In September, Kimi Antonelli won the Spanish Grand Prix in Madrid by 4.35 seconds. Such a razor-thin margin, where victory is typically measured in fractions of a second is renowned in Formula 1: Lando Norris beat Oscar Piastri by 0.698 seconds in Hungary in 2025, and Max Verstappen narrowly beat him by 0.725 seconds at Imola the year before.
This same obsession with exactitude has long linked motor racing with watchmaking, a bond that has shaped how brands tell time on and off the track. Rolex became one of the first major brands to embrace the sport when Sir Malcolm Campbell wore a Rolex Oyster during his world land-speed record attempts at Daytona Beach, setting five records between 1931 and 1935. In 1963, it introduced the Cosmograph, later renamed the Daytona, as a chronograph for racing drivers.
That same year, Heuer (which became Tag Heuer in 1985) launched the Carrera, anchoring motorsport as a defining element of its identity. More than six decades later, the bond endures. In 2025, Tag Heuer returned to Formula 1 as Official Timekeeper, succeeding Rolex, which partnered with the championship from 2013 to 2024, under LVMH’s new global deal with the sport.
TAG HEUER
It has been 50 years since Tag Heuer launched the Monza in celebration of Niki Lauda’s 1975 Ferrari title. Its anniversary edition, the Monza Flyback Chronograph, arrives in a 42-mm forged carbon case with a unique marbled finish. The black dial retains the original’s red accents, complemented by white lacquered hands and a date window at 9 o’clock. With a flyback function, the watch is driven by the COSC-certified TH20-12.
RICHARD MILLE
Richard Mille has cultivated a bold, high-stakes partnership with Ferrari since 2021, serving as the marque’s official watch partner and team sponsor. It kicked off with the RM UP-01 Ferrari in 2022, a striking statement measuring 1.75mm thick.
As part of the RM 43-01 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph Ferrari’s three-year development, the bridges echo the Ferrari engine covers’ rugged surfaces, while the barrel jewel setting is modelled after a V8 clutch wheel. Although Charles Leclerc has worn both watches, his favourite remains the RM 72-01 bearing his name and rendered in colours inspired by his native Monaco.
Richard Mille’s other racing partnership is with McLaren, dating back to 2016. The RM 65-01 Automatic Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren W1 is the fourth watch from the performance-focused collaboration.
It’s built around the McLaren W1 supercar, following the silhouette of its clay mock-up as seen from above to create an indented double bezel. This took nine months and eight prototypes to perfect and it surrounds the brand’s most advanced automatic chronograph movement, capable of measuring elapsed time to a tenth of a second.
IWC SCHAFFHAUSEN
From the racetrack to the wrist, IWC’s Formula 1 connection runs through Mercedes-AMG Petronas, of which it has been Official Engineering Partner since 2013. Its latest release coincides with Singapore’s F1 night race this month. The Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team is the fourth team watch IWC has produced since 2022 and the first to move beyond the series’ usual titanium palette.
The dial is a deep purple influenced by Singapore’s national flower, Vanda Miss Joaquim. The 41-mm case is made of Grade 5 titanium—the same alloy used in the Halo device that protects drivers’ cockpits. Signature green accents echo the team’s livery across the numerals and luminescent hands. Inside, the IWC-manufactured 69385 calibre drives a column-wheel chronograph with a 46-hour power reserve.
TUDOR
Each season, Tudor and Visa Cash App Racing Bulls refresh the Black Bay Chrono to reflect the team’s current livery. The latest, Black Bay Chrono “Carbon 26”, features a 42mm carbon fibre case and the MT5813 column wheel movement. The subcounters, tachymetric bezel, and date feature subtle yellow accents inspired by the VCARB 03. The “racing white” dial highlights Tudor’s signature Snowflake hands, and carbon fibre end-links on the strap reduce weight even in the smallest components.
H. MOSER & CIE.
The latest collaboration between H. Moser & Cie. and Alpine’s Formula 1 is the Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton Ceramic Alpine Limited Edition, their third joint creation. Its anthracite grey ceramic case is durable, resistant to oxidation and patina, and retains its finish over time.
At 40mm, the case combines polished and satin finishes that reflect light, and is paired with an integrated blue Alcantara strap. The fully skeletonised dial reveals the HMC 814 calibre with its bridges and main plate finished in Alpine’s signature blue. A one-minute flying tourbillon with a double hairspring sits at 6 o’clock, elevating the timepiece’s technical prowess.
