Tudor Fastrider Black Shield

Swiss watch brand Tudor began its partnership with Italian motorcycle maker Ducati in 2011, and introduced its first Fastrider Black Shield watch — directly inspired by the Ducati Diavel — in 2013. With this year’s release of the new Ducati XDiavel cruiser model, Tudor once again brings out a Fastrider Black Shield using the design language of the new superbike.

The matte black dial is punctuated by white hour markers and numerals, a white central chronograph hand, and small white hands for the chronograph subdials and small seconds subdial. A white luminescent coating is used on the hands and hour markers. The monobloc case, made of high-tech black ceramic, is water-resistant to 150 meters and virtually scratch-proof. The deliberately sculpted, angular contours of the case (which measures 42 mm in diameter and has a sleek, bead-blasted finish) are meant to evoke the streamlined bodywork of the Ducati XDiavel.

The fixed, matte-black ceramic bezel is engraved with a tachymeter scale, a useful feature for motorbike racing enthusiasts. The dial’s tricompax arrangement has chronograph subdials at 3 o’clock (30 minutes) and 6 o’clock (12 hours) and a small seconds subdial at 9 o’clock. The screw-down winding crown — which is inscribed with the Tudor logo — and chronograph pushers are in black PVD-treated steel that seamlessly matches the dark hue of the ceramic case.

The movement in the new Tudor Fastrider Black Shield is the automatic chronograph Caliber TUDOR 7753 (based on the tried-and-true ETA Valjoux 7753), which has a power reserve of approximately 46 -hours and a fast-adjustment date corrector; the date display appears on the dial in an aperture at 4:30. The matte-black calfskin leather strap, with white contrast stitching, continues the “stealth” theme of the dial and case. The watch is also available with a matching matte-black rubber strap.

Anyone interested in procuring the 2015 edition of the Tudor Fastrider Black Shield can start revving up their engines now for a trip to their Tudor authorized retailer: it’s on sale now, released to coincide with the launch of the Ducati XDiavel on November 16. It’s priced at $4,925 on both the rubber and leather strap.