TAG Heuer in Formula 1 - Grand Prix Watches

TAG Heuer was originally founded in 1860 as Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG (Heuer Watchmaking Inc.) by Edouard Heuer in St-Imier, Switzerland. Building off a foundation of early innovations in dashboard instruments and chronographs, TAG Heuer is now synonymous with motorsports and enjoy a mainstream brand recognition matched by vanishingly few watch companies. In 1999 the Swiss company was acquired by LVMH, which also owns other brands including Bulgari, Daniel Roth, Gerald Genta, Hublot, and Zenith.

Early Days of Formula 1 Timekeeping

Heuer has been present since the first season of Formula 1 where their hand wound mechanical chronographs were used, mostly by the drivers’ wives or girlfriends. This proved to vary in accuracy for obvious reasons, which Heuer eventually addressed in the 1970s by developing their ACIT (Automatic Car Identification Technology) system, which included the Heuer Centigraph HL205 which was accurate down to a thousandth of a second. Later sold to Longines, the technology eventually evolved to modern transponder timing systems that are still in use today.

Jack Heuer and Jo Siffert

The Heuer brand first officially merged with F1 when Jack Heuer, Edouard’s great-grand son, struck a forward thinking deal with Swiss F1 driver Jo Siffert. In exchange for running the Heuer logo on his car and driving suit, Siffert received a small retainer plus the rights to sell Heuer watches as an additional way to supplement his income. Siffert was often seen wearing the Heuer Autavia (ref. 1163T), appropriately nicknamed the “Siffert” Autavia.

Project 99

Heuer partnered with Hamilton and Breitling in the late 1960’s in what was known as “Project 99” to develop an automatic chronograph, releasing not only automatic versions of the previous models but also the Monaco, named after the Monaco Grand Prix. Discontinued in the mid-1970s, the model was reissued in 1998 as the CS2110/1 “Heuer Re-Edition” with a run of 5,000 watches and sans the TAG logo. The Monaco would later make a full time return to the brand’s lineup in 2003.

Scuderia Ferrari

Heuer became the timekeeping partner of Scuderia Ferrari in 1971, and out of the gates came the budget-friendly Easy-Rider line. Priced considerably lower than their other models at the time, the Heuer branding is nowhere to be found on Easy-Rider models and were instead mainly sold under the Leonidas sub-brand or Sears. The closest thing to an exception were the chrome-plated Jacky Ickx Easy-Rider editions, which sported a dial featuring the Belgian driver’s name and printed signature which came in a Heuer-badged mini helmet.

A Bullhead Jacky Ickx Easy-Rider chronograph was also released in 1972 though a similar agreement with Swiss watch company Sorna.

The partnership also produced quartz digital watches in the form of the Heuer Chronosplit Ferrari models. The 1970s proved to be successful for Heuer and Ferrari, as the F1 team enjoyed three championship seasons thanks to Niki Lauda in 1975 and 1977, and Jody Sheckter in 1979.

According to former Heritage Director of TAG Heuer Catherine Eberle-Devaux, Jack Heuer offered Carrera 1158 CHN with personalized case backs to every Ferrari driver from 1971 to 1979.

Ronnie Peterson from Jack W Heuer

In 1972, Jack Heuer gifted works March driver Ronnie Peterson an 18ct gold Heuer Carrera chronograph (ref. 1158 CHN) with the words ‘Success. Ronnie Peterson from Jack W Heuer.’ inscribed on the case back. The historic timepiece currently resides in the TAG Heuer Museum in La Chaux-de-Fonds.

In 2017, a re-edition Peterson’s watch was released in Sweden. Unlike the original, the TAG Heuer Carrera (ref. CBH2210) was made of steel but still features the same words on the case back. Only 40 pieces were made.

The following year in 2018, a 1:1 replica of Peterson’s original gold Carrera (ref. CBH2240.BG0673) was created and auctioned by TAG Heuer and Bonham’s at the “Les Grandes Marques” auction in Monaco on May 11th.

BRM and Grand Prix Circuits

Heuer also sponsored the BRM team in the same decade. Several more models named after Grand Prix racetracks were also released, including the Heuer Silverstone in 1974 and the Heuer Jarama several years later. The Heuer Monza was launched in 1976 to celebrate Ferrari’s constructors and driver’s championships from the 1975 season. The line was re-released for a few years in the early 2000s before returning in 2011 and 2016 for its 35th and 40th anniversaries, as well as a surprise reappearance in 2023 with a skeleton dial. The Heuer Montreal was announced in 1978 and enjoyed a four-year run.

TAG Heuer Formula 1

In 1985, Heuer was acquired by Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG Group) and officially became TAG Heuer on January 1, 1986. The aptly named Formula 1 line was the first to be released under the TAG Heuer banner, and would go on to be an official team watch for outfits like Tyrrell and McLaren. The TAG Group had already been a fixture in the F1 paddock as well, having sponsored the Williams team in the early 1980’s before manufacturing F1 turbochargers and becoming part owner of McLaren.

McLaren

As TAG Heuer, the watch brand enjoyed more title-winning success right out of the gates with McLaren thanks to Alain Prost (who returned as an ambassador in 2011) and Ayrton Senna, and extended their remarkable win rate with their sponsorship of the Williams team in the 1990s with another four titles thanks to Prost, Nigel Mansell, and Damon Hill.

