CaliforniaJed
[Purist]
5166
Tudor Fastrider Black Shield: Initial Impressions
If you described The Tudor Fastrider Black Shield to me, sight unseen (a bigger, black Daytona maybe, with a date?), never in a million years would I want it. I have never been temped by black cases of any material. I am not a fan of watch tie-ins to other consumer brands. ETA movement? Yes, robust, time tested, quality are all there. But there are so many options if I want a watch with an ETA movement -- what would lead me to a Tudor? Like others, the vintage styling of the Tudor Heritage line does appeal to me, but this Fastrider isn’t part of that line. Even the name 'Fastrider' seems a little silly to me. But the pictures of this Fastrider were interesting to me for reasons I cannot explain. The natural choice is the one with all the red on the dial. It looks cool in pictures, particularly the red seal beneath the crystal. That's the one the prompted me to take a trip to the dealer, just to take a look. In all candor, though, in the metal (in the ceramic), well, there was a little too much red for me. The markers, and the hour and minutes hands, and the seconds counter, and the hands on the sub dials, the Fast Rider logo on the dial, even the date number — it was just too much for me, particularly coupled with the red stitching on the leather strap (and the lining). All that red somehow cheapened it a bit for me - it gave it the look of a toy, for lack of a better description. Some will no doubt like all this — I suspect this model outsells the other.
Ah, yes, the other version. I was immediately attracted to the beefy matte black ceramic case and bezel of the Black Shield, despite all the red. And right next to this black and red beast in the display case was the lesser photographed version, with bronze markers and a nicely sueded brown strap on a sturdy black deployant. There was still a touch of red on the dial, just enough, the large seconds counter, to form a nice, subtle nod to racing and to Ducati. And it contrasted very nicely against the black dial and the bronze markers.
I tried it on. It was thick, and large, 42mm. It was a black and tan, monster of a Daytona (minus the Rolex movement and minus more than half the price, too), and it looked and felt damn good! Really good! And I didn’t take it off (except to remove the annoying plastic protective seals) until I got home! It was an impulsive purchase that was amazingly easy to make.
Pictures and details follow. This one is worth a look if you find yourself at a Tudor dealer!
Best,
CaliforniaJed
Here is a little from Tudor on the case:
The TUDOR Fastrider Black Shield’s monobloc case in matte black ceramic is an archetype in its genre. What makes it so special? Not only is it fashioned using nothing but high-tech injected ceramic – not ceramic applied to another material as a coating – but it is also made entirely in one process. The whole case is produced as a single piece – a unique operation for watches in this segment. In addition to the noble aesthetics of this chronograph, the extremely complex procedure adopted for its manufacture – a result of technological expertise acquired in perfecting the bezel for the Pelagos line – ensures that both the middle case and bezel are exceptionally reliable and resistant.
TUDOR develops for the first time a case completely fashioned in high-tech injected ceramic. The whole case of the Fastrider Black Shield is produced as a single piece – a unique operation for watches in this segment. The ceramic is virtually impervious to scratches, and its color is unaffected by ultraviolet rays. The result is, naturally, quite out of the ordinary, powerful and unique. The manufacture of the bezel and the case is carried out in-house. The brand has installed the exclusive equipment required to perfectly master the quality of the final product in conformity with its stringent specifications. The basic ceramic material is a very fine zirconium dioxide powder, whose particles are less than one micron (one-thousandth of a millimeter) in diameter. The powder, white at the outset, is mixed with both a binding agent that allows it to be moulded and pigments that will give the final desired color. The raw material is shaped by high-pressure moulding. At this point, it has very low resistance. The components are then heat treated in furnaces. The first stage eliminates the binding agent. From the second firing at 1,500 °C (2,700 °F), or sintering, the ceramic
acquires its definitive hardness and mechanical resistance. Its resistance after the sintering is akin to that of steel, but its hardness is much greater. During firing and sintering, the piece contracts by approximately 25 percent and acquires its final color. Final precision machining gives each piece its definitive shape and size for assembly. As the material has now acquired its characteristic hardness, this operation requires the use of diamond tools. Throughout the production process, the ceramic undergo numerous quality controls to check the precision of their geometry, their mechanical properties and their color. In addition to the noble aesthetics of this chronograph, the extremely complex procedure adopted for its manufacture ensures that both the middle case and bezel are exceptionally reliable and resistant.
Details on this version of the watch:
Ref. 42000CN (The other Black Shield is Ref. 42000CR.)
42 mm matte black ceramic case with bead-blasted finish and mono bloc middle case
Fixed matte black ceramic bezel with engraved tachymetric scale
Self-winding mechanical chronograph movement, TUDOR caliber 7753, Power reserve of approximately 46 hours
Screw-down winding crown in black PVD-treated steel, engraved with TUDOR logo
Chronograph pushers in black PVD-treated steel at 2 o’clock and 4 o’clock
30-minute totalizer at 3 o’clock and 12-hour totalizer at 6 o’clock
Small seconds hand at 9 o’clock
Date at 4:30
Rapid date corrector with PVD shield motif at 9 o’clock on the middle case
Sapphire crystal with a black seal
Waterproof to 500 ft (150 m)
Alcantara® or rubber strap with folding clasp and safety catch in black PVD-treated steel
Some technical details of the movement:
Total diameter: 30.40 mm
Thickness: 7.90 mm
Jewels: 27
Frequency: 28,800 beats/hour
Power reserve: ~46 hours
Tudor Fastrider Black Shield: Initial Impressions
Very interesting report, Jed. Congrats for your new catch.
The Heritage line has tempted me as well, Nicolas.
Great Tudor, Jed!
