Tudor FastRider Chrono – hands-on with live photos & price

This year, at Baselworld 2015, Tudor is not only introducing the (our) Tudor Pelagos with a blue dial and the Tudor North Flag, both with the new in-house movement. They also had a chronograph in the vaults, but not one from the Heritage Collection, like the Heritage Chrono Blue. Instead they are coming with a modern, cool and young adults oriented timepiece, the Tudor FastRider Chrono.

The FastRider isn’t properly a novelty, as a previous one was already in the collection since 2011. It was a chrono in stainless steel, with a stainless steel bezel (engraved with a tachymeter scale) and available with a white or red stripped dial. This watch was the result of a collaboration with Ducati (the motorbike brand) and was somehow quite obsolete in the actual range of cool Tudor watches. The new one may have several new features, it keeps the Ducati partnership.

The Tudor FastRider Chrono comes with a 42mm case (mainly) in stainless steel that should sound familiar to you, as it has the exact same monobloc shape – but not in black ceramic – than the Tudor Fastrider Black Shield. The end-links are indeed integrated to the case and the leather strap (that has quite a cool shape and finish) is directly attached to these links. The shape is more modern and angular than the Heritage collection and comes with full brushed surfaces.

As you can see, the bezel and the crown/pushers are now black. The first one is made of ceramic and keeps the tachymeter scale while the pushers and crown are black PVDed steel. On the left side, at 9, sits a large recessed push button to correct the date – something usual for a Valjoux 7753 movement. The dial, available in military green, yellow or red, also received a facelift. This Tudor FastRider Chrono is still inspired by a Ducati Motorbike, but now it shares it DNA with the Scrambler – a young, cool, vintage inspired small motorbike, with whom it shares the same colors.

The dial had been simplified, as only the logo is printed now. The sub-counters are now white – sort of panda layout – and circled with a large black ring. The applied indexes are also coated in black. The Tudor FastRider Chrono, as said before, comes on a cool and very textured leather strap, on a folding buckle, that really is the cool factor of this watch.

This new Tudor FastRider definitely looks cool and young. It’s hard to imagine wearing this watch with a business outfit but it will essentially please 25-35 years old trendy, active men. It will be priced at CHF 3.900 (inc. taxes). More on TudorWatch.com.