This Is How TAG Heuer Revamped Its Iconic F1 Watch

Last month, a surreptitious aboriginal glimpse of TAG Heuer’s full-scale revival—officially revealed today—of its iconic plastic-cased 1980s watch, the “Formula 1,” appeared successful the fitting mounting of the Grand Prix racetrack.

For the 2025 F1 season, the watchmaker, appointed the sport’s authoritative timekeeper nether a mega-sponsorship woody inked by its genitor company, luxury conglomerate LVMH, has installed an eye-catching timepiece operation supra the pit lane. The clock’s dive-style dial, “Mercedes” hr hand, and notched, bright-red bezel were instantly recognizable to anyone acquainted with the archetypal multicolored Formula 1 watch—which launched successful 1986 and sold successful its millions—or with the constricted remake that concisely appeared past year, arsenic a collaboration with the US streetwear statement Kith.

Eagle-eyed TAG Heuer super-buffs (of which determination are plenty) volition besides person spotted details that suggested thing new: bolder dial proportions, squarer numerals connected the bezel, and the modern TAG Heuer logo.

Sure enough, this is the format for the caller instrumentality connected the aged favorite, announced contiguous arsenic a full, entry-level summation to the ticker brand’s merchandise line-up—albeit, astatine 38 mm, somewhat bigger than the archetypal (the aged exemplary was 35 mm). Subtle plan enhancements are deployed to springiness it a much modern feel: applied luminous hr markers, crisper hands, and a sleeker, much angular mentation of the aged case-shape, with its “hooded” lug protuberances primitively designed to reenforce the integrative casing astir the strap attachment.

A motion toward eco credentials comes successful the signifier of bioplastic—a castor-based polyamide which the marque has named TH-Polylight—an on-trend substitute for the “Arnite” thermoplastic of old. As before, though, this is molded implicit a alloy interior core, making for a ticker that's alternatively much robust than astir plastic-cased equivalents.

There are 9 variants: 3 successful sandblasted stainless alloy with green, black, oregon bluish polymer bezels and six full-color limited-editions to go disposable astatine upcoming Grand Prix races, with cases and bezels successful contrasting tones, including yellow/black, red/black, and green/red, each with matching rubber straps.

What the TAG spotters won’t person gleaned from the pit lane clock, however, is that the updated Formula 1, officially titled the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph, is besides the latest measurement successful TAG Heuer’s program to elevate the prestige of star powerfulness by making it the backbone of its entry-level offering.

As with definite models successful TAG’s Aquaracer sports-watch category, the caller portion contains the brand’s solar-powered TH-50 question utilizing tech from Citizen, the Japanese company, attached to a question supplied by the latter’s Swiss subsidiary, La Joux-Perret. At $1,800 (£1,650), the Formula 1 Solargraph is much than $1,000 cheaper than the basal Aquaracer Solargraph, and present by immoderate region the astir affordable ticker successful TAG Heuer’s lineup. Nevertheless, wrong the broader class of solar-powered watches it carries a important Swiss Made premium (for equivalent functionality, Citizen’s ain watches apical retired astatine astir $600).

The dial, consisting of 2 superposed polymer layers, allows airy done to a star compartment beneath it, charging an accumulator retention portion that delivers vigor to the movement. If near successful acheronian (in a drawer, for instance), a afloat charged ticker volition proceed to tally for 10 months, an betterment connected the six months primitively claimed for the TH-50 question (and besides for Citizen’s ain Eco Drive models). It tin besides beryllium near successful power-saving mode, with the crown pulled retired to forestall the hands moving, for up to 2 and a fractional years, and takes conscionable 10 seconds of airy vulnerability to restart.

On the 1 hand, it’s notable that TAG Heuer—with its eyes firmly connected the spending powerfulness of millions of Gen-Z consumers drawn to Formula 1’s mushrooming beingness arsenic a digital-first, Netflix-assisted pop-cultural phenomenon—continues to spot physics timekeeping arsenic the gateway to its luxury watches. Like galore brands, it has agelong utilized Swiss-made battery-powered movements for entry-level watches, but present the marque is attempting to presumption star powerfulness arsenic a modern, premium format, and a warrant of the convenience and show it says young buyers, successful particular, are after.