TAG Heuer in Formula 1 and MotoGP

TAG Heuer was originally founded in 1860 as Uhrenmanufaktur Heuer AG (Heuer Watchmaking Inc.) by Edouard Heuer in St-Imier, Switzerland. Heuer notably patented his first chronograph in 1882, and by 1911 also had a patent for the first dashboard chronograph for use in aircraft and automobiles. His first wrist chronograph was introduced in 1914.

Project 99

Building off a foundation of early innovations in dashboard instruments and chronographs, Heuer had become a popular brand with racing drivers by the 1950s. Heuer partnered with Hamilton and Breitling in the late 1960’s in what was known as “Project 99” to develop an automatic chronograph.

TAG Group and LVMH

Heuer was acquired by Techniques d’Avant Garde (TAG Group) in 1985 and renamed as TAG Heuer. The full name was retained after a 1999 acquisition 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 connected with the F1 world when Jack Heuer, Edouard’s great-grand son, struck a forward thinking deal with Swiss F1 driver Jo Siffert in 1969. 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.

The Heuer logo appears on Jo Siffert’s March 701 in 1970 . (Photo: Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons)

Heuer Monaco

Despite not being licensed, the Heuer Monaco remains an important part of the brand’s racing history. Introduced in 1969 in the wake of Project 99’s completion, the model was named after the Monaco Grand Prix and was notable for its square shaped case. Discontinued in the mid-1970s, the model was later reissued in 1998 as the CS2110/1 “Heuer Re-Edition” with a run of 5,000 watches.

The Monaco would later make a full time return to the brand’s lineup in 2003, and occasionally included examples that does include official licensing such as the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph I F1®, which bears the official F1 logo on the dial.

Scuderia Ferrari

Heuer became the timekeeping partner of Scuderia Ferrari in 1971, and out of the gates came the budget-friendly Easy-Rider line of quartz chronographs. Sold under the Leonidas sub-brand, Sears, and Mathey Prevot under a private label agreement, the Easy-Rider was priced considerably lower than their other models at the time. The Heuer branding is nowhere to be found on the dial or its monocoque case, but does appear on the Leonidas packaging.

Jacky Ickx Easy-Rider

Amongst the collection was the chrome-plated Jacky Ickx Easy-Rider, which had a dial featuring the Belgian driver’s name and printed signature. The signature chronographs were available in black (ref. 429.801N), white (ref. 429.801W), red (ref. 429.801R), and blue (ref. 429.801B) dials. They were notably sold in Heuer-branded miniature helmets, despite the brand logo’s absence across the product line.

While not documented anywhere as fact, including on the company website, TAG Heuer training manager Alexios Georgiou has verbally confirmed that the Jacky Ickx Easy-Rider was the first ever officially licensed F1 driver edition watch.

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

Heuer Chronosplit Ferrari

The 1970s proved to be successful for Heuer and Ferrari, resulting in three championship seasons with Niki Lauda in 1975 and 1977, and Jody Sheckter in 1979. The partnership produced quartz digital watches in the form of the Heuer Chronosplit Ferrari models, released between 1975 and 1977 according to Alexios Georgiou.

Carlos Reutemann drives the Ferrari 312T2 in 1977. (Photo: Clyde94, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

According to former Heritage Director of TAG Heuer Catherine Eberle-Devaux, Jack Heuer offered a Carrera 1158 CHN with personalized case backs to every Ferrari driver during their partnership 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 sold by TAG Heuer and Bonham’s at the “Les Grandes Marques” auction in Monaco on May 11th.

A modern re-edition in 18ct gold was also released in November of 2023.

Cavallino Helmet Clocks

Due to under-performing sales of the Jacky Ickx Easy-Rider, Heuer repurposed its miniature helmet packaging into a line of F1 Cavallino helmet clocks in the mid-1970s. Drivers featured in the lineup included Mario Andretti, James Hunt, Jacky Ickx, Niki Lauda, Jochen Mass, Alain Prost, Clay Regazzoni, and Jody Scheckter.

The Cavallino line curiously also included a model for 1975 350cc Grand Prix motorcycle racing world champion Johnny Cecotto, who would go on to race in the 500cc class from 1976 until 1980. While Cecotto would eventually race in Formula 1, this represented what appeared to be an extremely rare case of a watch brand associating with two-wheeled Grand Prix racing during this era.

