Explore the world of Formula 1 watch sponsorships—from IWC and Mercedes to Richard Mille and Ferrari. Discover how top luxury watch brands have made their mark on the fastest sport on earth.
Watches and Formula 1 have always felt like they belong to the same world. Maybe it's the shared love of precision, or the way both involve countless tiny parts working in harmony to achieve something extraordinary. Either way, the overlap just makes sense. In the early days, drivers actually used mechanical watches to time their laps, sync pit stops, and manage fuel and tire wear. Today, it’s evolved into something much bigger—partnerships that blend function, storytelling, and a fair amount of flex.
Sure, some of it is simply branding. But not all. When a driver straps on a watch, it's not just for the podium photo. The best collaborations speak to something deeper: shared values surrounding the pushing of boundaries, celebrating heritage, and chasing that feeling of mechanical perfection.
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Back before the data streams and GPS trackers, teams needed reliable tools. You know, actual stopwatches. Heuer—long before the TAG part came along—was a staple in the paddock, timing races and outfitting drivers with chronographs that were equal parts functional and fashionable.
In those days, watches weren’t about sponsorships. They were essentially survival gear. If your timing was off, you lost, or worse yet, suffered fatal consequences. Simple as that. Later on, Rolex got in on the action by supporting endurance racing, eventually becoming the official timekeeper of Formula 1. Not because it looked good, but because it made sense. These weren’t fashion statements. They were instruments.
Since 2013, IWC and Mercedes have been joined at the hip. It’s a pairing that’s more about substance than flash. Both brands lean into clean, smart design and a kind of quiet confidence that doesn’t need to shout to be taken seriously.
IWC even went as far as reimagining its Ingenieur line to include materials used in F1 cars—think carbon fiber, ceramic, and titanium. Prior to his departure from the team, you could catch Lewis Hamilton wearing a Big Pilot more often than not, which just felt right. IWC might not have the racing pedigree of others, but its alignment with Mercedes makes it feel like it does.
If you had to pick one watch brand that feels built for F1, it's probably Richard Mille. The designs are wild, the tech is next-level, and the prices? Also wild. But that fits.
Their partnership with McLaren kicked off in 2016, and the watches they launched together were featherlight—literally under 40 grams—but tough enough to wear during a race. That set the tone. Then, a few years later, Richard Mille teamed up with Ferrari and somehow upped the ante. The RM UP-01 Ferrari was the thinnest mechanical watch in the world when it launched. It looks more like a sci-fi prop than something you’d wear on your wrist, but again, that’s kind of the point.
Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz have both been known to wear their Richard Mille watches pretty much nonstop during race weekends—sometimes even during the race itself. It’s part accessory, part attitude. These two brands don’t do subtle. They do speed, spectacle, and unapologetic engineering.
Aston Martin’s return to F1 in 2021 came with a touch of old-school luxury, and Girard-Perregaux was a fitting partner. Both are heritage brands with a thing for detail, and their collaboration leans more refined than flashy.
Together, they’ve rolled out a handful of limited-edition Laureato models—green dials, lightweight cases, and subtle nods to Aston’s design language. One even mirrored the stitching in Aston’s leather interiors. It’s the kind of partnership that feels less about making headlines and more about making something genuinely cool for the fans who get it.
TAG Heuer and Formula 1 go way back, so when they partnered with Red Bull Racing in 2016, it was more of a reunion than a debut. Red Bull brought the energy, the edge, the youth. TAG brought the legacy.
They’ve since released several special editions, mostly in the relatively accessible Formula 1 line—bold colors, race-inspired details, and casebacks that remind you who you’re rooting for. You don’t have to be Max Verstappen to wear one, but it doesn’t hurt if you are.
The partnership fits. TAG isn’t just a sponsor; they’re now a proud part of the team’s identity. If you’ve watched a Red Bull podium celebration in the last few years, you’ve probably spotted one.
Tudor made its Formula 1 debut in 2024 with the Visa Cash App Racing Bulls (formerly AlphaTauri). On paper, it might seem like a surprising choice, but it tracks. Tudor is Rolex’s younger, slightly more rebellious sibling. And the Racing Bulls? They’re trying to shake things up.
The drivers—Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda—bring personality in spades, and Tudor matches that vibe with bold, functional watches that don’t feel too precious to wear.
So, what is it about watches and F1 that keeps pulling these worlds together? Maybe it’s that both chase perfection. Or maybe it's the human element—the way a watch, like a race car, is a mechanical object powered by emotion and expertise.
In a sport where almost everything is digital, the presence of something analog feels almost rebellious. A mechanical watch doesn’t beep or buzz. It just ticks. Quietly. Steadily. And in that small, consistent beat, it reminds us what time really means—not just seconds, but stories.
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