How TUDOR’s most utilitarian watch evolves with new sizes and a desert-inspired dial fit for the Dakar Rally
There are watches designed to be admired, and then there are watches designed to be trusted. The TUDOR Ranger has always belonged to the latter category — a field watch shaped by expeditions rather than aesthetics, and refined through environments where reliability isn’t optional. For 2025, TUDOR expands the Ranger lineup not by reimagining its identity, but by reinforcing it, aligning the collection with one of the most demanding endurance events on the planet: the Dakar Rally
As Official Timekeeper of the Dakar, TUDOR isn’t simply lending its name to motorsport history; it’s reinforcing a lineage built on endurance, precision, and restraint. The rally is widely regarded as the toughest off-road motoring event on Earth, stretching across thousands of kilometres of desert, rock, and unforgiving terrain. That sense of extremity feels right at home in the Ranger story.
“TUDOR has a longstanding tradition when it comes to the expedition watch,” says a TUDOR spokesperson. “The new Ranger received an aesthetic treatment befitting of the Dakar partnership. After all, it’s the toughest motoring event on earth.”
The most visible evolution in the 2025 lineup is the introduction of the Dune White dial, now offered in both 36mm and 39mm case sizes. It’s a subtle shift, but a meaningful one — a colour that reflects environment rather than ornament. “The Dune White dials are reminiscent of some of the hues of the desert where the race takes place,” explains a TUDOR representative. In person, the tone reads warm and matte, less stark than pure white, and purpose-built for legibility under harsh light.
Alongside the Dune White models, the Ranger lineup also includes a matte black dial, also available in 36mm and 39mm, offering options for different wearer preferences. Clean, utilitarian, and uncompromising, it reinforces the idea that this watch is designed first and foremost as a tool.
The decision to expand sizing feels equally considered. At a time when watch proportions are finally being reassessed across the industry, TUDOR’s move doesn’t feel reactionary. It feels archival. “Looking back at our history, one would find adventurous watches in smaller sizes dating back to the 60s,” a TUDOR representative notes. By offering both 36mm and 39mm options, TUDOR acknowledges its past while addressing the modern wearer’s desire for balance, comfort, and everyday wearability.
While honouring its heritage-driven design, the Ranger is fully equipped with modern performance features. Over time, the model has evolved to include a TUDOR manufacture calibre (MT5400 for 36mm, MT5402 for 39mm), contemporary luminescence, and waterproofing up to 100 meters, meeting modern expectations for a field watch. These upgrades ensure that the Ranger is not simply inspired by history, but equipped for present-day use. Yet one defining design element remains untouched. “It still uses a printed dial as opposed to applied indices,” the brand says. “That has been the case since the inception of the watch.” It’s a quiet but telling choice, one that prioritizes clarity over decoration and function over flourish.
Every Ranger features a satin-brushed 316L steel case with a fixed bezel, a choice that emphasizes durability and purpose. The domed black or Dune White dial is grained and matte, with hour markers painted in Grade A Swiss Super-LumiNova® luminescent material, paired with signature Ranger hands. The watch can be worn on a satin-brushed stainless steel bracelet with TUDOR’s “T-fit” clasp for rapid adjustment, or an earth-tone tricolour fabric strap, handwoven in France for comfort and resilience.
Within TUDOR’s broader collection, which is often defined by its extensive lineup of dive watches, the Ranger occupies a quieter, more deliberate space. “It’s pared down and meant for field use, unlike TUDOR’s extensive line of dive watches,” TUDOR emphasizes. That restraint is precisely what sets it apart. The Ranger doesn’t rely on visual aggression or excess complication to communicate toughness. It simply does the job.
That philosophy aligns seamlessly with TUDOR’s Born to Dare ethos, which has always been about action rather than assertion. “Beyond the daring design, the environments that the watch is tied to are nothing short of daring,” TUDOR points out. “It’s meant for expeditions big or small, but ones that are always on the daring side.”
The expanded 2025 Ranger lineup doesn’t chase reinvention. Instead, it sharpens what has always made the Ranger essential: purpose-driven design, historical credibility, uncompromising modern performance, and the confidence to endure where others fail. In Dune White or matte black, 36mm or 39mm, the Ranger remains a watch for those who value substance over spectacle, and who understand that real daring doesn’t need to announce itself.
