Don’t be fooled by ideas of azure seas and tanned crews: sailing’s America’s Cup is one of the sport’s most gruelling undertakings. The competition, one of the world’s oldest in any discipline, demands mental and physical fortitude from every person who decides to enter it.
The final match race that decides who wins the Auld Mug, as the trophy is affectionately known, has been described as sailing’s equivalent of a boxing match, with two teams going head to head on the open waves.
This stage happens after a similarly high-stakes series of qualifying rounds to determine the two fastest teams out of the six, which includes “the defender” – the last team to win – Emirates Team New Zealand. This year’s event is hosted in Barcelona and takes place from August 22 to October 27; a potter around the Costa del Sol this isn’t.
Six teams race flat out for the chance to claim the Auld Mug – but it’s not for the fainthearted
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Waves of energy
The flagship event is a true battle of wills
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Why the America’s Cup is sailing’s toughest battle
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Given TUDOR’s reputation as the maker of some of the most robust tool watches, from the Black Bay to the Royal, it isn’t surprising that the Swiss brand has lent its sponsorship to the two-time winner of the America’s Cup, Alinghi Red Bull Racing (ARBR), which is competing this year under the colours of the Société Nautique de Genève.
The TUDOR-ARBR partnership began in 2022, and there is mutual respect. Both parties recognise each other’s desire to push boundaries and constantly strive to achieve more.
To celebrate this collaboration ahead of the start of the 37th cup in Barcelona, TUDOR has unveiled two Pelagos FXDs that have not only taken their aesthetic cue from ARBR’s next-gen AC75 hydrofoil, one of the most technically advanced vessels ever built, but material inspiration too.
The Pelagos FXD is the ideal shipmate. The original version was developed with direct input from Commando Hubert – the combat swimmer unit of the French Navy – who ensured it had all the qualities to make it an invaluable underwater tool. This submarine saviour is now taking its place on deck, newly liveried in the ARBR team colours; both chronograph and time-only versions are COSC-certified and water resistant to 200m.
To give shape to the boat’s hull so that it leaps out of the water at speed, the AC75 hydrofoil uses a proprietary blend of carbon, titanium and stainless steel, while carbon fibre is used for its mast. TUDOR has taken those materials and used them to transform the Pelagos FXD into a robust, super-light sailing companion.
A high-tech carbon composite is used for the case and bezel insert – a material not used before by the luxury watchmaker, but one that makes this not-insubstantial 43mm case easy to wear and resistant to sea-salt corrosion. Titanium is used for the bezel, crown and pushers. The caseback, engraved with the ARBR logo, is stainless steel.
Winning team
TUDOR and Alinghi Red Bull Racing set new limits
Seasoned sailor
The new Pelagos FXD case resists salt corrosion
For the first time on a chronograph, TUDOR has used fixed strap bars. The strap is made from the signature TUDOR single-piece fabric woven on 19th-century Jacquard looms by Julien Faure, a company based in the Saint-Etienne region of France. The blue is the same as ARBR’s team colours, while the red accents mimic the stripes on the boat’s hull.
Despite sharing the same palette, the two new Pelagos have different personalities. The pared-back nature of the time-only model has an elegance that feels more “beach bar” than hardcore sailing action.
If you want that tougher feel, then you should look to the chronograph. The addition of the counters at three and nine o’clock, and titanium pushers, bring a confident heft to the timepiece. It looks muscular on the wrist and the chronograph is by far the most useful function, especially seeing as this watch is powered by a super-accurate movement with a variation of just -2/+4 seconds a day – perfect for ensuring you don’t mess up the pre-start timings.
Robust and light, the Pelagos chronograph is what you want on your wrist on the water, whether you’re tacking and pinning across the Spanish seas… or gently cruising along the Italian Riviera.
Fully armed
The 43mm chrono version has a hefty, muscular look
Reliable shipmate
Tudor Pelagos 39mm Titanium
Submarine saviour
Tudor Pelagos 42mm Titanium
Pared-back perfection
Tudor Pelagos FXD 42mm Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition
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Dialled for action
Tudor Pelagos FXD Chrono 43mm Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition