TAG Heuer Set to Return as the Official Timekeeper for Formula 1 in 2025

TAG Heuer will be returning as Formula 1's official timekeeper in 2025, reigniting its storied connection with the pinnacle of motorsports and marking the world’s most prestigious racing event’s 75th anniversary. With this, fans of the Swiss luxury watch brand can anticipate cutting-edge timekeeping that reflects split-second decisions and unrivalled performance, which in reality define the Formula 1 experience. In other words, the race is on, and TAG Heuer is ready once again to keep up with every heart-pounding minute!

If we look back at the history of the collaboration that is based on the shared principles of precision, innovation, and performance, from 1992 to 2003, the brand functioned as the official timekeeper for Formula 1, helping improve the sport's timing precision and reliability. In fact, TAG Heuer's involvement in Formula 1 dates back to 1969, when it became the first luxury brand to have its emblem on a Formula 1 car. In 1971, the brand strengthened its position by sponsoring Scuderia Ferrari ― this was the first time a watch company sponsored an F1 team. 

The same year, Ferrari sought a timing system for their new test track in Fiorano, Italy, which was the manufacturer's first purpose-built facility. Heuer, a global leader in timekeeping technology, created the Le Mans Centigraph to time the team's new cars and drivers at the site. In 1975, Ferrari won the World Drivers' and Constructors' Championships with Niki Lauda, thanks to the Le Mans Centigraph and its operator, Heuer employee Jean Campiche (nicknamed the Pianist), who provided independent timekeeping from the pit wall. After seeing the success of the solution, other teams, including BRM, McLaren, and Surtees, wanted to obtain their own system.

Over the years, the luxury timepiece maker has collaborated with successful teams such as McLaren and Oracle Red Bull Racing, resulting in countless triumphs and titles. Indeed, the watchmaker, founded in 1860, has been inextricably linked to motorsports for decades, with its iconic models, such as Monaco and Carrera, being directly influenced by racing. 

In the 1960s, as Formula 1 grew in prominence, Heuer became closely associated with the sport and its drivers. One of the first crucial moments would be Jochen Rindt ― a legendary Formula 1 driver who went on to win the 1970 World Drivers' and Constructors' Championships for Lotus posthumously ― wearing a Heuer Autavia reference 2446 throughout his racing career. A watershed moment occurred when Jack Heuer, then CEO of the family company, met a young, brilliant driver named Jo Siffert from Fribourg, Switzerland. A deal was struck for Siffert to help promote and support the launch of the revolutionary Calibre 11 automatic chronograph by placing a logo on his Rob Walker Lotus 49B, which he would race during the 1969 season. He would be having the Heuer shield on his race suit and wearing a reference 1163 Autavia with white dial, powered by the new movement.

TAG Heuer was involved in two more World Drivers' Championship victories for McLaren in 1997 and 1998, thanks to Miki Häkkinen. In the 2000s, Formula 1 saw the shift from V10 to V8 engines, intense rivalry between established drivers, and the emergence of new stars. One of these new names to compete for McLaren was Lewis Hamilton, a rare talent who went on to have an extraordinary record in F1; he won his first World Drivers’ Championship in 2008 while wearing a TAG Heuer watch.

After 30 years of fruitful collaboration, TAG Heuer and McLaren decided to part ways in 2015. TAG Heuer joined Red Bull in 2016, a 07 squad that quickly made an everlasting impression on Formula 1. The partnership between TAG Heuer and Oracle Red Bull Racing resulted in four World Drivers' Championships, owing to Max Verstappen's outstanding and generation-defining skill, as well as two successive World Constructors' Championships. TAG Heuer's association with Oracle Red Bull will continue alongside its responsibilities as the official timekeeper of Formula 1. This year, TAG Heuer and Formula 1 will embark on a new chapter altogether, with the brand set to have a substantial presence on and off the track. This includes trackside branding, Fan Zone and Paddock Club activations, and new product lines that capture the drama and excitement of Formula 1. TAG Heuer will, therefore, continue to contribute to the rich tradition of Formula 1.