Precision timekeeping pays dividends in many a pursuit, including on a high-octane bicycle: Tudor’s new Pelagos FXD Chrono salutes legendary rider Fabian Cancellara ahead of the Tour de France.
The Swiss cyclist-turned-businessman, who retired from pro cycling in 2016, now leads Tudor Pro Cycling, and the 2008 Olympic Gold Medalist certainly has a fresh watch to match. Tudor entered the fast-paced sport in 2022 in an effort to “summit the top level of international cycling,” and the release of its latest rugged-yet-lightweight watch comes ahead of the Tour’s opening stage on July 5th (and Cancellara’s first run as Tudor team owner).
It’s a fitting new accessory for Cancellara, known among other riders as “Spartacus” for his toughness and grit. The Swiss rider won the opening stage of the sport’s most prestigious race five times, leading the race for 29 days total in his career. The new Tudor Pelagos FXD expertly blends technical specs with durable design and a dash of striking style via its yellow accents, a nod to the jersey color worn by the overall race leader.
Of the new watch and its ongoing partnership with brand ambassador Cancellara, Tudor noted that “his return to France this year as a team owner running a team that was simply an idea three years ago points to the powerful notion that progress doesn’t happen by accident.” Out of 300 limited-edition timepieces, Cancellara will wear number 7, his signature number, Tudor noted. Tudor has laid claim to its own stake in the world of Formula 1 racing with a similarly lightweight carbon chrono watch, and it appears the latest Pelagos FXD is road-ready.
Fittingly, the watch is packed with the sort of bells and whistles a rider or team owner might find handy, from its 60-second subdial to its 45-minute timer and a 6-o’clock date window within a durable 43mm carbon composite case. The cycling-focused timepiece rides on the tail of the May release of another riding-centric watch from Tudor, a pink version of the Pelagos FXD Chrono paying tribute to the Giro d’Italia.
Each timepiece is, of course, individually numbered on an engraved caseback, while its two yellow chronograph subdials and inner timer rings feature hits of Tour de France signature yellow. Ahead of the grueling race, the watch arrives on a sporty single-piece black fabric strap adorned with a middle yellow stripe.
Indices on the hard-wearing $5,600 watch are finished with Grade X1 Swiss Super-LumiNova for maximum visibility, while a 41-jewel Manufacture Calibre MT5813 movement features a more-than-agreeable 70-hour-power reserve. Ahead of the race, Cancellara appears reflective but determined: “I have my memories of the Tour. They will be with me forever. Now it’s time for the (Tudor) team to make their own,” he said. Luckily, Tudor’s cycling outfit has at least one piece of the puzzle sorted with the new Pelagos FXD Chrono in Yellow.