The Tudor FXD continues its strange journey with a new black carbon composite chronograph sporting a black and yellow dial. This is the third such rendition of the cycling inspired FXD Chrono, and like the pink variation last released, the ‘Yellow’ will be limited in production. This watch is a celebration of Tudor’s relationship with competitive cycling, and this particular example is a nod to Fabian Cancellara, who will be returning to this year’s Tour de France as a team owner, nine years after he last competed in the race. Cancellara has led the historic race for a total of 29 days in his past efforts, including five first stage wins, and eight total stage wins. The iconic yellow jersey that comes with the lead of the Tour has made its way to the dial of this FXD Chrono.
This year will mark the 112th running of the Tour de France, and it will be the premier of the Tudor Pro Cycling two man team at the prestigious race. Cyclists Alaphilippe Julian and Trentin Matteo will be competing for the team when the race kicks off on July 5th in the city of Lille in northern France. Tudor Pro Cycling’s participation in the Tour marks a major milestone for the team, which is in its third year since rebranding from Swiss Racing Academy, and becoming a UCI pro team.
The watch itself is a marker of this occasion, and will see just 300 numbered units produced. Number 7 is already spoken for by Cancellara (aka Spartacus) himself as his signature number. At its core, the watch is a familiar package, with a 43mm matte finished carbon composite case hosting the brand’s COSC certified caliber MT5813. A fixed 60 minute bezel frames a unique dial that includes a special tachymeter scale that’s been indexed to the kinds of speeds useful for cyclists. The design gives off major instrumentation vibes, and while it may not be as practically legible as I’d like, the quirky design brings a welcome bit of character to the chronograph.
Tudor has not been shy about using big colors in recent years, with brightly colored Black Bay Chronographs releasing to much hype from the enthusiast communities, and more recently, the Black Bay 54 receiving a “Lagoon” blue dial and mirror polished bezel. These expressive designs juxtapose a brand generally focused on tool watches, showing you can still have some fun with these otherwise sober concepts.
The FXD falls into the broader Pelagos collection, which is known for its laser focus on creating modern dive watches. Seeing it used as a base for the likes of a cycling focused chronograph is unexpected, but it somehow feels effective nonetheless thanks to the professional focus of the concept. Plus, it still gets a 100 meter depth rating. The FXD has proven to be a remarkably versatile platform, and as long as Tudor can retain its core identity in the midst of releases like this, I’m all for exploring the boundaries. Tudor
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