While chaos reigns across Formula 1 early in the 2024 season, what hasn't changed is spying on some of the rarest, coolest, eye-wateringly expensive watches on the wrists of drivers like Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and Charles LeClerc. With a slew of high-end watch brands sponsoring the majority of the field, there's no dearth of shimmering carbon and titanium glinting from the drivers' wrists. We tapped James Lamdin, founder of Analog: Shift and Vice President of Vintage and Pre-Owned for Watches of Switzerland U.S., to dig deeper into the special watches you'll catch fleeting glimpses of in the paddock.
Most Likely to Be at the Top of the Podium: Max Verstappen's TAG Heuer Monaco Titanium Special Edition
Red Bull's timepiece partner is TAG Heuer, a brand with early ties to motorsport. Founder Jack Heuer used to hawk chronographs to drivers in the pit lane, creating some of the first watch partnerships in racing. Ironically, despite the name, this iconic model, with its instantly recognizable squared-off shape wasn't meant for the track. "The Monaco was never intended as a driver's watch, but after being popularized by Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans, the connotation stuck," says Lamdin. "Max's one-off skeletonized version leans into Formula 1's avant-garde design language, and it's fitting for a driver who frequently finds himself at the top of the podium."
Best Iteration of a Core Collection: Sergio Perez's TAG Heuer Carrera Tourbillon Sergio Perez Edition
This is a handsome custom edition, limited to two pieces, one of which is on Perez's wrist. The tourbillon mechanism is what makes this watch special. "A tourbillon is a component of a mechanical watch that rotates the balance wheel—counteracting the effects of gravity and improving accuracy through the gear chain," says Lamdin. But really it looks cool, which is why most people covet them.
Best for Checking How Long Until You're in a Ferrari: Lewis Hamilton's IWC Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Lewis Hamilton Edition
While IWC traditionally focuses on the skies, the legendary brand has found a home on track with Mercedes-AMG—though Hamilton's namesake special edition is on an expiration date given his impending move. The Big Pilot lineup draws inspiration from 1940s aviator watches that were designed to be worn around airmen's thighs, built big enough to give timing at a glance. But the real showcase here is a perpetual calendar complication that basically means you'll never need to set it during your lifetime. "Keep it wound and it'll automatically calculate the year, month, day and time for a few hundred years. It'll even calculate the leap years," says Lamdin. "It's one of the most complicated horological mechanisms created."
Most Likely to be a Fan Favorite: George Russell // IWC Pilots Watch Chrono 41 Mercedes-AMG F1 Team
No one in F1 is relying on a wristwatch for timing, but Russell's IWC is—compared to Hamilton's showier special edition—at least racing-related. "This is a better choice for motorsports than a perpetual calendar watch," Lamdin says. "It could actually be used to measure a lap time." The Mercedes-AMG Petronas teal hue works well on the rubber strap and dial, making it all feel a little sportier (and less precious) than Hamilton's IWC showstopper.
Most Stylish for the Miami GP: Charles Leclerc's Richard Mille RM 67-02 Charles Leclerc Prototype
On the watch scene, Richard Mille (a sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari and McLaren) is a relative newcomer. "Mille's raison d'etre is showcasing aerospace materials and ensuring performance in extreme conditions," says Lamdin. "Its models are as known for ultra-lightweight open-worked design as they are for eye-watering pricing." While Mille didn't invent the curved watch, the 67-02 model's combo of a wrist-hugging convex shape and flyweight materials makes the six-figure (and hard-to-get) timepiece surprisingly like on the wrist despite the chunky appearance.
Most Likely to Get Lost in Private Jet Cushions: Carlos Sainz's Richard Mille RM UP-01 Ferrari
"This is a very interesting watch," says Lamdin. What you can't see from the front-facing photo is that Richard Mille's UP-01 is absurdly flat, at only 1.75mm thick—or the same thickness as a U.S. quarter. "It's one of the most bizarre pieces Richard Mille has produced to date, but highlights its prowess in mechanical innovation," says Lamdin. "It's also the most talked about wristwatch to ever wear the Ferrari logo."
Best Use of Brand Colors: Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso's Girard-Perregaux Laureato Absolute Chronograph
Girard-Perregaux may not have the modern name-brand recognition of Rolex, Patek Philippe, and Audemars Piguet, but the brand's history as a Swiss watchmaker dates back to 1791. "The Laureato is its take on 1970s-inspired sport watches, like the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak," says Lamdin. Instead of steel, though, the case is more F1-suited carbon fiber. Plenty of Aston green on the dial and strap, offset by pops of the team's electric yellow, prove the blessing of having a team livery that looks relatively subdued on a watch. "As someone who owns Aston Martins, this watch hits close to home," Lamdin says. "I'd consider buying this one."
Most Serendipitous Colorway: Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's Richard Mille RM 67-02 Automatic Extra Flat
As McLaren's timepiece partner, Norris and Piastri get to wear a configuration of Richard Mille's popular model designed for tennis star Alex Zverev, since the papaya accent matches the team colorway. "The RM 67-02 is the go-to model because it's accessibly priced compared to the rest of the range," says Lamdin. "It's a simpler mechanism—no tourbillon or further complications here." though Lamdin's framing of "accessibly priced" is relative to the rest of the Richard Mille range; you'll spend in the region of $300,000 U.S. to put a Zverev on your wrist, if you can convince someone to sell you one.
Most Surprising F1 Collaboration: Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly's H. Moser & Cie Streamliner Alpine.
The Alpine F1 team signed with H. Moser & Cie. for the 2024 season, and just weeks ago delivered its first watch inspired by the French team. "H. Moser has deep watchmaking roots, but it's best known for its colorful dials and minimalist execution," says Lamdin. The collaboration model is based on the Streamliner, but taken in an extremely non-minimalist direction, with a tourbillon and skeletonized movement that makes the watch almost completely see-through. H. Moser & Cie. is making only 20 editions: some wearing Alpine blue, and some wearing Alpine pink. And in a sort of favored-son status, Pierre Gasly also has his own, much simpler version of the Streamliner with a deep green dial and gold case.
The Biggest Tease: Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda's Tudor Black Bay Piece Uniques
Just to be clear: the Tudor Black Bay you see above isn't the special watches that Tsunoda and Ricciardo keep flaunting. Tudor, the younger sibling of parent company Rolex, has stepped out of big brother's shadow over the past decade. "Tudor offers an impressive line of historically referential timepieces, as well as modern unexpected designs," says Lamdin. "Perhaps more nimbly than Rolex, Tudor explores materials and colorways that are decidedly sportier." Tudor's sponsorship of Visa Cash App RB has sneakily led to a few surprise hits. Last season we saw Ricciardo photographed in a Black Bay with a bright VCARB-blue dial, and for the team's Miami GP livery showcase this May, Tudor snuck out a version matching the car's day-glo "chameleon" colors. Unfortunately, the technicolor timepieces are one-offs (well, two-offs, technically), so you'll have to break out the spray paint if you want your Black Bay to match.
Most Man-of-the-People Watch: Yuki Tsunoda's Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission to Pluto
We're including Tsunoda twice because he was photographed often last season wearing the eminently affordable $270 U.S. Swatch x Omega MoonSwatch Mission to Pluto edition. "This Swatch and Omega collaboration was the unexpected horological hit of the last few years," says Lamdin. "Renowned watch collectors and teenagers alike clamor to get them. Good on Yuki for keeping it real."
