As a F1 fan and a watch fan, I've decided to start a thread relating to all things time. (With thanks to FonzCam). This thread is here to keep track of all the watch-related news within F1, and other motorsports too.

F1

Let's start with who goes where:

Established Teams -

McLaren - TAG Heuer
Ferrari - Richard Mille
Mercedes - Graham London
Williams - Oris
Renault - T W Steel
Red Bull - Casio
Sauber - Certina
Force India - N/A
Toro Rosso - N/A

New Teams -

Virgin - N/A
Campos - N/A
Lotus - N/A
USF1 - N/A

Those with a 'Not Applicable' are teams without an obvious timekeeping partner or logo on the car or overalls.

Watch buffs welcome!

Ferrari was unofficially Richard Mille, the entire Massa family wears them and so did Todt. There's an actual Felipe Massa edition, they're all well over £25,000.

Felipe Massa

Thanks mate, I'll put that in italics. I have also seen Ferrari-branded watches, but haven't included them as they're not a genuine watch manufacturer.

Ferrari also seem to have a deal with Panerai alongside their own 'Swiss Made' watches.

I think Richard Mille is a Massa personal sponsorship. Schumacher was (and according to their website still is) an Omega man.

I seem to remember Casio originally being a DC personal deal before transferring to Vettel and then Red Bull as a whole.

Alonso seems to have a deal with Viceroy

Rubens, Jarno and Buemi all have Audemars Piguet's with their names on them.

Button has also been spotted wearing various models of Jaeger-LeCoultre early in the season so he's either a huge fan or had some sort of deal before Graham London stepped in and got the Brawn sponsorship deal. Maybe he was just fed up with all the Seiko's from the days of Honda.

Any more details?

New Teams


Virgin - N/A


If any Team needs a timepiece sponsor, it should be VirginGP, after their launch shenanigannery!!

http://www.old-omegas.com/schuey.html

A page with Schumacher Omega watches

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rolex_Daytona

thats got to be the watch to have, if your a racing driver

Out of curiousity, does anyone buy watch brands based on what F1 team they cheer for? I have a large collection of TAGs because I'm a McLaren fan and TAG's been with McLaren since forever. Wonder if I'm the only one out there...

You aren't

I have a dream TAG as well, but I've promised myself that I will only get it when there is an appropriate occasion for it.

But yes, definitely, my timepiece preferences are definitely influenced by McLaren.

The other brand I really like is Breitling.

Edit: Just wanted to throw in that I hate Rolex .

Sweet, I'm not alone! Which one's your dream TAG?

edit, noticed you have a Les Paul in your avatar. I got a crapload of those too lol!

Gerard Perragaux : http://www.thecrowncollection.net/gerardperregaux.htm
So simple and so beautiful! These were the old Ferrari watches, then Panarai came, but I don't like their designs.
Before Sauber had Tissots and they had one model on carbon disc display, pretty cool.
Chopard have a cool Classic Racing collection and the rubber bracelets are like old style tyres.
Rage, if I had the spare money, I would certainly get lots of Perragauxs, Chopard or McQueen TAGs ;) For sure you're not alone.

Were there not a load of watche produced once that had the F1 logo on them? Were they any good?

I too love TAG partly because of the McLaren link.

I also really like Longines watches, I think it's high time (no pun inteded) they got back into F1.

I have an F1 watch from
http://jacqueslemans.com/JLmenu03-07.html

Well I always wanted one of Stefan Johansson's watches, being a big fan, but they aren't cheap.

http://www.stefanjohansson.com/

But what with a wife, house 2 children etc I think I can kiss that goodbye for a while unless I win the lottery!

And doesn't Massa make sure everybody gets to see it in all post race conferences. He must be the king of the watch fiddlers...

For sure...

I'm a McLaren fan, but I would never buy a TAG Heuer, they are incredibly overpriced for what your getting. Many models have basic internals and parts, and they feel cheap. You're basically paying for the name, in my opinion. I'm an Oris fan, but not because of Williams, that's just a bonus.

P.S I hate Rolex too, Debaufre are much better. Basically the same design, but at a good price.

Same can be said for many high end brands, everyone uses ETA movements with their own modifications. That's just the nature of watches (for now).

TAGs in the last few years definately do not feel "cheap". I agree though with TAGs in the 80's and 90's though.

I purchased this when Tag were official F1 time keepers and the backplate is engraved with the F1 logo. You can still buy it now but since Tag ended the official timing the backplate is quite blank.

Obviously not a McLaren fan, but I did buy a TAG watch because of their association with F1. At the time they were the official timekeeper I believe. This would have been in the 80s.

As rage2 knows, I am a big McLaren and TAG Heuer fan. I started to like TAGs when I saw Senna wearing one around the time that I started to watch F1, so that was the initial link.

Through that, I came to know more about Heuers history in F1 from the 1970s where it was one of the first watch companies to sponsor an F1 team (Ferrari). At my website I've posted two stories on the TAG Heuer F1 connection

1) The TAG Heuer McLaren watches http://www.calibre11.com/tag-heuer-mclaren/
2) The Ayrton Senna TAG Heuer watches http://www.calibre11.com/ayrton-senna-tag-heuer/

Its a shame for me not to see TAG Heuer stickers on the McLaren and that the link with Senna has been lost. Id rather see TAG using Senna to promote its watches than DiCaprio...

Cheers

I bought a TW Steel about a year and a half ago. Did they sponsor Renault last year? Not that it matters because their F1 involvement had nothing to do with it.

I too have this watch with F1 logo engraved on the backplate...I have always loved the clean look of it. I like the TAG brand before I was a McLaren fan, so the partnership is a plus for me.

I always loved Sir Stirling Moss' watch. It wasn't so much the watch itself, more the bracelet that he designed himself because he was sick of getting oil on his leather watch straps.

