37th America’s Cup.
Merging diving watch expertise with world-class sailing talent, this collaboration is a celebration of innovation, resilience, and the quest for ultimate performance.
TUDOR takes its spirit of adventure and commitment to excellence to the high seas as the main partner of Alinghi Red Bull Racing in its pursuit of the 37th America’s Cup. Known as one of the world’s top three sporting events, alongside the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, the America’s Cup is a spectacle where tradition meets cutting-edge technology.
TUDOR’s partnership with Alinghi Red Bull Racing is a natural extension of its Born to Dare manifesto. The alliance marks a significant chapter in the history of both entities, bringing together the Swiss manufacture’s legacy of crafting robust diving watches with the dynamic energy of a team driven to make waves in the world’s most prestigious sailing competition. Both brands’ commitment to precision, performance, and innovation aligns perfectly with the high-stakes nature of the America’s Cup.
The Road to Barcelona
This year, Barcelona plays host to the 37th America’s Cup, the pinnacle event in sailing. The competition kicked off on August 22 with the preliminary regattas and will conclude on October 27 when the winner will be crowned. Since June 2023, all participating teams have been based in the Spanish city, rigorously training on the very waters that will determine the next America’s Cup champion.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing, a formidable challenger, unites two sporting powerhouses that are equally obsessed with reaching peak performance. Alinghi, two-time America’s Cup champion in 2003 and 2007, returns to the competition by joining forces with Red Bull, a global sports titan fresh off its Formula 1 World Championship victory. This unprecedented alliance sees a rejuvenated team with a bold, fresh approach. Beyond its fully “Swiss-made” sailing crew, Alinghi Red Bull Racing merges cutting-edge expertise, particularly in design, with an international team comprising 15 nationalities.
The shared pursuit of excellence has been evident in the meticulous preparations, including the acquisition of BoatZero—a former Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 that has served as the Alinghi Red Bull Racing team’s primary training vessel. With this solid platform, the team is equipped to navigate the challenges ahead as it aims for sailing’s highest honour.
Continuing the Legacy: The Pelagos FXD “Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition” Watches
TUDOR’s journey in crafting robust, reliable timepieces began with the introduction of the Oyster Prince Submariner (Reference 7922) in 1954. This pioneering model laid the foundation for the manufacture’s reputation as a leader in divers’ watches, offering professional-grade tools that seamlessly combine durability, innovation, and style.
Over the decades, it has perfected timepieces designed to withstand extreme conditions, whether in the depths of the ocean or in the most competitive arenas. Boasting key innovations such as increased water resistance, improved legibility, and superior materials, iconic timepieces – like those from the Pelagos range – have come to define TUDOR’s legacy in diving horology.
The partnership with Alinghi Red Bull Racing is TUDOR’s first venture into the world of competitive yacht racing – a move that underscores the brand’s dedication to innovation and excellence. This collaboration is celebrated with the creation of the time-only “Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition” Pelagos FXD and Pelagos FXD Chrono models.
Sporting a black, matte-finished carbon composite case featuring a 60-minute bidirectional bezel in titanium with a matte black carbon composite insert, each 200m-waterproof timepiece is designed to meet the extreme demands of competitive sailing. The combination of carbon, titanium, and stainless steel in the watches’ construction mirrors the proprietary blend of advanced materials used to give shape to the hull of the Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC75 yacht that leaps out of the water at great speed.
The race-ready dials are swathed in the Alinghi Red Bull Racing Team’s blue, with the chronograph version flaunting red accents around the counters that further hint at the aesthetics of the AC75, namely the red stripes on the hull. Made from luminescent ceramic composite, the signature square hour markers and Snowflake hands ensure optimal legibility in challenging conditions.
The 43mm Pelagos FXD Chrono is powered by the Manufacture Calibre MT5813, a robust movement that displays the hours, minutes, seconds, chronograph, and date functions. It also bears the matte finish typical of TUDOR Manufacture Calibres and comes with a signature tungsten openwork monobloc rotor. Boasting a “weekend-proof” 70-hour power reserve and a silicon balance spring, the watch is COSC-certified as well.
Meanwhile, the 42mm time-only Pelagos FXD is equipped with the COSC-certified Manufacture Calibre MT5602. Its 70-hour power reserve is designed to keep the watch running throughout a weekend away from the wrist – ensuring you’re ready for action come Monday morning.
The single-piece fabric strap is a hallmark of TUDOR; woven in France on 19th-century jacquard looms by the Julien Faure company in the St-Etienne region, its manufacturing quality, robustness, and comfort on the wrist are unique. For both Pelagos FXD models, a highly technical strap construction was developed by TUDOR; a 22mm Team Blue jacquard-woven ribbon with red accents and a titanium “D” buckle with a self-gripping fastening system, it adapts to different wrist sizes and is extremely comfortable to wear.
Precision, Performance, and Shared Values
The partnership between TUDOR and Alinghi Red Bull Racing symbolises the perfect blend of horological heritage and modern athleticism. For TUDOR, this alliance is a continuation of its commitment to supporting those who dare to dream big and achieve the extraordinary. The brand’s legacy in dive watches, combined with its innovative approach to timekeeping, complements the exacting demands of competitive sailing, ensuring that precision and performance are at the forefront. As the world watches, TUDOR and Alinghi Red Bull Racing are poised to make their mark not just in the America’s Cup, but in the enduring history of both horology and competitive sailing.
Discover Tudor collections at our boutiques, or online. Contact a sales representative today to learn more.
