Grass lawns, white attire, and juicy red strawberries — it’s Wimbledon season! And right on cue, Zurich-based watch company Maurice de Mauriac has released its latest tennis-inspired watch collaboration with Racquet magazine, the Rallymaster III. Unveiled at the Wimbledon AG House during the first week of July, the limited-edition Maurice de Mauriac x Racquet Rallymaster III watch maintains the model’s signature design traits but in a new “green over tan” colorway befitting of The Championships.
The Rallymaster III sports a brushed stainless steel case that measures 39mm in diameter, 12mm thick, and 47mm lug-to-lug; these are solid on-paper proportions for most wrists. The winding crown is fashioned from 18k rose gold — a first for the Rallymaster line — and it screws securely down into the case to ensure the watch’s 100-meter water resistance. As expected, both sides of the case are furnished with sapphire crystals with the dial-side one featuring a magnifying lens above the date window.
Naturally, the olive green textured dial is inspired by traditional tennis lawns, complete with a white net stretching across the middle. There are rose-gold hour and minute hands at the center while the small seconds hand sweeps around its multi-colored subdial at 9 o’clock divided into 20-second segments. The rose gold tennis ball-shaped indices are coated with blue-glowing Swiss Super-LumiNova, as are the pair of hands, net edges, and four cardinal points on the outer minute track. In contrast, the lume on the running seconds counter glows bright yellow, not unlike a tennis ball.
Like the first two editions, the Rallymaster III was designed by Carlton DeWoody, a Los Angeles-based creative best known for interior design. Aside from tennis, the watch also borrows design cues from graphic watch dials of the 60s and 70s. Commenting on his work, DeWoody explains, “I aimed to bridge past and present, reinterpreting classic design with a contemporary lens. I have an affinity for vintage chronographs, often seeking out references with unusual patterns, typefaces, and other graphic details. The colorful sub-dials and patterning of yachting and racing dials were the perfect inspiration for the partnership”.
The back of the watch carries on the sporting theme, featuring the retro-styled Rallymaster logo comprising green rackets framing a pink ball, all of which partially obscure the Swiss Caliber Landeron 24 (based on ETA 2824) that lies beneath powering the piece. The automatic movement operates at 28,800 beats per hour and supplies 40 hours of power reserve.
Pulling the preppy aesthetic together are the tan straps with white stitching accompanying the Rallymaster III. There are two, in fact; one in grained calf leather and the other in stretchy elastic. Both benefit from quick-release systems for easy strap swapping. The extra strap comes nestled in the watch box that’s also home to a pink tennis ball.
Thematic watches can sometimes be cheesy but that is not what we have here. Despite the heavy-handed tennis cues, I think the Rallymaster III is a good-looking watch that’s nicely executed, and peppered with just enough quirks to be interesting without being too costume-y. The Maurice de Mauriac x Racquet Rallymaster III watch retails for $2,400 USD and is limited to only 100 pieces. For more information, please visit the brand’s website.
