Think Red Bull Racing, and your mind automatically goes to the high-octane world of Formula One. However, another Red Bull Racing team with equally impressive performance demands the same attention - the Alinghi Red Bull Racing Yacht Team.
Sporting the same matte blue livery as their Formula One sibling, the Red Bull yacht team compete in the arduous America's Cup, which sees ultra-high performance yachts racing head to head at around 100 kph. With timing in this sport being critical, it is hardly surprising that Red Bull has teamed up with a top-tier watch company to develop special editions. Introducing the stunning Tudor Pelagos FXD Alinghi Red Bull Racing Special Editions.
Tudor Pelagos - Credit Tudor
TUDOR and Alinghi Red Bull Racing have been partners since 2022 and these new watches mirror the constriction of the multi-million dollar America's Cup AC75 hydrofoil racing yacht by combining a high-tech carbon composite, a first for TUDOR, with titanium and stainless steel.
The Evolution of the FXD
Tudor Pelagos - Credit Tudor
WatchGecko 400 Italian Rubber Divers Reversible Watch Strap - Navy Blue - Brushed Buckle
The new FDXs have a diameter of 42mm for the three hand variant and 43mm for the new chronograph. Both cases are in black matte-finished carbon composite with integrated strap bars associated with the standard FDX. The Alinghi Red Bull Racing logo is engraved on a stainless steel case back.
Both watches have bi-directional rotatable bezels in titanium with a black matte-finished carbon composite insert and a grade X1 Swiss Super-LumiNova® luminous retrograde 60-minute graduation. There is a blue matte dial with luminescent ceramic composite monobloc applied hour markers to reflect Red Bull's corporate look. In house Manufacture Calibres MT5602 and MT5813 (chrono) are both COSC certified with a silicone hairspring and an impressive 70-hour power reserve.
Tudor Pelagos - Credit Tudor
It would not be a Pelagos without Tudor's famous "Snowflake" hands, and the watch is made ocean-proof with the fitting of a super durable one-piece fabric strap in blue with red accents with a self-gripping fastening system.
Cutting-edge watches for a cutting-edge sport
The Alinghi Red Bull Racing AC75 yacht is the pinnacle of maritime engineering, utilizing a blend of carbon, titanium and stainless steel to give shape to a hull that flies above the water at speed. The same level of technical excellence has been applied to this Tudor FXD. Watches in this environment have to withstand enormously aggressive movement, be supremely legible, and offer 100% saltwater resistance.
Taking inspiration from the original Pelagos, these special watches deploy stark white against Red Bull blue, heavily accented with bright red to achieve the highest visual impact. Bear in mind these watches must be read through goggles while being thrashed by heavy spray.
Tudor Pelagos - Credit Tudor
A WatchGecko Perspective
We love the Pelagos! There you go, we've admitted it, even with the horror stories about bezel build quality that persists online. In every measurable way the original watch in titanium is very striking. Every time you pick one up, you feel like you have something special in your hand. It is no surprise that someone like Red Bull, who is synonymous with cutting-edge technology, has partnered up with Tudor, and it's even less of a surprise that they would take one of the brand’s bestsellers and develop it into a model of their own. What's most exciting is that we now have a Pelagos chronograph which is subtle in its design yet retains the family DNA.
Tudor Pelagos - Credit Tudor
The strap, the dial, the matte blue and bright red all shout Red Bull extreme sports, and you could see a Max Verstappen fan being just as excited about this watch as somebody who follows the America's Cup. The first time you wear a Pelagos, it feels like the ultimate evolution of a watch. The integrated strap retainer gives a sense of solidity and reassurance. This new edition, which is visually even more striking than the original, shows that anything is possible if you have a top-tier design bureau behind you. With inspirational equipment like the new Tudor Pelagos FXD Alinghi Red Bull Racing Special Editions, you can take a tiny step into the ultra-high tech and competitive world of elite yacht racing.
