Some sports partnerships just make perfect sense. We’ve written about the intersection of sport and watches in the past, but if there’s one collaboration that works on even the most granular level, it’s Formula 1 and watchmaking. The reasons for this are wonderfully multi-faceted: no two industries are quite so invested in the business of time, whether that be shaving off a tenth per lap or honing movement accuracy by a second daily; both are the embodiment of centuries of engineering innovation; each of these industries is exemplary when it comes to straddling the past and the future; and, lest we forget, they are equally concerned with an aspirational lifestyle, worlds that appear scarcely in our grasp but of which we yearn to be a part. In other words, Formula 1 and watches? They are, collectively and individually, pretty darn cool.
It’s therefore not at all surprising that Tudor – one of the most beloved brands in watches right now – joined the foray as the official timing partner of the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls Formula One Team back in 2024. It marked Tudor’s first-ever Formula 1 sponsorship, in of itself a sign of its growing zenith, but crucially it furthered a long association with motorsport that reaches as far back as the 1960s.
In my research, I stumbled across an unabashedly awesome photo of Japanese racing driver Tomohiko Tsutsumi, a Tudor Submariner adorned on his wrist, who as part of the Tudor Watch Racing Team won the Suzuka 1000km endurance race in 1969. You know what we were saying about cool? Take a look at the snap below.
Endurance racing driver Tomohiko Tsutsumi dons a Tudor Submariner in his Porsche 906
Tudor Watches
A vintage Japanese magazine ad for the Tudor Watch Racing Team who won the prestigious Suzuka 1,000km endurance race in 1969 – an early motorsport endorsement deal for the watchmaker
Tudor Watches
Back in the 1969 March edition of AUTO SPORT, Sadao Oshima, General Manager of Advertising and Planning at Liebermann-Waelachli (the then-primary distributor of Rolex and Tudor in Japan) stated: “Rolex Tudor is the first attempt to turn a race into a venue for publicity. I will spare no efforts to make it a success. I have high hopes for the future of this team.” Fifty years on, these words ring as true as ever.
In the intervening period, there have been plenty more tangential associations to motorsport, including a partnership with Porsche Motorsport in the 2010s and its recent headline sponsorship of the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship, but now it has stepped into the big leagues at the pinnacle of racing.
Visa Cash App Racing Bulls is a comparatively young Formula 1 team which, much like Tudor itself, is confidently striding out of its big brother’s shadow to stand on its own two feet. Oracle Red Bull Racing and world champion Max Verstappen may be the lead team for now, but the Racing Bulls have been on the charge this season thanks to the talents of up-and-coming drivers Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar. After a series of administrative shakeups, as well as multiple engineering breakthroughs, it is slowly rising through the pecking order into a team that are consistently competing with the sport’s most iconic constructors.
Tudor Watch Racing Team won the Suzuka 1000km endurance race in 1969
“Tudor has always been fueled by a daring spirit, a consistent will to do things differently,” Tudor CEO Eric Pirson said recently. “And this spirit – we call it Born To Dare – is exactly what Visa Cash App Racing Bulls is demonstrating in the 2025 F1 season. We’re beyond thrilled to continue our motorsport journey with a partner that’s ready to take on the challenge.”
As part of this latest motor racing chapter, the Swiss watch brand this season launched the Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” – a subtly co-branded limited-edition timepiece that boasts the colours of Visa Cash App Racing Bulls’ car livery. Over the last couple of weeks I’ve taken one for a test drive (pun intended) to see what all the fuss is about.
First things first, I’m going to go against my typical approach when it comes to writing about watches by talking about the colour before anything else. The combination of the “racing white” dial with contrasting blue accents on the minute track and typeface, alongside the carbon-fibre material on the case and circular sub-counters is really quite striking. It was certainly bold enough to draw more than a few “Oh, what’s that on your wrist?” queries from friends and colleagues.
Formula 1 racing driver Isack Hadjar wears the Tudor Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 25” watch
Photo by Lorenz Richard
Featuring a case made of carbon composite, the Tudor “Carbon 25” is built for speed
Photo by Lorenz Richard
Personally, I’m really pleased that Tudor kept the dial clean of any Visa Cash App Racing Bulls branding, which means the watch stands on its own as the quietest of nods to its co-signed brand rather than an overt commercial exercise. The laser-engraved Formula 1 car displayed on the PVD-finished titanium case back is more than sufficient for fans of the team itself; it’s a whisper more than a shout to its inspiration.
The reason this is such good news is the “Carbon 25” is, in fact, Tudor’s first carbon fibre chronograph in its Black Bay lineup – incorporating the lightweight material into the case and subdials (the caseback, pushers, and crowns though a similar colour are finished in PVD titanium) – and, whether you’re a fan of Formula 1 or not, this is deserving of your interest.
The case itself is made from carbon composite rather than (expensive) pure carbon fibre, but the effect is the same. Tudor uses a carbon composite material that incorporates carbon fibre but is processed into a composite form for the watch case. This approach offers a lightweight, durable, and visually striking finish, distinguishing it from the typical stainless steel cases of the rest of the collection. Indeed, the watch is a race-ready weight of 89g, or 141g including the optional PVD titanium bracelet, and feels comfortably softer and warmer on the wrist in comparison to the rest of the Black Bay Chrono lineup.
The 42mm case is 1mm larger than the standard Black Bay Chrono, however that extra heft comes as part of a redesigned silhouette that is thinner than the stainless-steel versions (coming in at a borderline imperceptible 14.3 versus 14.4mm). Does it wear much different as a result? If I’m honest, if it weren’t for the press release reminding me of these marginal changes in profile, I’d have told you the case is the same design you’ve seen before, this time boasting a lightweight material – which I do think has a more tangible impact on the experience of wearing the watch.
Speaking of ‘business as usual’, inside you’ll find the same MT5813 chronograph movement that has already made the Black Bay Chrono one of the most popular ‘accessible luxury’ chronographs of the last decade. It’s based on the Breitling 01 calibre, as part of an ongoing reciprocal agreement with the Swiss watch manufacturer, and is an automatic column-wheel chronograph movement that features a silicone balance spring, ticks at 4Hz and offers an ample 70-hour power reserve. Rigorous Tudor testing comes as standard, with the brand confirming an accuracy of -2 to +4 seconds a day. You might say that high performance on and off the track is assured – or, if that seems like a stretch, that this is just about as dependable a chronograph as money can buy for less than £7k.
Whether you can get your hands on one of only 2,025 Tudor Black Bay Chronograph "Carbon 25" models is perhaps a separate question – hey, motorsport is a fast-moving sport by nature, so buyers need quick reactions of their own – but the more pertinent question is how many other carbon fibre-constructed chronographs, automatic or otherwise, can you think of at this section of the market? In a world where fellow Formula 1 sponsors Richard Mille, H Moser & Cie and, indeed, headline sponsor TAG Heuer are asking for tens of thousands for their various models, the Black Bay Chronograph "Carbon 25" represents a surprisingly accessible intermediary to the upper echelons of motorsport – with a model that is more than worthy of its a racy pastime.
The Tudor Black Bay Chronograph "Carbon 25" starts at £6,260.
