Alinghi as a competitive sailing team was created in 1994 by Ernesto Bertarelli, and in 2000, the team won the America’s Cup twice, in 2003 and 2007. Over the years, the team has amassed more victories, and in 2022, Alinghi and Red Bull joined forces to create a new team setting out to conquer the 37th America’s Cup: Alinghi Red Bull Racing.
To commemorate this occasion, Tudor introduces the Pelagos FXD “Alinghi Red Bull Racing Edition” timepieces, a debut for Tudor in the world of competitive yacht racing. Tudor’s audacious and inventive spirit shines through the Pelagos FXD and Pelagos FXD Chrono models. The watches combine high-tech carbon composite, a first for Tudor, with titanium and stainless steel, just like on an AC75 (America’s Cup 75) hydrofoil racing yacht. It’s also the first time Tudor has integrated a chronograph Calibre into a fixed strap-bars case.
Professional sailing teams like Alinghi have access to state-of-the-art sailing technology. This includes advanced sail designs, boat materials, and navigation systems. The teams work closely with engineers and designers to optimise the boat’s performance. Similarly, in the world of horology, precision and craftsmanship are paramount. For instance, the Pelagos FXD watch is powered by the Calibre MT5602, which drives the display of hours, minutes, and seconds. Its tungsten monobloc rotor features an openwork design, while its bridges and main plate showcase alternating sand-blasted and polished surfaces adorned with intricate laser etchings. This meticulous design not only ensures durability but also guarantees precision.
The variable inertia balance wheel is upheld by a robust traversing bridge anchored at two points to achieve this. This mechanism, in conjunction with the non-magnetic silicon hairspring, secures the Calibre MT5602’s certification from the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC). Impressively, the movement exceeds these standards, maintaining accuracy within a remarkable tolerance range of 6 sec (–2/+4) daily. An important feature is the “weekend-proof” power reserve; wearers can set aside their timepiece on a Friday evening and resume wearing it on Monday morning without the need to wind the watch.
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The Pelagos FXD Chrono also boasts “weekend-proof” functionality, thanks to its 70-hour power reserve and a silicon balance spring. The Chronograph Calibre MT5813 is also COSC certified, ensuring a variation of merely –2 to +4 seconds per day. This movement incorporates a column wheel mechanism and vertical clutch, which characterises Tudor’s excellence ethos. Derived from the Calibre Breitling 01 chronograph and enriched with a high-precision regulating mechanism developed by Tudor, this movement signifies the culmination of a longstanding partnership between the two brands.
Drawing inspiration from the AC75’s hull, the deep blue hue gracing these timepieces resonates with the essence of the sailing vessel. Prioritising readability, the matte dials are a testament to legibility. Both dial variations are adorned in Alinghi Red Bull Racing Team Blue, complemented by a red-tipped second-hand. In the case of the Chronograph model, red accents encircle the sub-dials, evoking the AC75’s aesthetics, specifically the striking red stripes adorning its hull. On the 45° angled rehaut (flange), positioned between 10 and 2, a discreet yet significant “Alinghi Red Bull Racing” inscription arches over the dial. The iconic square hour markers and “Snowflake” hands, developed by Tudor in the 1960s to ensure enhanced luminosity and readability, are crafted from luminescent ceramic composite. This choice optimises legibility, particularly in demanding conditions.
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The fabric strap is one of Tudor’s signatures, crafted in France utilising 19th-century Jacquard looms by the esteemed Julien Faure company in the St-Etienne region; the strap embodies craftsmanship, resilience, and wrist comfort. For the Pelagos FXD models, Tudor and Julien Faure collaborated to develop a 22mm jacquard-woven ribbon in the characteristic “Team Blue” shade adorned with red accents; the strap pairs with a titanium “D” buckle featuring a self-gripping fastening mechanism. This innovative system facilitates adjustment for various wrist sizes and ensures an exceptionally comfortable wearing experience.
The Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC75 epitomises the pinnacle of maritime engineering, employing an exclusive fusion of carbon, titanium, and stainless steel to sculpt a hull that emerges from the water with astonishing velocity. This relentless pursuit of technical excellence mirrors the ethos infused into the Pelagos FXD models, which ingeniously combine cutting-edge carbon composite for the case and bezel insert — a remarkably durable and lightweight material — with titanium for the bezel, crown, direct-action pushers, and 316L stainless steel for the case back and movement container.
