TAG Heuer’s latest sports chronograph is an addition to its hugely popular F1 collection. The 43mm timepiece features a fine-brushed steel case and bracelet, and a blue dial protected by a sapphire crystal (£1,395). The rhodium-plated luminescent indexes make for a clear display, meaning they can be to read at a glance – essential for the drivers they were designed for.
The TAG Heuer F1 collection has been widely recognised for its affordable and colourful designs, and this variation follows suit. Based on the racing colours of the Red Bull F1 team, this steel timepiece has an attractive midnight-blue dial and red accents across its chronograph features. A bright yellow second hand ticks across the dial, making it easy to read the precise time with the merest glance. The model perfectly fits the brand’s slogan for the collection: ‘The casual sports watch for a fast-paced life’.
A date window sits at the four o’clock position, allowing room for three subdials on the design. The chronograph provides three counters: 1/10th of a second, second and 30-minute counters – ideal for anyone requiring a highly functional and accurate timekeeper. A matte blue tachymeter scale also circles the blue bezel of sandblasted aluminium, allowing the wearer to measure speed based on time travelled over a fixed distance – essential for a Formula 1 piece.
The Swiss Made quartz movement has an approximate battery life of 24 months and features an end-of-life indicator, so the wearer should never be caught unawares with a dead battery. The use of the battery powered quartz movement allows TAG Heuer to make the timepiece more affordable for the buyer, as well as providing great accuracy and reliability.
TAG Heuer has a special relationship with motor racing. The original 1986 Formula 1 watch was the first release following the acquisition of Heuer by Techniques d’Avant Garde (‘TAG’) in 1985. The Formula 1, which was also the first analogue Heuer/TAG Heuer series to be quartz-only (although it does now include automatic models), has gone on to become one of the brand’s top-selling collections. The partnership with F1 was a natural fit for the newly formed company given the history of the two brands prior to their union: Heuer had patented its first dashboard chronograph for planes and automobiles in 1911, and was a sponsor of Ferrari during the 1970s, while TAG was a sponsor of the Williams racing team in the early 1980s, and went on to be part owners of the McLaren team.
More recently, TAG Heuer became the Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the Formula 1 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing team in 2015. The brand also became the first watchmaker to be acknowledged in the name of a team, with the 2016 car being called the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing – TAG Heuer RB12.
TAG Heuer and Red Bull have worked closely since forming their partnership, releasing special-edition models designed by Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen. The Dutch F1 prodigy, who made history as the youngest driver ever to win a Grand Prix, has so far released three models with the watch brand. His most recent chronograph debuted in 2018, with a design that featured the colours of the Dutch flag and his racing number, 33, emblazoned across the centre of the dial. The 22-year-old is still the face of TAG Heuer’s F1 collection, and one of many drivers regularly seen sporting a timepiece from the brand. If you want to match the racing drivers, head into store or online to see the Formula 1 collection for yourself.
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Discover the Formula 1 collection from TAG Heuer at Watches of Switzerland, Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths.