Michael Schumacher

TAG Heuer signed a young Michael Schumacher as an ambassador during his early F1 years. While no official timepieces were produced, Schumacher did commission a custom S/el (ref. CG1123-0) to celebrate his 1994 world title. With a limited run of 20 pieces and given as gifts, the text “F1 Championship 1994” appears on the dial with the case back featuring the German driver’s signature and edition number. While this was not an official release, numerous F1 drivers would go on to have TAG Heuer special edition watches.

Official Timekeeper of Formula 1, Jo Siffert, and Ayrton Senna

TAG Heuer further strengthened their ties with Grand Prix racing by becoming the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 in 1992, and served the role until 2003. Since 1994, there have been numerous special edition Ayrton Senna watches released in honor of the late legendary Brazilian driver. Only the first one, the TAG Heuer 6000 Senna Limited Edition, included Senna’s direct involvement due to his tragic passing at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Senna edition Link models continued to be produced until 2004.

The TAG Heuer S/el Jo Siffert edition (ref. CG211S.BA0423) was launched in 1996, on the 25th anniversary of Siffert’s passing.

TAG Heuer was acquired by LVMH in 1999, and the 2000s saw models such as the Micrograph Formula 1 and an ana-digi Kirium (ref. CL111A). Neither had outwardly visible F1 branding beyond having “Official Timekeeper of the FIA F1 World Championship” engraved on the case backs.

Ukyo Katayama

Former Japanese racing driver Ukyo Katayama was sponsored by TAG Heuer during his F1 career, and the partnership was reflected in the TAG Heuer Formula 1 ‘Ukyo Katayama’ Special Edition. The line’s only driver signature model features bright colors, and the unique distinction of Katayama’s autograph being printed on the underside of the crystal.

McLaren Driver Editions

TAG Heuer’s longstanding relationship with McLaren continued until 2015, during which time saw the release of watches bearing the names of F1 greats like Mika Häkkinen, David Coulthard, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikonnen, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jenson Button, and Lewis Hamilton. Several Juan Manuel Fangio edition timepieces have also been released during this time frame as well.

Resumed Partnership with the Senna Foundation

After a ten-year pause, TAG Heuer rejoined the Senna Foundation in 2015. This time around, Senna editions appeared in the Carrera and Formula 1 lines. One model of note is the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna, launched in celebration of the 2024 Netflix series on the Brazilian driver.

Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen

Taking over from Casio in 2016, TAG Heuer became the official partner and timekeeper of the Red Bull Racing F1 team. Due to a then-shaky engine partnership with Renault, the Red Bull team opted to also rebrand their power unit as “TAG Heuer”. The unique branding choice was a nice callback to the days when F1 cars ran TAG engines, and continued until the end of the 2018 season just before Red Bull made the switch to Honda power units.

TAG Heuer have released a number of Red Bull models since the beginning of their sponsorship, starting with the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Max Verstappen Youngest Grand Prix Winner Special Edition that was only sold in the Netherlands. Red Bull editions have spanned beyond the Formula 1 line, with the Carrera line also sporting Red Bull Racing branding such as the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre Heuer 01 Skeleton Red Bull Racing Special Edition (ref. CAR2A1N.FT6100).

Bamford Watch Department

2017 also marked an official partnership between TAG heuer (along with LVMH stablemates Hublot and Zenith) and Bamford Watch Department‘s George Bamford, former renegade Rolex customizer and founder of Bamford London.

The first official production watch was the TAG Heuer Monaco Bamford, unveiled at Baselworld 2018. The first Monaco Bamford is powered by the Caliber 11 automatic chronograph movement with a limited release of only 500 pieces, and stands out thanks to Bamford’s trademark black and aqua blue colors and its unique carbon case. A limited edition Bamford Heuer Monza with a royal blue and orange color scheme has also been released, with a run of only 25 pieces. Additional steel-cased non-limited Monaco Bamford models have also since been made available: A Monaco Bamford with a Heuer 02 movement, and a Monaco Heritage Bamford which also runs on the Caliber 11. Both are available for customization. An unnamed Monaco Bamford was posted on the Bamford Watch Department Instagram account in September of 2024.

Autavia Jo Siffert Collector’s Edition

The Autavia Jo Siffert Collector’s Edition was a 2018 collaboration between TAG heuer and the now-defunct Calibre 11 blog. Limited to 100 pieces and priced similarly to a stock Autavia, the limited chronograph was launched exclusively on Calibre 11 on February 21, 2018. The case back features Siffert’s printed signature, and included both a leather strap and a steel bracelet.

Kith Heuer

On May 1, 2024, TAG Heuer and New York-based lifestyle brand Kith announced a collaboration on a new set of 10 Formula 1 watches based on first generation Formula 1 models. The Kith versions used the same mold as the originals, with some material upgrades such as a sapphire crystal and rubber straps. Seven versions limited to 250 or 350 pieces each were exclusive to Kith, two limited to 850 pieces to Heuer, and one limited to 1,350 pieces that were sold by both. All versions feature a dial that displays a “Kith Heuer” logo.

While this variant is officially named “Hawaii” (ref. WA126E.BT0009), it’s worth noting that the colorful model closely mirrors the original Ukyo Katayama Formula 1. The production run was limited to 250 pieces, and exclusive to Kith.

The collaboration was also celebrated on track by Red Bull Racing at the 2024 Miami Grand Prix with the Kith Heuer logo appearing on the cars and racing suits of both Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez.

Return as the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1

Parent company LVMH was announced on October 2, 2024 as a Global Partner of Formula 1, with Rolex having announced the end of their partnership with the series earlier in the year. TAG Heuer announced their return as the Official Timekeeper of Formula 1 on January 1, 2025 on their official social media accounts.