INSIGHT-RADAR: News Briefs from the Watch Industry
New partnerships, extraordinary expeditions, and prominent brand ambassadors—the latest Insight Radar provides a concise summary of the most important news from the watch industry.
This time, Insight Radar is focusing on Ball, Richard Mille, and Tudor. Ball is supporting a record-breaking attempt in the subarctic, Richard Mille is welcoming Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar, and Tudor is expanding its brand family to include four of the world’s most successful trail runners.
Ball x The Outer Edge Polar Challenge
The Swiss Ball Watch Company, with roots in the United States, is the official watch partner of The Outer Edge Polar Challenge (OEPC). Its founder, Australian adventurer and expedition leader Charles Werb, aims to set several world records in Iceland. The expedition will use the SWOOSH Snowsailer—a fully wind-powered vehicle designed specifically for polar conditions and winner of the Red Dot Design Award. The expedition will be documented through a documentary, livestream, and real-time telemetry.
“The OEPC is about testing performance where failure has real-world consequences—not under controlled laboratory conditions, but under the harshest conditions on our planet,” said Werb.
The “Engineer Hydrocarbon EOD” serves as the expedition’s official watch. Developed under license from the United States Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit (EOD), it is considered the brand’s most robust mechanical wristwatch to date and can withstand a free fall from a height of ten meters or an impact of up to 50,000 g. ballwatch.com
Position: Hydrocarbon EOD Engineer
Movement: RR1101-CSL, COSC-certified, automatic, 42-hour power reserve
Functions: Hours, Minutes, Central Second Hand, Date
Case: Titanium, 42 × 13.7 mm, unidirectional rotating bezel made of stainless steel or ceramic, patented shock protection system, crown guard, Mu-metal inner case for protection against magnetic fields up to 1,000 gauss, water-resistant to 30 bar
Dial: Black
Bracelet: Titanium or stainless steel
Special Features: SpringLOCK® shock protection system for the balance spring, SpringSEAL® shock protection system for fine adjustment, special movement oil for a temperature range of −45 °C to +80 °C, Tritium microtubes on the dial, hands, and bezel ensure optimal readability at all times without an external power source.
MSRP: €3,832 or €4,487
Richard Mille x Tadej Pogačar
The Richard Mille brand welcomes the newly crowned Tour de France champion, Tadej Pogačar, to its family of partners, thereby reaffirming its long-standing commitment to elite cycling—including its partnership with UAE Team Emirates, to which the Slovenian cycling star also belongs.
His aggressive riding style has helped him achieve an extraordinary record: five Tour de France victories, a Giro d’Italia win, two world championship titles, and 13 victories in the Monuments of cycling. In 2024, he became only the third cyclist ever—and the first since 1987—to win cycling’s “Triple Crown” by winning the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the Road World Championships in the same year. In 2025, he became the first cyclist to win both the Tour de France and the road race at the UCI Road World Championships in two consecutive years. He also holds the record for the most weeks at the top of the UCI World Road Cycling Rankings.
Pogačar achieved these successes while wearing the Richard Mille “RM 67-02” on his wrist. The watch is extremely comfortable to wear and is specifically designed to meet the needs of elite athletes. richardmille.com
Tudor x Trailrunner
Tudor welcomes four elite trail runners as new members of the Tudor family: Courtney Dauwalter, Miao Yao, Rémi Bonnet, and Baptiste Chassagne.
Courtney Dauwalter is considered the most successful female ultra-runner of our time. The American has won the UTMB three times (2019, 2021, and 2023) and has claimed multiple victories at the Western States 100 and the Hardrock 100. In 2023, she made history by becoming the first person ever to win the three most prestigious 100-mile races—the Western States 100, the Hardrock 100, and the UTMB—all in a single year.
Miao Yao is one of China’s most successful female trail runners. Her greatest achievements include winning the CCC at the 2018 UTMB Mont-Blanc, as well as other victories in races on the UTMB World Series, including the OCC at the UTMB Mont-Blanc (2025) and the Ultra-Trail Australia by UTMB (2026).
Rémi Bonnet is one of Switzerland’s most successful mountain and trail runners. He won the overall title in the Golden Trail World Series in 2022 and 2023, has won the Marathon du Mont-Blanc multiple times, and secured two world championship titles in ski mountaineering in 2025.
Baptiste Chassagne is one of France’s most successful trail and ultra runners. His greatest achievements include the French Trail Long championship title (2023), second place at the 2024 UTMB Mont-Blanc, and victory at the legendary 2025 Diagonale des Fous. tudorwatch.com
