The 5 Greatest TAG Heuer Formula 1 Watches Ever

Photographs: Tag Heuer, Getty Images; Collage: Gabe Conte

This is an edition of the newsletter Box + Papers, Cam Wolf’s weekly deep dive into the world of watches. Sign up here.

This week, TAG Heuer brought back the Formula 1—one of its most iconic watches of the ’80s and ’90s—in collaboration with Kith, a brand that sustains itself on nostalgia like it’s premium sushi. It’s no secret to readers of this newsletter that the Formula 1 has long been one of my favorite timepieces. I’ve had the tiny 28-millimeter green version in my personal collection since the fall of 2022. It still demands attention and curiosity whenever I wear it out to watchy (and regular) events.

The new Kith-ified Formula 1s are mostly faithful to the originals. The model’s quirky, daisy-shaped bezel remains, as does its signature candy-aisle-bright color palettes. Since the collaboration’s release on Wednesday, however, some commenters have reasonably griped—at a perhaps unreasonable volume—about the new watch’s $1,500 price tag and limited availability. Both of those elements seem to fly in the face of what made the originals so special: Back in the day, TAG made three million of these and sold them at prices obtainable to those entering their formative middle- and high-school years.

But! I see TAG Heuer’s vision here. If you want one of those more affordable Formula 1s, you can still get one on eBay right now for a couple hundred bucks. As I said, they made millions of these pieces—does TAG really need to make thousands more? TAG and Kith are taking a different tact: Courting the collectors who bought these way back when as their gateway watch and are now looking for a more premium version. For many watch lovers, like Kith founder Ronnie Fieg, the original Formula 1s were already grails: “That was like getting a Presidential [Day-Date Rolex],” Fieg said. “Having one of those meant a lot in the ‘90s.”

And much like a Day-Date, these F1s are worthy of study. With so many in production, I was interested in the foundations of this piece that I’ve loved for so long. So in celebration of the F1’s revival, I asked Nicholas Biebuyck, TAG Heuer’s heritage director, to select his five favorite versions of the watch from the brand’s archives. Think of this as a beginner’s guide to appreciating the model if the Kith collaboration has stirred your appetite. (Nicknames are mine.)

The “Christmas Came Early”
Reference Number: 384.513
Released: 1986-87

“A particularly jarring color combination in hindsight, but the model perfectly shows how important the acquisition of Heuer by TAG group was, and why the Formula 1 was the embodiment of a new era that would lead us to the TAG Heuer of today. With the red of Switzerland and the green of the Middle East, it’s become a cult classic today for what it signifies in the company’s history.”

The “Dune [Dir. David Lynch]”
Reference Number: 361.508
Released: 1986-87

“The obvious choice from the smaller-sized, first-generation Formula 1 is the powder pink or aqua blue. But for me, the cream-on-cream-on-cream is a highlight. It speaks to the universal nature of the watch, defying constraints of normal categorization in watchmaking and presenting a watch the likes of which had not been seen before.”

The “McLaren”
Reference Number: 472.513
Released: 1988

“The full red Formula 1 appears to have been a direct request of the McLaren F1 team, which TAG group also owned, and in fact the team principal, Ron Dennis, was on the board of TAG Heuer. There was the three-hand version, which arrived with a black strap then was offered on a red strap later, but the chronograph is even more interesting. Arriving in 1988, it was among the first mecha-quartz chronographs in the market and would lay the foundation for the future chronograph Formula 1 models.”

The “Darth Vader”
Reference Number: 374.513
Released: 1991

“Another key reference arrived in 1991 when a bracelet was first offered on steel cases models. While not revolutionary it changed the aesthetic of the collection significantly and would be among the most widely produced variations.”

The “Ukyo Katayama”
Reference Number: 382.513K
Released: 1992

“Many people know that the Ukyo Katayama edition holds a special place in my heart. It is rare as Katayama only drove the multicolored Larrousse LC92 for one year before switching to Tyrell. But it is not the scarcity that is so appealing, it's the incredible array of colors, showing what the new material allowed TAG Heuer to do, and again showing the perfect connection to motorsport for the brand.”

See all of our newsletters, including Box + Papers, here.

Originally Appeared on GQ