In 1998, the Tornado, TNG’s first Sail Racing Watch was launched after Herbert Dercksen, an inveterate professional sailor with several World, European and National titles to his name, teamed up with Frans Dingeris, a sales and marketing specialist, both of whom are from the Netherlands.
Dercksen had one thing in mind: to create a Swiss made precision regatta watch, specifically designed to comply with both the Olympic racing rules of sailing and the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) starting procedures. In collaboration with Peter Stas, the owner and Managing Director of Frédérique Constant, who is, as it happens, Herbert Dercksen’s cousin, the Tornado watch saw the light of day and met with an instant success.




SAILMASTER
Stainless steel case (44 mm) equipped with a Quartz Sailing Movement ISA 8270 / TG827. Carbon or white dial, rotating nautical bezel, sailing countdown timer, tactical planner, acoustic and optical signals, date indicator, screw-down crown and caseback, sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 100 metres.

GMT JULES VERNE
Stainless steel case (44 mm) equipped with an ETA
2893-3 / TG893 automatic movement. Carbon or white dial, engraved rotating bezel, second time zone, sailing countdown timer, tactical planner, acoustic and optical signals, date indicator, screw-down crown, sapphire crystals front and back, water-resistant to 100 metres.


Design and functionality
In compliance with the ISAF starting procedures, TNG’s regatta watches have a countdown function with both a visual and acoustic signal, making these intricate timekeepers one of the leading regatta watches in the world.
The TNG collection comprises four lines, Baltic Cup, Matchracer, Racemaster and Tornado, which are available in various colours and configurations. The Tornado, has seen further development since its introduction and is now available as a fully automatic Tornado Mark 2 and Sailmaster, which has an ISA quartz movement. There are also GMT models, Jules Verne and Oceanracer, which as Dercksen explains “are aimed at a wider sports-oriented target group.â€
The models officially launched at this year’s BaselWorld were the Racemaster Diamond and Racemaster Diamond Lady with ETA quartz movements, Racemaster MOP (Mother-of-pearl) ladies and men’s models, Baltic Cup Lady, GMT Jules Verne XL and Oceanracer XL, both with ETA automatic movements, Sailmaster XL with an ISA quartz movement and the Tornado Mark 2 with a specially developed automatic calibre (regatta watch).
TNG watches have already enjoyed success in Australia, Germany, Portugal, England, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and the USA, where the watches can be found in more than 120 sales outlets.
For the fifth year running, TNG is the Official Timekeeper of the Round Texel, the largest catamaran regatta in the world. Herbert Dercksen, partnered by Mitch Booth, are currently preparing for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens in the Tornado Class.




RACEMASTER LADY
Stainless steel case equipped with an ETA quartz movement TG471. White, orange, pink or blue mother-of-pearl dial, diamond-set bezel (46 diamonds, 0.90 carats), countdown function, chronograph, date indicator, screw-down crown and caseback, sapphire crystal, water-resistant to 100 metres.