Kobold got the deal to make a limited edition Sir Stirl watch, and Moss allowed them the rights to use his bracelet design.

I'm not a huge fan of the actual watch itself, but for the bracelet alone it's one I absolutely love.

I bought a TAG Carrera, partly because I loved the design and partly for the McLaren link.

I think that buying brands associated with the team is nice (e.g. I now hae an iPhone on Vodafone, motivated by financial reasons but good nonetheless) but I wouldn't necessarily shun one brand over another just because of it.

Great thread though, I love watches

Yea, I'm a huge fan of the Carrera and the Grand Carrera lines. Most of my watches are from either one. I love the looks of the modern design.

I just picked up a limited edition (only 100 made) Carrera Calibre 360 with the 1/100th sec chronograph. Thats the watch the current day/date Carrera is based on. calibre001 has an article on her.

http://www.calibre11.com/calibre-360-day-date-carrera/

Wow, that must have cost a few quid!

I just look at the clock on my phone to see the time.

Those watch that Massa wears are awesome, Kimi used to have big watch also

ditto :x

Wow, these look really really nice, specially the plain steel one!

Motor-racing and timekeeping have this fantastic link.

I would like to open this thread with the aim for all watch enthusiasts to post (links or pictures) great racing watches. Can be anything, from historic models to mark certain events, to watches worn by legends. These can also include non-full time drivers such as Steve McQueen etc.




btw: today is the opening of BaselWorld. Sure there will be some cool racing watches be presented there.



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* If the Forum Host thinks this thread can potentially to be hijacked by advertisers I will understand if it is closed *

One day I will own a Tag Monaco (well a real one) - simple elegant watch with a history enrichened by men like Steve.

Im also a massive fan of the Breitling Bentley 6.75

Juan Montoya's

Tag Carrera 360, this shot is a replica of it.

Royal Oak Offshore Juan Pablo Montoya

I know next to nothing about the watches and such, but I note that you have Mercedes as Graham London. So when a driver (here Nico Rosberg) announces a sponsor (here Thomas Sapo - http://www.thomassabo.com/en/start.html) is that for him personally or in association/replacement for G. London for the team? In any case, some of those designs are crazy cool.

I'm a Fortis man. I like that they are not replicated and when you see one it's the real deal. My daily watch is a Nixon 51-30. I also have a Bell&Ross and a Daytona. I really should sell them since I don't like them much anymore and everyone is wearing a replica of them now.

I really do wish Fortis sponsored in F1. They have a great double clasp for wearing over a flight suit that would work on a race suit as well.

What gets me is the massive watches the drivers wear

The designers and engineers make such an effort to trim every last gram and milligramme and any weight that remains is placed as low as possible, then along comes the software with a 100 grammes of metal wagging almost as high as his head

I know they need sponsorship money but can't they just put on the watch when they finish the race?

Is this what they do now?

Because I'm pretty sure there was a time when they were weighed with the watch

They don't wear the watches when they race. Wat would be the point? Perfect example is when Juan Pablo Montoya won the Monaco GP. The very first thing he did when he got out of the car was run up to someone at Williams and get a watch to put on.

I have this one...John Player Special color, it also came in Ferrari red, though the teams were not connected officially, only the driver.



Jacky Ickx Easy Rider Chrono

This would be one reason not to drive for Red Bull. The perks ain't so great. I'd much rather get a free Graham!

It's not about the time, it's about the watch.

I have a Monaco for best, but would like a Carrera for everyday

I didn't buy them due to McLaren but more F1 and the McLaren was a bonus, Tag is my favourite brand so probs wouldn't any other brand even though theres many nice ones.

Amen to that Sir!

i love my old casio classic



the latch is broken tho, so doesnt shut properly , and the buttons went iffy many years ago, and it always ran slow xD, i dont bother with it now tho

Not so much at least for me, I have about 10 watches, but I never wear one anymore. Between the phone on the desk, the car and the computer I sit in front of all day, I can get a glimpse of the time with a quick eye movement faster than flipping over my wrist. A flip of the cel is pretty easy,too. At one time though, a classy watch was akin to nice jewelry, now the nice cel is the jewelry of the day it seems.

mobile phones just taking over everything, mine can do..
phone, sms, email
skype
msn
facebook
web browsing, downloading, i can even torrent!
GPS (for free)
music/video
watch
dictophone
note taking (but not that well tbh)
calculator
calender
G meter (sort of)
camera
video recorder
vnc !

there just killing anything portable tbh

This thread Pascal will never close! -- nor allow any other mod to close it!

Excellent topic I would say, far from the usual, even though I don't even wear a watch as long as time is everywhere -- in every corner, in every office, in every cellphone, on my toolbar...

That's a breath of fresh air amongst all those 'who's better?' threads anyways!

I wonder whether the launch today of the McLaren MP4 12C roadcar is planned to coincide with BaselWorld Watch Makers show that is on now. TAG Heuer is launching tomorrow something "special" at BaselWorld to mark their 150 anniversary. (see http://www.tagheuer.com/)

I could not help noticing RD making comparisons between the car's engine and a swiss watch in the BBC interview....

Wont be surprised if a "MP4/12C watch" is being unveiled tomorrow ....

AND... as a matter of fact... when the Mclaren F1 roadcar was sold, it was delivered with a TAG Heuer watch that carried the chassisnumber of the roadcar

the links between the two companies go back a long way when RD himself was shareholder in TH

....

I might be wrongly speculating.. but I would not be surprised

Can it print?

The difference is your mobile phone will be in the landfill in a year or two, a fine watch will be around for 30 or 50 years. As well, you can give your fine watch to your son or daughter when they are older, I'm not too sure they would appreciate a 30 year old iphone when they grow up :-)