TAG Heuer’s Once-Maligned Formula 1 Watch Returns as a Fan Favorite

With some help from Kith, the Formula 1’s reputation reversal is now complete.

Published May 1, 2024

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Updated May 1, 2024

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When I first became interested in (and soon engulfed by) watches a decade or so ago, TAG Heuer was one of a small handful of brands I could name off the top of my head. After going down the rabbit hole that is watch blogs, watch forums and watch YouTube, I soon learned that TAG Heuer was somewhat looked down upon by the enthusiast community.

The reason was what enthusiasts perceived as a lack of quality in relation to the brand’s luxury image and prices, as exemplified by the plasticky watches of 1980s and ’90s TAG. And if one watch represented the worst of TAG Heuer, according to these enthusiasts, it was the Formula 1.

The small, plastic, colorful quartz watch was the first to ever bear the name TAG Heuer, and for a long time, it was viewed as the watch that destroyed the original Heuer brand. (This is, of course, inaccurate and will be further explored below.) But more recently, there’s been a sea change in watch-enthusiast attitudes toward the original Formula 1, to the point where many have been unironically clamoring for its return. Now, that day has come, as TAG Heuer has teamed up with Kith to launch a new version of the controversial ’80s icon.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith

$1,500 at TAG Heuer

A Heuer History Lesson

Considering that many Swiss watch brands have been around for centuries, just about all of them have had a number of distinct life cycles. But few have gone through such drastic changes as TAG Heuer.

Initially founded in 1860, Heuer, as it was known for most of its life, became known for its chronographs not long after coming into existence. A century of building upon that reputation led to a Golden Era for the brand in the 1960s under the leadership of company scion Jack Heuer, who designed the iconic Carrera and Monaco chronographs and made Heuer the first name in motorsports timekeeping.

Then, the Quartz Crisis happened. Swiss mechanical watchmakers were fighting for their lives in the 1970s in the wake of the cheap and accurate new technology out of Japan, and Heuer wasn’t immune to the industry’s struggles. In 1985, the flagging Heuer was sold to European holding company Techniques d’Avant Garde — better known as TAG — which seemed a somewhat natural fit, given that TAG, among other things, manufactured parts for Formula One engines and was an F1 sponsor.

1980s tag heuer watch ad showing a formula one race car — Ads for the original Formula 1 in the 1980s played up the watch’s toughness.

The newly formed company was called TAG Heuer, and it was looking to make a splash on the market with a new watch that would showcase the new brand to the world. That watch was the Formula 1. Debuting in 1986, it was quartz-powered with either a 28mm or 34mm steel inner case wrapped in colorful fiberglass.

They were inexpensive and satisfied the needs of the market at the time, with Swatch having debuted as a bonafide sensation just three years earlier. The watches sold like hotcakes throughout the 1980s and even the ’90s with the latter decade’s introduction of a chronograph version, with over 3 million Formula 1 watches having been produced. So despite the ire drawn by the watch in later generations, the Formula 1 didn’t kill Heuer — it very likely saved it.

The New TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith

TAG Heuer has done much to regain the trust of enthusiasts over the past few years. The brand has reinvested in its image and its watches, finding a good mix of mining Heuer’s beloved past to put out acclaimed bangers like the Carrera “Glassbox” — including tasteful reboots of vintage faves like the Skipper and Dato — and looking to the future with forward-thinking releases like the Aquaracer Solargraph.

TAG Heuer’s reputation has recovered so much that many enthusiasts have gained a new respect for watches they probably would’ve disliked even a few years ago. Add in the cyclical nature of watch fashion recently returning to the small and quirky watches of the 1980s, and you get the perfect timing for the OG Formula 1’s comeback.

The reborn watch is a collab between TAG Heuer and New York fashion brand Kith. Kith founder Ronnie Feig has a soft spot for the Formula 1 since his mother gifted him a red-and-black example when he was 12 years old, kickstarting his love for watches.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Series 1 in red and black
was my very first watch, the timepiece that helped me express the unique style that’s now manifested itself in Kith.
Ronnie Feig

Feig took a leading role in designing the new version, which is available in ten colors, including the Marlboro McLaren-inspired red-and-black version the designer received all those years ago. The new watches are remarkably similar to the originals, coming in at a decidedly retro 35mm with quartz movements and fiberglass cases. So authentic are they that TAG Heuer actually tracked down the original case manufacturer, who dug out the molds used on the original watches to craft the remakes.

The new TAG Heuer Formula 1 watches are not straight remakes, however. There are some material upgrades in the form of sapphire replacing acrylic for the crystal and a higher-quality rubber strap or steel bracelet being swapped in for the old plastic one. The dials have also been redesigned, as they now sport a pinstripe pattern and are inscribed with Kith’s “Just Us” slogan at 6 o’clock. Notably, the watches are also the first to ever feature another brand name in the TAG Heuer logo, with “Kith” taking the place of “TAG” in the logo at 12.

But the biggest difference, arguably, comes down to price and availability. The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith is decidedly less cheap than its forebearer, coming in at $1,500. The watches are also going to be much harder to come by, as TAG isn’t making anywhere near 3 million of them. Depending on which of the ten references you opt for, you’ll be limited to between 250 and 1,350 pieces. References are split up, with some exclusive to TAG and others only on sale at Kith. All are set to become available on May 6.

TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith

TAG Heuer’s original Formula 1 watch of the ’80s is back, with help from fashion brand Kith. It’s still rocking a quartz movement and a compact and colorful fiberglass case, but it’s also received upgrades like a sapphire crystal and rubber strap.