Photo Report: Tudor and Red Bull Take to the Skies

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being in the watch industry, it’s that you never know when you’ll have the opportunity to do something unique, and that saying “yes” to something without having all of the details might result in a rare, or even once in a lifetime experience. With that in mind, let me set the stage for how I found myself 1,000 feet above Manhattan in a 1958 DC-6B, piloted by The Flying Bulls. Early this month, I received a rather vague invitation to a ”Red Bull Flying Bulls thing with Tudor” immediately after returning from our Chicago Windup Watch Fair, and that it “involves a very early morning flight on a very old plane”. While I’d usually ask a million questions and try to get every detail that I could before committing to something, in the interest of being just a touch more spontaneous, I couldn’t respond “I’m intrigued, count me in” fast enough. 

As we got closer to the event, I’d come to learn that the “old plane” in question was a beautifully restored 1958 DC-6B and the “very early morning” meant arriving at the Meatpacking Tudor Boutique at 7 AM. Once everyone arrived, our small crew began heading up to White Plains FBO, which I later learned was named Million Air. Not long into the ride, we were presented with a briefcase of loaner watches, ranging from the Tudor Ranger in 36mm “Dune” and 39mm “Black”, or the Black Bay 58 GMT on either the new five link bracelet or classic rubber strap. While I absolutely loved the look of the new 5-link bracelet on the Black Bay 58, I felt called to the rubber strap due to the expected high of 97 degrees, a decision I’d later greatly appreciate.

After arriving to the FBO, we were immediately greeted by Red Bull’s “Big Poppa”, a rolling DJ stage/speaker rig (built on a long wheel-base Defender frame for you car nerds), a collection of mini fridges with enough Red Bull to fuel a small army, and an impressive collection of Red Bull memorabilia that ranged from a miniature SailGP models, wing suits, a cobranded Tudor x Flying Bulls flight suit, and even Verstappen’s F1 Car. We also had an opportunity to step out onto the tarmac and see this DC-6B up close and even chat with Eskil Amdal, CEO of the Flying Bulls and pilot for today’s flight. Would you be surprised to learn he was wearing a Tudor Black Bay GMT as well? I couldn’t see any additional markings on the dial, but I hope there’s a wicked engraving on the caseback. From a physical perspective, the DC-6B comes in at 29.2 ft tall, 105.6 ft long, and has a wingspan of 117.5 ft. It’s powered by four massive Pratt & Whitney engines, each spinning a propeller that measures just over 13 feet in diameter. While I’ll admit that I’m not the biggest aviation aficionado, it’s hard to describe just how impressive it is to see this plane in person, let alone walk up and around it. As Million Air is an active FBO near multiple active runways, we were limited to where we could walk, and unfortunately, I couldn’t find an angle to capture the plane in all its glory.

After a short safety briefing, we began loading into the plane, all vying to get the best possible seats for the ride. As boarding finished and they fired up the engines, I couldn’t wait for us to get off the ground. As we flew down the Hudson River, we were treated to wonderful views of Yankee Stadium, Central Park, the George Washington Bridge, and I was even able to spot my apartment building along the West Side. While we approached downtown, I stepped into the cockpit, snagging my personal favorite image of the day: One World Trade center, framed by instrument panels and the pilots/engineers of the Flying Bulls. I knew we were flying rather low, but I didn’t realize just how low we were and how tall some of the towers in the city are. Shortly after passing by, we banked around the Statue of Liberty, and began heading back up the river. It was at this time that I took a moment to sit and really take in the experience, where two things became abundantly clear to me. First, the team who restored this plane must have installed a hefty amount of noise reduction material, as the noise level inside the cabin was drastically less than I expected. I actually found myself wishing it was a touch louder, so I could have really heard those engines roar. Secondly, while this plane contained some awesome amenities – wood paneling, leather seats, mid cabin galley – the one feature it didn’t come with was air conditioning. It might have been a rather warm ride, but I’d trade being warm any day for the views we had, and I was quite thankful for Tudor’s T-fit clasp.

At the end of the day, I’m safely back on the ground with plenty of photos and fond memories of this experience. I’m unbelievably thankful to the Tudor team for extending an invite our way, especially when availability was so limited. As the Tudor and Red Bull relationship has birthed a number of watches – the Alinghi FXDs, the “Carbon 26” Black Bay Chrono, and Pelagos FXD Chrono to name a few – I can’t help but wonder if there’s something in the works with to celebrate this new partnership with The Flying Bulls. Perhaps we’ll see some kind of special Black Bay 58 GMT in the future, only time will tell. If and when something is announced, you can bet I’ll be interested in checking it out. Tudor