Formula 1 is experiencing an unprecedented surge in popularity, with over 800 million viewers tuning in over the past year, 40 percent of whom are women. Yet, TAG Heuer, the new official timekeeper of the races, remains unshaken. “It’s a great way to introduce ourselves to a wider population,” CEO Antoine Pin tells ELLE. “They may like us. They may not like us.”
After all, 2025 is a pivotal year for both F1 and TAG Heuer. The 75th anniversary of F1 coincides with a decade-long partnership between the sport and LVMH, TAG Heuer’s parent company, and marks the watch brand’s return to the race after more than 20 years. (TAG Heuer was the official timekeeper for F1 from 1992 to 2003, and after a two-decade-plus hiatus from motorsports, it is is eager to make a comeback.)
“Today, sports has become a real platform,” Pin adds. “But if I may, we were here first.”
To mark its return to F1, TAG Heuer unveiled a new collection of timepieces at Watches and Wonders in Geneva this past March. The lineup features refreshed designs inspired by the original 1986 models, echoed in the F1 track clocks seen around the circuit. With bold primary colors, the Formula 1 Solargraph collection taps into a sense of nostalgia for seasoned collectors while offering a sporty, playful, and approachable option for those drawn to its design alone. Adding to the excitement, the track clocks will showcase city-specific colorways throughout the Grand Prix circuit, from Miami to Monaco.
TAG Heuer’s partnership with F1 also serves as an opportunity to reinforce its commitment to supporting athletes—especially rising talent in the F1 Academy, the series’s development program for aspiring female drivers. Among them is 17-year-old Australian Aiva Anagnostiadis, a promising new face in motorsport and a TAG Heuer-sponsored driver. For Anagnostiadis, the connection to a brand rooted in precision feels natural. “Knowing that I’ve got a team behind me that likes to succeed as well and everything’s kind of perfection, that’s what I go by,” she says. “They’re on board with me through that journey.”
“That’s this notion of ‘designed to win,’” Pin continues, which is more than a motto for TAG Heuer—it’s a legacy. In fact, the phrase draws inspiration from legendary F1 driver Ayrton Senna, who famously declared he wasn’t made for second or third place, but for victory. His relentless pursuit of excellence perfectly embodies the spirit TAG Heuer channels in both its timepieces and its return to the world of racing.
“It’s the fact that [athletes] find the strength inside themselves to go beyond their own limits,” Pin says. “They’re breaking their records, they’re doing things that others would never do. And I think that’s what is so inspiring even for us as watchmakers—they prove that nothing is impossible.”
