Tennis comes to the fore with the HTD Tennis Sport
Time+TideLet’s face it: there aren’t many sports that haven’t yet been connected to horology one way or another. For example, tennis has long and deep ties to watchmaking, in no small part because a famous Swiss brand with a crown for a logo has been picking the best of the sports to be its ambassadors. But they often wear regular production models and not ones that have been specifically designed with that sport in mind. (I feel that other brands do a better job at that.) And one could argue that micro/indie brands are even better at making theme-specific watches, as we’re about to see with the HTD Tennis Sport.
The case
Although this is only the second collection we’ve taken a look at so far from HTD, the brand seems to have a distinct penchant for creating timekeeping devices with thin and elongated stainless steel bodies, as we recently discovered looking at the Hesagraph MkII Variante B. The one found on the Tennis Sport appears even more elongated as it is much thinner than its sibling, measuring a meagre 9mm in height, including the flat sapphire crystal. With a diameter of 37mm and lug-to-lug of 44mm, this model is very comfortable to wear on account of its thin profile and the fact that the mid-case/lugs segment curves down. Although it isn’t probably easy to see on the photos, the fixed bezel has a concave profile which slopes down towards the mid-case, resting perfectly flat on it, making the case look sleek.
Moreover, a predominance of polished surfaces on the case upper sections and flanks contributes to minimising the watch’s visual wrist-print, and thanks to its reasonable dimensions, the Tennis Sport feels light on the wrist even when worn on the steel bracelet. Surprisingly, perhaps, it is endowed with 100 meters of water resistance thanks to a screw-down crown and case-back, so that it makes for the perfect sports watch. Even though tennis is rarely played while it’s raining, you never know when you might need the extra water resistance! The crown is on the smaller side (5.7mm in diameter), however, it’s easy to use thanks to well-machined knurling, and the main advantage of its smaller profile is that it won’t dig into the wrist while you’re smashing the ball with all of your strength!
The dial
The dial comes with an instantly classic design: baton markers in most places, doubled at the twelve o’clock, except for three large tennis-ball shaped markers at the 3, 6, and 9, circled by the indications “Fifteen,” “Thirty,” and “Forty” after the scoring system of course. All markers double as light sources for nighttime legibility as they are constituted of multiple layers of BGW9 Super-LumiNova (totalling 0.4mm in thickness), which appear white during the day for equally efficient daytime legibility. All markers are framed by thin black lines to make them pop from the matte green dial, which comes with a tennis-ball-like texture – in other words, that of the felt covering the pressurised rubber core of the bouncing objects.
Another subtle nod to tennis can be found sandwiched between the one and 11 o’clock markers and the railroad minute track in the “+” and “-“ signs for when you gain or lose points. The latter are very small and easy to miss, though fun, an adjective that perfectly describes what the HTD Tennis Sport is all about. For the rest of the dial, we find rounded, baton-style hour and minute hands and a needle-shaped seconds hand, all three fully polished, which contrast nicely with the otherwise matte dial. In addition to this ‘Erba’ green colour, HTD also offers the Tennis Sport in Cemento (blue) and Terra Rossa (orange), in other words, all three materials tennis courts can be made out of. Surprisingly, there isn’t a yellow version that would have made for a direct connection to the felt tennis ball.
The bracelet
The HTD Tennis Sport is shipped on a three-link stainless steel bracelet, which is 20mm wide at the lugs and tapers down to 16mm at the double-pusher deployant clasp. The latter is thin and light and equipped with four points of micro-adjustment. The links are held together with screws, and there are no quick-release spring-bars and no drilled lugs, I assume to insure that the bracelet doesn’t come off whilst competing in the French Open.
The movement
Lastly, HTD opted for the Miyota 9039 calibre, a premium movement from the Japanese brand that’s known for being thin and reliable, so the perfect choice to make a thin sports watch. The 9039 ticks at 28,800 BPH (4Hz) has a stated accuracy of -10/+30 seconds out-of-the-box but tends to generally run in the single-digit daily deviation. This calibre also comes with 42 hours of power reserve.
HTD Tennis Sport pricing and availability
All versions of the HTD Tennis Sport are readily available from the brand’s website with immediate shipping. Price: €678.69/A$1,194
| Brand | HTD |
| Model | Tennis Sport Erba (as tested) |
| Case Dimensions | 37mm (D) x 9mm (T) x 44mm (LTL) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire |
| Dial | Matte green/blue/orange |
| Lug Width | 20mm |
| Strap | Three-link steel bracelet |
| Movement | Miyota 9039, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 42 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds |
| Availability | Available now |
| Price | €678.69 A$1,194 |
Made in partnership with HTD. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.