Swiss rebels Maurice de Mauriac have partnered with tennis magazine Racquet for the publication’s first watch, the Racquet X Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster, designed by artist and designer Carlton DeWoody.
The Release
The Racquet X Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster is housed in Maurcie de Mauriac’s Automatic Classic case: 39mm wide, 12mm thick, and 47mm lug-to-lug should make it decidedly wearable. The case is made of stainless steel and features 20mm drilled lugs which slop down slightly away from the case. The domed sapphire crystal features an exterior cyclops to magnify the date. The crown features a stylized tennis ball logo and ensures 100m of water resistance. On the caseback, a sapphire display is printed with a tennis racquet motif with a ball in the center. The watch is powered by the visible Landeron 24, with 5 jewels and beating at 28,800 vph. Included with each order are a milanese bracelet and a stretchy NATO, both of which feature quick-release tabs for easy swaps.
The dial of the Rallymaster is very tennis. The pink base is textured like a tennis court. There’s an actual net running through the middle. The subsecond is partitioned into 20-second intervals, 20 seconds being the time limit on serves. The Super-LumiNova on the subseconds is yellow, so shines like a neon tennis ball. The white line running top to bottom acts as is the center service line. The lumed hands are kept simple, as theming them may have pushed things too far. In addition to all that fun, there’s a framed date at 3 o’clock, round applied hour markers with lume, and the rally style chapter ring.
Our Thoughts
In case you thought this was a collab out of left field (left court?), then know that MdM has already done two versions of a Stan Smith collaboration. While I wasn’t familiar with Racquet, it appears to be the tennis equivalent of Hodinkee’s magazine: highfalutin, heady stuff done beautifully on a quarterly basis. Cartlon DeWoody is apparently known for his interior designs and has a love of tennis and vintage watches (and I’m sure there are circles of which I am not part wherein he is indeed known for those things). What I know is that this is a fun watch that manages to be overtly tennis-themed without screaming it.
The date window seems a bit forced, mostly due to the circle around it; I would’ve preferred the framed aperture without the glossy pink surround. I can’t speak to the use of a mesh strap; the “stretchy NATO,” as they call it, would be enough for me, but more is better. In its spot-on theming, this watch reminds me of the Bangalore Watch Co Cover Drive, which had numerous cricket-related elements. It’s fun to see a watch celebrating tennis that does so without holding back. I love the net across the dial. I love the tennis court texture. I love the yellow lume for the running seconds. And I hear a green version is coming next!
Availability
The Racquet X Maurice de Mauriac Rallymaster is priced at $2,129 and limited to 40 pieces. It ships in a custom box with a pink tennis ball. It’s available now for shipping in July, directly from Racquet.