TAG Heuer’s Return to Formula 1 and What It Means for Fans
TAG Heuer and Formula 1 go together like petrol and tarmac. From the days of Jack Heuer timing races with stopwatches to seeing the TAG Heuer logo on some of the most dominant cars in F1 history, the brand’s motorsport legacy is the stuff of legend.
After stepping back from title sponsorships in recent years, with that iconic status being held by Rolex and the famous giant fluted bezel Rolex countdown clock starting the warm-up lap, TAG Heuer is making a return to the sport that helped define its identity.
What’s behind this resurgence? And what does it mean for those of us who love both motorsport and all things horological? We wanted to dig into the past, present, and future of TAG Heuer in Formula 1 and share why we believe this partnership has the potential to deliver some incredibly special watches.
TAG Heuer’s legacy in Formula 1
There aren’t many watch brands that can claim a motorsport pedigree quite like TAG Heuer. Before being acquired by Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG) in the 1980s, Heuer had already established itself as the go-to brand for precision timing in racing. The connections ran deep:
McLaren partnership (1985-2015)
The golden years. From Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna to Lewis Hamilton’s debut in F1, TAG Heuer was right there, front and centre.
The sponsorship came with the natural promotion of watches out of the lineup at the time. Lewis Hamilton was famously spotted wearing a TAG Heuer Formula 1 with an orange dial and a black bezel. Reference number CAH1113.BA0850 was a 41mm quartz watch, which nowadays looks neo-vintage in aesthetic, but every bit as influential, but more to come on that later.
Official timekeeper of F1 (1992-2003)
Before Rolex took over, TAG Heuer was the official timekeeper of Formula 1, ensuring precision timing at the highest level.
Through the years, TAG Heuer’s Formula 1 collection – bold, brash, and built for speed – became a fan favourite, cementing its status as the go-to motorsport-inspired timepiece for enthusiasts.
The fan favourite in 1993 and recently revived TAG Formula 1 by KITH, the iconic colourful models are so painfully 90’s that you just have to love them. Whilst prices did rise due to a wider audience, you can still find yourself a vintage bargain.
Red Bull Racing (2016-Current)
A new era, sponsoring Max Verstappen’s rise to dominance and even branding Red Bull’s Renault-built power units as ‘TAG Heuer’ engines. Whilst racing dominance has become common in recent years (proceeding Mercedes dominance for many years), it has almost renewed focus on creating bold and cutting-edge designs.
Away from TAG Heuer, the famous IWC – Mercedes partnership has brought us multiple watch iterations sporting Petronas colourways. From the IWC Pilot Chronograph reference IW388108, and more recently the IWC Mark 20 pilot watch adorned on the wrists of Andrea Kimi Antonelli during the F1 2025 launched party in London. Even Toto Wolff was seen wearing his new watch in collaboration with IWC, the Big Pilot Shock Absorber costing an eye-watering six figures, there is no shortage of innovation (or investment) here.
Like IWC, TAG Heuer have been using this partnership to strategically release variations on existing models. I’ve picked a few of my favourites of the years of watches found on various Red Bull team members:
Christian Horner – Monza Flyback Chronograph
Love, hate or judge him, but keeping this strictly to appreciating his timepiece – Christian Horner, the Team Principal of Red Bull Racing, has a lasting and deep personal connection to the TAG Heuer Monza watch. Horner purchased one from Nice airport early in his career. In 2023, TAG Heuer gifted him a modern interpretation with a quite astonishing complication, the Monza Flyback Chronograph skeleton. It has been spotted on his wrist more often than not, and takes pride and place on his wrist whilst in the pits, on the pitlane or attending media events.
Max Verstappen – The Lucky Monaco
Verstappen and Monaco, the race & the watch have become an enormously successful pairing. Since his first World Championship win in 2021, he was spotted wearing a TAG Heuer Monaco Titan, with a silver dial and black sub dials – the crisp look went well with that big trophy. Recently and keeping with the skeleton theme, TAG Heuer created a ‘Piece Unique’ to celebrate all 3 (at the time..!) world championship wins, with the year of each win stated on the hour counter sub dial. It took TAG Heuer over 12 hours to customise this watch for max, highlighting the exquisite craftsmanship at play.