Cavallino helmet clock boxes also included an image of two unidentified motorcycle racers.

BRM and Grand Prix Circuits

Heuer also sponsored British Racing Motors (BRM) 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.

Piaget Group and Nouvelle Lemania

Piaget Group acquired control of Heuer in 1982, with 20% taken by Nouvelle Lemania. For the next few years, various models were powered by Lemania movements such as the Carrera, Cortina, and Silverstone.

TAG Heuer Formula 1

TAG Group’s acquisition of the brand resulted in a rebranding to TAG Heuer on January 1, 1986. The Formula 1 line was released in the same year, and would go on to become the 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.

According to Nicholas Biebuyck, heritage director at TAG Heuer, among the original lineup was a red-cased model (ref. 385.513) that paid homage to the brand’s past ties with Ferrari as well as the then current Marlboro-liveried McLaren team.

Despite the naming, an official licensing structure is not clearly documented

McLaren

Heuer had started a partnership with McLaren in 1985. As TAG Heuer, the watch brand enjoyed more title-winning success with McLaren, with Alain Prost (who also later returned as an ambassador in 2011) and Ayrton Senna at the wheel. The partnership would continue until the end of 2015.

Ayrton Senna drives a McLaren MP4/4in 1988. (Photo: by Instituto Ayrton Senna, licensed under CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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, which was immediately followed by the discontinuation of the Formula 1 line. During the few years between then and the end of the Official Timekeeper role, TAG Heuer released models such as the Micrograph Formula 1 and an ana-digi Kirium F1 (ref. CL111A.FT6002). Neither had outwardly visible F1 branding, beyond having “Official Timekeeper of the FIA F1 World Championship” engraved on the case backs.

The Formula 1 line returned to the TAG Heuer catalog in 2004.

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. This rare special edition has been documented as a 1992 release on TAG Heuer Enthusiast.

500cc/MotoGP: Norifumi Abe

Japanese Grand Prix motorcycle racer Norifumi Abe wore a TAG Heuer logo on his leathers during his 1994 wildcard appearances, and from 1995 until 2003 as a full time competitor. The logo also featured on his helmet in 1994 and 1995. Having ridden for a number of teams during his racing career, it appears likely that Abe had some form of personal sponsorship. However, details of the arrangement are not well documented.

Norifumi Abe on the Roberts Marlboro Yamaha YZR500. (Photo: by Rikita, licensed under CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

Motorcycle racing mechanic Masahiko Iwata, who has previously worked with Abe, has recounted in an interview that he was gifted a TAG Heuer watch by the Japanese rider after winning the 2000 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix.

Official Watch of the Monaco Grand Prix

TAG Heuer began serving as the Official Watch the Monaco Grand Prix in 2011, which also marked the first time that the race had a title partner. In the following years, special editions were released such as the TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 1887 Automatic Chronograph Monaco Grand Prix 43mm (ref. CAR2A83.FT6033).

Official Chronograph and Timing Partner of the FIM

In late 2010, TAG Heuer was named the Official Chronograph and Timing Partner of the International Motorcycling Federation (Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme), the governing body of world championship motorcycle racing which included MotoGP. However, MotoGP’s longstanding partnership with Tissot remained uninterrupted.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 (refs. CAU1119.BA0858 and CAU1119.FT6024), which features “Moto Racing” on the 6 o’clock subdial where “Formula 1” would normally appear plus the FIM logo on the case back, was likely a result of the partnership. According to the TAG Heuer Enthusiast blog, the model could be found in the 2013-2014 catalogue.

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, Jenson Button, and Lewis Hamilton. Several Juan Manuel Fangio edition timepieces have also been released during this time frame as well.

McLaren 1974 Edition

The TAG Heuer Carrera McLaren 1974 Limited Edition (Ref. CAR2A12) was launched in 2014 to celebrate the 40th anniversary of McLaren’s first world championship, which was won with Emerson Fittipaldi. 1,974 pieces were produced.

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. As of 2025, Senna edition models continue to be produced.

Rio Haryanto

TAG Heuer announced a partnership with Rio Haryanto in November of 2015. Haryanto is the first and so far only Indonesian Formula 1 driver, who made 12 starts for Manor Racing in 2016. No known driver edition models were released.

