In F1’s 75th anniversary year, TAG Heuer will return to the sport as Official Timekeeper. It’s a natural combination, like peanut butter and jelly. The watch brand’s rich history in racing and sponsorship of major F1 teams makes this new partnership feel like a homecoming. In a surprising move, LVMH last October outbid Rolex to take over motorsport’s top timekeeping duties. But this next step feels like the most logical step the luxury conglomerate could take, and one that ties TAG Heuer to F1 in 2025. This is a return to true form.
One of the biggest commercial changes in 2024 will be Rolex losing its sponsorship role in F1 to LVMH. We first reported on this in September when we wrote an article discussing whether losing the partnership would negatively impact Rolex as a brand. Just a few weeks later, it was announced that Arnault’s luxury conglomerate LVMH had signed a massive 10-year deal worth US$150 million with F1 to become official timekeeper. This has sparked a debate about what to expect from LVMH in F1.
TAG Heuer was the obvious first choice for Formula 1
Following the announcement that LVMH would take over, Rex shared the logical idea that we will see more of the conglomerate’s watch brands. But he also predicted that the group’s other luxury brands, such as Louis Vuitton (fashion), Moët & Chandon (champagne) and Hennessy (cognac), would become even more prominent. The main watch brand people talked about taking over as official timekeeper was TAG Heuer. Rex also said it was a natural fit, with TAG Heuer officially taking over as F1’s main watch brand three months later.
(TAG) Heuer has a rich history in racing, especially in F1, so fans around the world will understand this choice. Most Heuer fans know that Jack Heuer had a warm bond with F1 legend Jochen Rindt, who became world champion in 1970. He famously wore Heuers. Autavia Ref. 2446 during his racing career.
Jack Heuer also gave the brand name to Formula 1 driver Joe Siffert’s car. Heuer and Siffert have agreed to an agreement in which the driver will help promote the innovative Heuer Caliber 11. Rob Walker’s Lotus 49B has the logo, his race suit has a branded shield and the Autavia Ref. 11. With the 1163 on his wrist, Joe Siffert became the Heuer brand’s F1 poster boy.
Heuer’s history in F1
But Jack Heuer’s ambitions didn’t end there. In 1971, he signed a contract with Scuderia Ferrari to develop a timing system for the brand’s famous Fiorano test track. Additionally, the brand developed the Le Mans Centigraph. This innovative quartz-controlled timekeeping device can record times up to 1/10th, 1/100th, and 1/1000th of a second.
In 1975, Heuer further strengthened its partnership with Ferrari as official team sponsor. Team drivers Clay Regazzoni and Niki Lauda drove the legendary Ferrari 312T and were seen wearing legendary Heuer models. Heuer remained a partner of Ferrari until 1979.
In 1985, Heuer was acquired by Technics d’Avant Garde Group (TAG), which also owned the McLaren F1 team. The name was changed to TAG Heuer and the brand became a partner of the McLaren team. This was the beginning of a relationship that lasted 30 years and saw some of the biggest names in sports wear TAG Heuer watches.
Perhaps the most iconic is Ayrton Senna wearing the famous TAG Heuer S/el ref. S25706C from the early 90’s. In 1992, TAG Heuer became the sport’s first official timekeeper. This was the role the brand played until 2003, after which it focused on its partnership with McLaren until 2016.
TAG Heuer and the modern era of F1
That year, TAG Heuer’s then CEO Jean-Claude Biver announced a new partnership with the Red Bull F1 team. As most people know, this was not a bad move. Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen have become the most popular driver duo in the sport. Additionally, Verstappen went on to win the last four world championship titles. With this, TAG Heuer became a partner of the team that also won the championship. 2022 and 2023 F1 World Constructors’ Champion. That will continue next season, with TAG Heuer being by far the most famous brand.
The announcement of a new partnership raises the question of what to expect from TAG Heuer. To celebrate, the brand has highlighted its rich history in the sport and spotlighted some of its most famous F1-related watches. We look forward to the return of these classic watches, paying homage to the original watches. But times have changed, and so have F1 and TAG Heuer. In recent years, the sport’s biggest names have been replaced by younger drivers, who also attract a younger audience. Does that mean the TAG Heuer Connected Watch is for everyone? It may be an unforgettable image for fans of mechanical watches. But it’s easy to see that that won’t become a reality anytime soon.
Diversity of the current TAG Heuer brand
TAG Heuer’s current catalog offers a remarkable variety of styles and designs. That very feature is why the brand is so well-equipped to combine the traditional romance of racing and mechanical watchmaking with the modern technical aspects of Formula One. For nostalgic race fans, the brand’s portfolio features classic Monaco and Carrera lines.
We’ve seen some great releases that honor the traditional aspects of the Carrera Glassbox model and the recent Monaco model. At the same time, these model families also have contemporary aspects, such as the Carrera Sport Chronograph and the skeletonized Monaco model.
These are just two of the options brands can look to. The Formula 1 collection of quartz chronographs and the aforementioned Connected smartwatches are also great choices.
Considering the new title as the official timekeeper of the sport, its Formula 1 and Connected lines would be the more obvious choice if it were to emphasize the modern and technical aspects of the sport. As you can see, the brand has plenty of options to accommodate different types of F1 fans.
Other LVMH brands in F1
This leaves the question whether LVMH will (re)introduce other watch brands into the sport as well. Many of you may know that Hublot was an official partner of Ferrari until Richard Mille took over the role in 2021. I wouldn’t be surprised if Hublot returns to F1 eventually. As Ben wrote, there are a few luxury brands that sponsor F1 teams, such as Richard Mille, Girard-Perguax and H. Moser, but one brand that competes with them is Hublot.
That said, Hublot has a firm grip on the world of international football as the official timekeeper of FIFA and UEFA. It is also a brand that is active in various sports fields. Adding in the financial realization involved in F1 sponsorship gives another perspective on the movement. Considering the softening of the watch market and the fact that Hublot’s sales will decline from 2022 to 2023, it seems unlikely that Hublot will return to F1 anytime soon.
You’ll see TAG Heuer everywhere
LVMH’s other watch brands, such as Zenith and Bulgari, are not ideally suited to the fast, technological world of Formula 1. So when you tune into the world of Formula, you can expect to see a lot of Tag Heuer on your screen. 1 in the next few months. One thing we predict is that TAG Heuer will have a much more active role than Rolex. Rolex was just there as a world famous name associated with timing events. However, TAG Heuer moves and behaves differently. Is it close to F1?
My gut feeling is that TAG Heuer is better suited for this sport overall. Plus, as Rex already mentioned, Tudor is still active in F1. At the moment, this brand seems to be a better fit than its big brother. It has a more action-driven profile and is a good match for the fast world of F1. TAG Heuer therefore seems a more logical contender as the name to dominate F1 in 2025. In fact, you’ll be seeing TAG Heuer at a lot of F1 over the next 12 months, from circuit signage to circuit names. Max Verstappen and team newcomer Liam Lawson have Oracle Red Bull Racing machines on their wrists. TAG Heuer is already a winner before the season even begins.
What do you think about this new TAG Heuer-F1 partnership? And would you like to see Hublot return to the sport? Let us know in the comments section below.