Why TAG Heuer left and why it’s returning
Marketing shifts: With a younger CEO in Frédéric Arnault, TAG Heuer broadened its scope to include collaborations outside motorsport – think smartwatches, Super Mario partnerships, and golf sponsorships. With a post pandemic boom, F1 has attracted serious investment and TAG felt it was time to increase their presence, from title winning car to title series sponsor.
Cost considerations: Sponsoring an F1 team isn’t cheap. Reports suggest that TAG Heuer’s Red Bull deal was upwards of $25 million per year. This feels a drop in the ocean compared to the publicity received thanks to recent success.
Rumoured cost of the title partnership? A £150m per annum deal for 10 years. To make that number hit, precisely 159,574 TAG Heuer Monaco’s costing £9,400 each.
Luxury brands in F1: Richard Mille has Ferrari, IWC has Mercedes, and Rolex is still the official timekeeper. TAG Heuer’s absence was noticeable, and with the brand’s DNA rooted in racing, it was only a matter of time before it jumped back in. The new shift means that TAG can capitalise on other brand draws into the sport.
The future of TAG Heuer in F1
TAG Heuer’s history with Formula 1 suggests that this isn’t just a short-term play – it’s a long-term investment in a sport that fits its identity like a racing glove. TAG Heuer’s return to F1 isn’t just about logos on cars or big toys like watches above the starting blocks. It’s about bringing more excitement to fans on both sides of the motorsport and watch-collecting divide.
What do we hope for watch collectors?
The Formula 1 collection is primed for a refresh, and you can bet there’ll be new limited editions inspired by this renewed F1 connection. Could we see a modern tribute to the Senna-era timepieces?
Early 2025, we saw the start of the new TAG Formula 1 design language. An angular 44mm case in grade 2 titanium sand brushed case, it’s pretty, very pretty. Whilst slightly large, the new design has brought the TAG Formula 1 watch into the modern era.
What could we see next?
We are hoping TAG use their elevated pedestal on the world stage to showcase cutting edge designs and make a play to use F1 derived technology and materials across multiple watch lines. It is a given that the Formula 1 or Carrera lines will continue to receive new models, but our wild card picks would be these:
TAG Heuer Silverstone
Whilst no official announcement has been made yet, the original Heuer Silverstone chronograph was introduced in 1974, featuring a distinctive square case with rounded edges, inspired by the Silverstone racing circuit. In 2010, to commemorate the brand’s 150th anniversary, TAG Heuer released a limited-edition reissue of the Silverstone, producing only 1,860 pieces in each of two dial colours: blue and brown.
The case shape is smoother than a recently laid track, think Singapore in the wet. If TAG could leverage the case shape and naming heritage with a modern movement and expanded colour options (Red Bull blue anyone?), it would be an instant hit.
TAG Heuer Monza
The Skeletonised Monza is cool, but it would be slightly garish and hard to read for everyday wear. I would like to see TAG Heuer bring back a more subdued model, like the older Heuer’s which had solid dials, with hands that pop using colour. Stainless steel (with or without DLC), blue dials and hands – the dream.
The final lap
TAG Heuer’s return to Formula 1 isn’t just a nostalgic nod to its past, it’s a bold statement of intent. With a legacy deeply rooted in motorsport, the brand’s resurgence signals a renewed commitment to innovation, precision, and passion. As the partnership evolves, we hope we watch enthusiasts will see fresh designs, cutting-edge materials, and perhaps even revivals of iconic models like the Silverstone or a refined Monza.
More than just sponsorship, this is a fusion of two worlds that have many synergies. Racing and horology, where speed meets craftsmanship. For fans of both, the future of TAG Heuer in Formula 1 promises to be nothing short of exhilarating.
Whether you are a fan of TAG Heuer, Red Bull or Formula 1 in general, having horological sponsorship at the forefront of our screens, catching the eyes and grabbing the attention of collectors and non-watch collectors alike, it can only be a positive for the industry we love.