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 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. This limited regional release commeorated the Dutch driver’s win on his Red Bull debut at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

Red Bull editions have also 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), released in 2017.

Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Daniel Ricciardo on the podium at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix. (Photo: Morio, licensed under CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

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.

Sergio Pérez Edition

The Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillon Sergio Pérez Edition (ref. CAR5A55) was created to mark the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix. Only two were made, with one going to Pérez and the other to raise funds for the Checo Pérez Foundation.

The Mexican driver was also gifted a custom black skeleton dial Monaco after his victory at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Oracle Red Bull Racing

Later in the same year, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Oracle Red Bull Racing (ref. CAZ101AZ.FT8090) was released to celebrate the team’s 20th season of Formula 1 competition, with a limited edition of 3,000 pieces.

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.

A new line of Formula 1 models, including a Red Bull Racing special edition, were also announced at the start of the year. New Senna editions of the updated Formula 1 platform was announced on November 4, in 43mm and 44mm.

Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport F1® 75th Anniversary Limited Edition

TAG Heuer first announced the Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport F1® 75th Anniversary Limited Edition on October 14, 2025 via press communications. Announced as a limited run of 75 pieces, the chronograph featured a titanium case, an openwork dial, and powered by a Calibre TH20-09 Tourbillon. The tachymeter bezel also features the F1 logo, which appears to be the first time that contemporary Formula 1 branding has appeared on a watch.

Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Formula 1 Limited Edition

A Formula 1 edition of the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph was announced at Watches & Wonders 2025. Features include a white ceramic case, the F1 logo on the dial, David Croft’s famous “Lights Out & Away We Go” phrase split between the two subdials, and “Formula 1 Limited Edition” on the rotor. Ten pieces were made.

Summary of Releases

1971

Heuer establishes a partnership with Ferrari, followed shortly by the Jacky Ickx Easy-Rider.

1977-78

Several Chronosplit Ferrari models were released during this time, as the team partnership continued.

1985

An Emerson Fittipaldi limited edition chronograp from the Titanium Collection was introduced.

1992 (approximate)

The Formula 1 ‘Ukyo Katayama’ Special Edition was released around this time.

1994

The TAG Heuer 6000 Senna Limited Edition was introduced, the only signature model to have Ayrton Senna's personal input.

1996

The TAG Heuer S/el Jo Siffert edition was unveiled to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Swiss driver’s death.

1998-99

McLaren, Mika Häkkinen, and David Coulthard edition models were released during this time frame.

2000

Various Micrograph and Kirium models with case backs denoting “Official Timekeeper of the FIA F1 World Championship” were introduced.

2005 (approximate)

A limited edition Formula 1 with a Fundación Fórmula Sonrisas (Formula Smiles) logo was produced around this time.

2007

Aquaracer driver editions were launched for Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso.

2008

The Formula 1 Grande Date Chronograph Kimi Räikkönen Limited Edition was celebrated the Finnish driver’s 2007 world championship win.

2009

The Carrera Lewis Hamilton Limited Edition celebrated the British driver’s 2008 world title.

2011

Carrera Limited Edition Ring-Master driver editions for Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, and Alain Prost were released in Japan.

2014

The Carrera McLaren 1974 Limited Edition was released to mark the 40th anniversary of the British team's first world title.

2015-19

A partnership with the Senna Foundation was re-established, with Ayrton Senna editions returning across various product lines.

2016

The Formula 1 James Hunt Limited Edition was released as part of TAG Heuer's sponsorship of the Goodwood Festival of Speed. An official partnership with Red Bull Racing was also established this year, marked by team and Max Verstappen edition releases.

2017

A steel re-edition of Ronnie Peterson's Heuer Carrera was released.

2018

A 1:1 replica of Ronnie Peterson's original 18ct gold Carrera was auctioned off in Monaco, and the Autavia Jo Siffert Collector’s Edition was also created in a collaboration with the now-defunct Calibre 11 blog.

2021

A Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillon Sergio Pérez Edition marked the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix.

2024

The Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon x Senna was released to celebrate the Netflix series on Ayrton Senna. A Formula 1 Red Bull Racing edition was also released to mark the team's 20th year in Formula 1.

2025

The Carrera Chronograph Tourbillon Extreme Sport F1® 75th Anniversary Limited Edition and Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph Formula 1 Limited Edition were announced.