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Tudor has been a big motor sport backer, and its latest carbon creation is a beauty

- SIMON DE BURTON

Think big name watch brands with links to motor sport and the two obvious ones that spring to mind are Rolex and TAG Heuer, which has been inextricably linked since the launch of the Carrera chronograph in 1964.

However, Tudor, the more affordable sub-brand setup by Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf back in 1946, should not be overlooked. Its history includes an early foray into motorised competition through a 1950s advert for the then-new Oyster Prince model that ran: “Worn by a competitor in the Monaco international trophy for motorcycles. For 29 hours, over a course of rough, winding, alpine roads, it was subjected to an ordeal by dust, rain and the constant, merciless vibration of high-speed riding. And yet, at the end of the gruelling test, it emerged ticking smoothly, having maintained perfect time.”