Tudor has become a really colourful brand. Beginning with the Black Bay and Chrono Bleu ‘Monte-carlo’, Tudor creates a new image for itself; a future minded brand with a keen eye on its heritage. Tudor is breaking out of it’s ‘Poor man’s Rolex image’ and crafting a new identity of its own.
The 316L stainless steel case of the replica Tudor Fastrider chronograph is made to parallel the sportiness of the Ducati Scrambler. The 42 mm Monobloc middle case is fit with a screw-down case back and winding crown with a brushed finish on the exterior. The entire matte finish is further accentuated with the contrast between the matte black ceramic bezel and pvd treated pushers and crown. The overall feel of the watch is comfortable on the wrist, with sufficient heft without being overwhelming. The watch comes with a rubber or leather strap, of which we prefer the leather, which gives the watch a more classy look.
Tudor’s designers wanted to capture the Ducati Scrambler’s DNA with the Fastrider; which of course was most effectively achieved with the dial colours. Three dials were designed to reflect the various Ducati Scrambler versions: bright yellow, the model’s historic colour, olive green for a powerful urban look and red for a retro-chic effect. For some of us at Deployant, our attention was first captured by the exotic dial colours. Hard to divorce the relation, we were reminded of Rolex’s exotic dial Daytonas, especially the tricolour, or contrasting subdial models. There is a good element of differentiation however in the story concept, Tudor being one of the few brands to partner with a much neglected motorcycle category while most other brands have stuck with automobiles.
Self-winding mechanical movement with a power reserve of approximately 46 hours. Its functions include centre hour, minute and seconds hands; small seconds at 9 o’clock, 30-minute totaliser at 3 o’clock and 12-hour totaliser at 6 o’clock. It also houses a calendar function with a date display at 4.30. It beats at a frequency of 28,800 vph. There is nothing particularly fancy about the movement, of course considering the price range and closed case back, the movement is constructed with function rather than form in mind.
