We often use the word “legacy” without pausing to understand its implication: We simply look at the highlights reel of a company that has existed for one or two centuries, celebrating its achievements and innovations. But we forget they have also withstood wars, economic downturns, leadership struggles, crises, failures.

This is true of TAG Heuer, which has gone through its own series of ups and downs. The 2000s were tough for the Swiss watchmaker, because of its fragmented brand identity and struggle to connect with younger audiences. The brand’s association with football, rather than its core motorsport heritage, led to a diluted image. Additionally, the rise of smartwatches posed significant challenges.

But after a couple of decades of finding its footing, the Swiss watchmaker seems to finally be settling on the right track. In recent years, particularly since Frédéric Arnault took the helm in 2020, TAG Heuer has undergone a significant transformation. Arnault’s leadership has been instrumental in refocusing the brand’s identity and aligning it with contemporary trends.

Under his guidance, TAG Heuer has strengthened its association with motorsports through partnerships with Porsche, and most notably, in 2024, it inked a deal to become the Official Timekeeper of F1, reprising the role it had given up back in 2015.

This marks a momentous milestone for the brand. Not only is it hard to put a price on this kind of brand visibility (although to be fair, we assume the deal is in the millions), but it also makes so much sense in the context of the brand’s heritage.

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The need for speed

Despite not being an automotive marque, TAG Heuer has etched its name into motorsport history, boasting over 230 wins, 595 podiums, 11 Constructors’ Championships, and 14 Drivers’ Championships across decades of partnerships with Formula 1 and teams like Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull.

The watchmaker’s ties to racing go back much further than most realise. Jack Heuer, heir to the family business, was a passionate racing enthusiast who sought to merge his family’s legacy of horological mastery with his love for motorsport. In 1958, Heuer introduced the Rally Master, a tribute to the world of racing, which laid the groundwork for the brand’s future involvement in the sport. Then, in 1965, Heuer crafted the timepieces specifically for the qualifying drivers at the Indianapolis 500.

The brand became the first to sponsor an F1 team, Ferrari, in 1971, and was the first brand to have its logo on a racing car. This era also witnessed unforgettable moments, such as Steve McQueen sporting the Monaco in Le Mans and TAG Heuer’s introduction of its innovative Centigraph, a high-tech electronic timing device used by teams like BRM, McLaren, and Surtees.

Read More: F1 Drivers and Their Watches

By the 1970s, TAG’s connection to Ferrari reached new heights. When Enzo Ferrari, founder of Scuderia Ferrari, requested CHF 25,000 per driver for sponsorship, Heuer, always the astute businessman, proposed an alternative: he would make watches for the drivers to wear. This pivotal moment solidified TAG Heuer as a symbol of success. The more races won, the more coveted the TAG watches became. One of the standout pieces from this era was the Carrera 1158 CHN in gold, a chronograph that became iconic in its own right. TAG Heuer would remain a partner with Ferrari until 1979.

The year 1985 marked a fresh chapter for TAG Heuer. The brand formed an alliance with McLaren, ushering in a golden era with the likes of Ayrton Senna and Mika Häkkinen, two of the sport’s most celebrated figures. Häkkinen’s back-to-back World Championships in 1998 and 1999 further cemented TAG Heuer’s reputation as a true motorsport partner. A fun fact: when Lewis Hamilton joined McLaren in 2007, he was already wearing his own TAG Heuer, showing the deep connection the driver had to the brand from the outset.

In 1985, TAG Heuer underwent a significant transformation when it merged with Techniques d’Avant-Garde (TAG), forming TAG Heuer as we know it today. The merger came about in an interesting, almost serendipitous manner: Yves Piaget, the owner of Piaget, had a stake in Heuer and, on a plane trip, sat next to the founder of TAG. During the flight, a conversation about collaboration took place, and by the time they landed, the partnership had been sealed. This merger was pivotal for the brand, bringing together Heuer’s rich heritage with TAG’s forward- thinking approach.

The first collection that emerged under this partnership was the iconic F1 watches, launched in 1986, which featured a slightly wider strap to accommodate the new “TAG Heuer” logo.

By 1993, TAG Heuer became the official timekeeping partner of Formula 1, a role it held until 2015. Over this period, the sport saw major innovations, from the introduction of V10 engines to the rise of Michael Schumacher’s dominance.

TAG Heuer’s timekeeping technology also changed the game. For the first time in F1, lap times could be displayed to the public in real time—before, fans and enthusiasts had to rely on stopwatches and manual tracking, a task that now seems archaic in comparison.

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Back to the future

As the brand celebrates its renewed partnership with F1, it’s no wonder that it’s gone back to its roots to relaunch its iconic F1 collection from 1986. At that point, Heuer (as it was then known) wanted to release a watch to compete with Casio – remember, this was just after the Quartz crisis and Swiss watchmakers were trying to find relevance again.

Priced at a few hundred dollars, the watches were kitschy, colourful, made from fibreglass and steel, and with a quartz movement. The watch found favour with surfers from LA, and over

the next decade, over 3 million pieces were sold, making it one of the most popular SKUs in TAG Heuer’s history.

While the watch was discontinued, we got a sneak peek last year when the brand collaborated with New York-based lifestyle brand Kith on a limited edition collection, featuring 10 different variations. With unique colourways and the words “Just us” on the dial, the collection was an instant collectable.

In fact, in the past year, the price of vintage F1 models has shot up on the second-hand market.

For 2025, as it marks its first season back as the official timekeeper of the F1, the brand has brought back the F1 collection, with nine new references. This time, the timepiece is equipped with the Solargraph TH50-00 calibre movement, which uses solar power. Just two minutes of sunlight can power the watch for a day – pretty cool.

The collection features nine colourways, each crafted for a specific Formula One race. For example, the black, red, and white version on steel and the black DLC will be launched during the Mexico race, whereas the white opaline and blue TH-Polylight on rubber will be released in Singapore.

With this partnership, TAG Heuer is once again reclaiming its pole position – a place where it has not only borne witness to some of the greatest moments on the track, but actively shaped the evolution of the sport.

This story was first seen as part of the WOW #78 VISION 2025 Issue

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