Tudor to time endurance rally

The Swiss watchmaker Tudor has been selected as the timekeeper for the 2026 rallies staged by the Historic Endurance Rally Organisation and The Endurance Rally Association (HERO-ERA).

The HERO-ERA events are a form of endurance rallying where competitors pit themselves against the timekeeper’s clock, with “on time” results taking priority over fast stage times. The organisation says rallies take place in some of the harshest and most varied environments in the world, ranging from the high passes of the Andes to the wet valleys of Wales, and from the heat of the Sahara Desert to the Arctic. Events can last up to 43 days and cover many thousands of kilometres, making accuracy and consistency central to success.

Tudor says the values of HERO-ERA match their own, including resilience, a can-do spirit and mechanical know-how. HERO-ERA rallies are often run in cars made before 1991, and in many cases, long before that.

One of the flagship events is the Peking to Paris Rally, first driven in 1907. The original challenge was prompted by a question posed by French newspaper Le Matin: “Is there anyone who will undertake to travel this summer from Paris to Peking by automobile?”

Several competitors responded, with Prince Scipione Borghese reaching Paris from Peking first after travelling across mostly uncharted territory with very few paved roads, completing the journey in about eight weeks. HERO-ERA says the event is now considered the world’s most adventurous motoring race, drawing drivers who want to test their endurance and decision-making.

HERO-ERA positions itself as the world’s foremost global historic motoring events company, running short, medium and long-form rallies for classic and vintage cars. The organisation’s Peking to Paris Motor Challenge is a 37-day event covering 14,800 km across the world’s largest landmass. HERO-ERA says the rally follows the wheel tracks and echoes the pioneering spirit of the 1907 competitors, and uses the slogan “Authentic Motoring Adventures – Forged by Pioneers”.

The event calendar includes training rallies and shorter events, including its own championship, the HERO Challenge, as well as medium-length rallies such as the RAC Rally of the Tests. Longer events listed by the organisation include the Classic Marathon series, the Badawï Trial in the Arabian Peninsula, the Gaucho Trail across South America and the Icelandic Saga.

Tudor’s “Born To Dare” signature was launched in 2017. The company says the campaign focuses on individuals who have achieved extraordinary feats on land, on ice, in the air and underwater, with a Tudor watch on their wrists. It links the signature to the vision of founder Hans Wilsdorf, who manufactured Tudor watches to withstand extreme conditions and suit daring lifestyles.

Founded in the early twentieth century, Tudor traces its origins to 1926, when “The Tudor” was first registered as a brand on behalf of Rolex founder Hans Wilsdorf. Wilsdorf officially set up Montres TUDOR SA in 1946, with the aim of producing watches that respect the traditional Rolex philosophy of quality at a more affordable price point.