The Netflix original documentary ‘Drive to Survive’ aired for as many as eight seasons thanks to its immense popularity and with the release of the F1 movie public interest in F1 has also risen in Korea. F1 boasts 800 million fans worldwide and an annual cumulative viewership (2025) of 1.8 billion. It is the largest motorsport in the world and even compared to other sports it ranks at the very top so the sponsors are also enormous. Among them are several watch companies. The various concept watches they release in collaboration with F1 teams are just as much of a spectacle as F1 itself.

F1’s Global Partners

Rolex was F1’s global partner and official timekeeper from 2013 to 2024. At the circuits where the races took place you could see large clocks featuring the green and yellow Rolex logo and the designs of the Datejust and Daytona.

From 2025 the global sponsor changed to the LVMH Group and the scenery at the circuits changed dramatically. There are now large billboards for LVMH and TAG Heuer, Giant clocks with the TAG Heuer Formula 1 design and a Louis Vuitton trophy trunk for the winner’s trophy. The official champagne is now Moët & Chandon and the brands under the LVMH Group have taken center stage. Louis Vuitton which has been very aggressive in the watch market recently may even create a new watch themed after F1.

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TAG Heuer Returns as F1’s Official Timekeeper

The history of TAG Heuer is the history of racing. This is why the brand often uses the phrase ‘race DNA’. From 1971 to 1979 Heuer (the predecessor of TAG Heuer) was the official timing partner and sponsor of Ferrari and formed a deep connection with motorsport.

However during this period the Swiss watch industry was facing great difficulties due to the Quartz Crisis and Heuer was not immune to management troubles. In 1985 the TAG (Techniques d'Avant Garde) Group of Luxembourg acquired Heuer and changed the brand name to the current TAG Heuer. TAG was already involved in F1 by sponsoring Williams and later made equity investments in McLaren becoming deeply involved in team operations. Under TAG’s support McLaren equipped with the TAG-Porsche engine developed under TAG’s support dominated the Constructors’ Championship in 1984 and 1985 enjoying a golden era.

It was around this time that the Formula 1 Collection was introduced in 1986 themed after F1.

Formula 1 Chronograph Automatic

With TAG Heuer’s return as the official timekeeper of F1 a new model of the Formula 1 Chronograph Automatic has been launched.

The case is characterized by a visual separation into two main parts: the bezel and middle case and the lower case with an integrated bracelet. With a lug-to-lug of just 47.3mm for a 44mm diameter it offers excellent wearability and details such as the finely perforated bezel reminiscent of a brake disc and the checkered flag pattern on the case back evoke racing and F1 cars. The case material has been changed from traditional stainless steel to titanium. The bold tachymeter scale expresses a sense of speed and the black DLC-coated aluminum bezel emphasizes lightness. This watch faithfully reflects the Formula 1 theme of the collection not only in design but also in materials.

Connected Calibre E5 45 mm Formula 1 Edition

Among the models commemorating TAG Heuer’s return as F1’s official timekeeper the most advanced in modern technology is the Connected Calibre E5 45 mm Formula 1 Edition. In addition to the common convenience features offered by regular connected watches it provides an F1-exclusive watch face updated each season and with the built-in Formula One app you can easily check the race schedule live results and driver and team standings after each session right from your wrist. Details such as the grade 2 titanium case bezel engraved with the F1 schedule red pusher and carbon pattern strap also let you enjoy the F1 mood.

Various Watch Companies Partnering with F1 Teams

Collaborations between F1 teams and watch companies are always a hot topic among watch enthusiasts and F1 fans alike. For popular F1 teams like Ferrari watch companies line up for the chance to partner. Currently the F1 teams partnered with watch companies are Ferrari (Richard Mille) McLaren (Richard Mille) Mercedes (IWC) Red Bull (TAG Heuer) Alpine (H. Moser & Cie.) Aston Martin (Breitling) Racing Bulls (Tudor). Traditional powerhouse Williams and new teams like Cadillac and Audi have yet to find partners.

Tudor: Black Bay Chrono Carbon 26

Tudor joined the F1 stage through its partnership with Racing Bulls. The Black Bay Chrono Carbon 26 is inspired by the VCARB 03 F1 car of Racing Bulls for the 2026 season and features a white dial and yellow accents reflecting the team colors to capture the atmosphere of a race car. Its most notable feature is the carbon fiber case. Even the bezel and strap end links are made of carbon. The titanium case back and pushers reduce weight which aligns with the F1 car development direction of focusing on weight reduction for performance improvement. Inside it is equipped with the MT5813 calibre with a column wheel and vertical clutch providing about 70 hours of power reserve. Rather than putting the team logo at the forefront the identity of Racing Bulls is expressed through materials colors and technical features which is impressive.

Breitling: Navitimer B01 Chronograph 43 Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team

Aston Martin which previously collaborated with Girard-Perregaux chose Breitling as its new partner immediately after the contract ended. Instead of a collection directly related to racing like the Top Time Breitling introduced a collaboration model based on the iconic Navitimer. The 43mm chronograph features a carbon dial and titanium case achieving about 15% weight reduction compared to the stainless steel model which aligns with the 2026 F1 technology trend of focusing on lightweight construction. In addition the dedicated black rotor engraved with the Aston Martin logo and the flat surface finish of the B01 calibre emphasize the team’s identity. The slide rule a symbol of Breitling is treated with luminescence for even greater visibility in dark environments.

IWC: Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 George Russell Ref. IW328107

Mercedes has maintained a long-standing partnership with IWC as it races solo in the 2026 season. IWC has released various collaboration models including team watches for Mercedes and in 2025 an edition for Toto Wolff the team principal and CEO. The brand also released the Pilot’s Watch Chronograph APXGP for the fictional APXGP team in the F1 movie. There is also a model for George Russell the Mercedes team driver. Based on the Pilot’s Watch Automatic 41 this model features a black ceramic case with striking blue indexes and a rubber band. The case back is engraved with George Russell’s driver number 63. With teammate Kimi Antonelli currently performing even better and leading the driver standings the release of a Kimi Antonelli edition seems imminent.

Felix

Writer

Watch Columnist