How Swiss watchmaker Tudor’s new Pelagos models were honed aboard the Alinghi Red Bull Racing America’s Cup boat

Sep 11 , 2024

Tudor’s new Pelagos models come with racing pedigree, being developed following trials of the brand’s famously rugged dive watches on the wrists of the Alinghi team at The America’s Cup. Photos: Handout

Water sports

Tudor has ample sporting heritage – from David Beckham to New Zealand rugby’s All Blacks – and the Pelagos FXD and Pelagos FXD Chrono models were developed from watches trialled aboard the team’s yacht off Barcelona

France, Italy, the United States, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Switzerland are currently battling it out in Barcelona in the 37th edition of sailing’s most prestigious competition, the America’s Cup. Their boats embody the best in design and technology, honed by decades of expertise on the high seas, which is why the presence of Switzerland comes as a surprise to those not familiar with the world of sailing.

The only landlocked nation among the five competitors, a place better known for mountains and snow rather than the seafaring heritage of its people, Switzerland nevertheless has had some success in the world’s oldest international sporting contest. The Alinghi Red Bull Racing team – as it’s now known after the soft drink giant came on board as a backer in 2021 – won the 2003 and 2007 editions of the America’s Cup. This year’s competition will conclude after more than two months of fierce competition on October 27.

Alinghi team founder Ernesto Bertarelli celebrates with Arnaud Psarofaghis, one of the team’s two captains, after a race win in Barcelona on September 3

Alinghi is a joint partnership between Red Bull and Swiss billionaire Ernesto Bertarelli, who established the team in 1994. Legend has it that the name comes from a word Bertarelli used to say as a little boy when seeing boats on the sea, or else that the seven letters stand for the initials of the names of the boats he has owned – it seems we may never know which.

In 2022, the entire Alinghi team, mostly Swiss nationals, moved to Barcelona in order to be able to train throughout the year, given that doing so on their home turf was obviously not an option. It was also then that Swiss watchmaker Tudor came on board as Alinghi’s main sponsor.

Crew members Maxime Bachelin and Barnabé Delarze aboard the Alinghi team boat on August 28

Tudor’s objective with this partnership, however, was not necessarily to make a foray into the world of sailing – a niche sport that certainly attracts a wealthy demographic and has long been associated with the world of luxury watchmaking. Most relevant is Tudor’s motto, “Born to Dare”, a social media-friendly tagline that reflects what the brand has always been about.

“How is the Alinghi team daring?” says a member of the Tudor’s public relations team. “For starters, being a Swiss team, it’s the only team that comes from a country with no access to the sea. They were the first ones to arrive in Barcelona, before any other team. The team was assembled and started training in Barcelona as part of their bid to compete in the America’s Cup. Before that, the sailors had prior experience and had been part of crews and competed in races on the ocean, but the team had been assembled for this competition and they started racing in Barcelona.”

Alinghi Red Bull Racing crew Nicolas Rolaz and Arnaud Psarofaghis prepare to go racing on August 30

It’s that commitment and perseverance that first attracted Tudor to Alinghi. The brand also works with arguably the world’s most famous athlete – long-time ambassador David Beckham – and supports the All Blacks, New Zealand’s national rugby union team.