TAG Heuer and Formula 1, half a century of watches and racing

It's a new era, that of Drive tu Survive on Netflix and races that become real global events, from Singapore to Las Vegas. Owned for several years by Liberty Media, Formula 1 has become one of the most popular and culturally important sporting championships with 750 million fans worldwide and more than 90 million followers on social networks. It also attracts an increasingly young and diverse audience, since 42% of fans are now women and one in three enthusiasts is under 35 years old. Followed by 1.5 billion spectators, the 2024 season proved epic with an incredible battle between McLaren and Ferrari for the constructors' championship in Abu Dhabi.

2025 will mark the beginning of a new era in the history that has united TAG Heuer and Formula 1 for several decades. As the official timekeeper of Formula 1, TAG Heuer will be present on and off the circuits through signage the along the tracks, Fan Zone and Paddock Club activations and new product ranges that embody the spirit and adrenaline of Formula 1.

What could be more logical for the brand within which the very concept of watch sponsorship of a car race once saw the light of day, under the aegis of Jack Heuer? TAG Heuer was in fact the first luxury house to see its logo appear on a Formula 1 car in 1969 and the first to sponsor a team in 1971. With 239 victories, 613 podiums, 9,471 points, 11 constructors' world championships and 15 drivers' world championships to his credit thanks to his links with different teams, his relationship with Formula 1 has been one of the most important partnerships most prolific in history.

In the 1950s, when Formula 1 was still in its infancy, Heuer – the name given to the House at the time – chose to produce only bracelet chronographs, watches intended for those for whom the Time is the most important thing there is. During the 1960s, Formula 1 continued to grow in popularity. Heuer models become closely linked to motorsport and drivers. One of the first key moments takes us back to Jochen Rindt, the famous Formula 1 driver: in 1970, he posthumously won the Drivers' and Constructors' World Championships for Lotus with the Heuer Autavia 2446 watch that accompanied him throughout his career. But one day, Jack Heuer, then CEO of the family business, met a talented young pilot from Fribourg, Switzerland: Jo Siffert. To help promote and support the launch of the revolutionary Caliber 11 automatic chronograph, an agreement was reached with Siffert to place a logo on the Rob Walker Lotus 49B that he would use during the 1969 season, as well as add the Heuer crest on his racing suit and wear an Autavia 1163 model with a white dial, powered by the new movement.

Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren
In 1971, Ferrari was looking for a timing system for its Fiorano test track in Italy, the first purpose-built facility for a manufacturer. As a manufacturer and world leader in timing equipment, Heuer seemed ideally suited and the company was developing a new device called the Le Mans Centigraph to enable the team to time its new cars and drivers on this circuit.

The Le Mans Centigraph device and its famous operator, Heuer employee Jean Campiche also nicknamed the “Pianist”, a true legend in the world of automobile timing, will travel the world alongside the team to provide independent timing and thus enable Ferrari to win the drivers' and constructors' world championships in 1975 with Niki Lauda. The success of this solution quickly inspired other teams, including BRM, McLaren and Surtees, all of whom chose to acquire this device.
The relationship between Heuer and Ferrari continued until 1979, before the watchmaker joined forces with McLaren, a partnership which became the longest in the history of Formula 1. In 1985, Heuer was bought by the Avant Garde Techniques group, which also owns the McLaren Formula 1 team. The company then took its new name, TAG Heuer, and its new logo appeared on the windshield of the MP4/2C, the car that won the world drivers' championship with Alain Prost in 1986.

The same year, the House launched a revolutionary new watch whose name seemed apt: the TAG Heuer Formula 1. With its brightly colored cases, bracelets and dials, this model would become a true cultural icon and be a great success, thus confirming the strong link uniting TAG Heuer to motorsport and becoming the essential watch of the time.

In 1988, a promising young Brazilian driver named Ayrton Senna arrived at the McLaren team. From the following season, he wore TAG Heuer watches and remained loyal to the House until winning the world drivers' championship three times. Senna sadly passed away in 1994, but his legacy is carried on by TAG Heuer. Indeed, the watchmaker continues to work with the Senna Foundation, adopting the competitive spirit and personal values ​​that make Senna a true icon in the eyes of the world.

In 1992, TAG Heuer entered into an agreement to become official timekeeper of Formula 1, leveraging its incredible expertise to improve and develop the precision and reliability of timing solutions used in the sport. In addition to data collection and processing, the system also injects a new dimension of entertainment for viewers and the TAG Heuer logo visible on television screens around the world. At the dawn of the turn of the millennium, TAG Heuer took part in two World Drivers' Championship victories with McLaren and Miki Häkkinen in 1997 and 1998.

The 2000s were a remarkable decade for Formula 1 with the transition between V10 and V8 engines, strong rivalries between recognized drivers and the arrival of rising stars in the paddocks. Among the new names to join the McLaren team is that of Lewis Hamilton, a driver of rare talent who will achieve an impressive track record in F1 and win his first world drivers' championship in 2008 with a TAG Heuer watch on his wrist.

In 2015, after 30 years of collaboration, TAG Heuer and McLaren parted ways. In 2016, TAG Heuer joined Red Bull, a team that will quickly leave an indelible mark on the world of Formula 1.
The bond between TAG Heuer and Oracle Red Bull Racing will be marked by four Drivers' World Championships thanks to the exceptional and inspiring talent of Max Verstappen, as well as two consecutive Constructors' World Championships. The partnership between TAG Heuer and Oracle Red Bull Racing will continue alongside the brand's responsibilities as official timekeeper of Formula 1.