New TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronographs Honor the Brand’s Ongoing Connection with Racing Legend Ayrton Senna

Without getting into the impressive legacy of Brazilian racing legend Ayrton Senna too much, one thing that cannot be denied is the late sports figure’s relationship with watchmaker TAG Heuer, which dates back to 1988.

Antoine Pin, who is one year into his role as TAG Heuer CEO, sums up the brand’s emotion around the renowned racer and the new timepieces: “Ayrton Senna was not only an extraordinary driver, but a symbol of precision, performance, and passion. This new collection captures those qualities with daring design and mechanical mastery. Senna’s spirit continues to inspire us.”

Thus, the new, more modern-looking Formula 1 Chronograph x Senna 44mm and more classically styled Formula 1 Chronograph x Senna 43mm share track-ready chronograph functionality and some decidedly Brazilian/Senna-inspired colors and badging, but quickly diverge in technology, materials, and overall evocative design presentation as they cross the finish line.

The 44mm special edition is about modernity and boldness: first, a contemporary automatic chronograph Calibre 16 movement serves as its engine. Meanwhile, the black DLC-coated sandblasted Grade 2 titanium case features flatter, more recessed chrono pushers for a modern, sleeker profile, as well as a pop of yellow in the mid-case joint under the Senna-badged bezel.
 

A black opaline sub-dial at 12 o’clock, to match the deep black dial surface, tallies minute intervals to 30; the 6 o’clock indicator totals up to 12 hours and sports the eye-catching yellow, blue, and green of the Brazilian flag (and Senna’s historic racing livery and helmet); and the 9 o’clock sub-dial logs seconds on top of a yellow Senna “S” logo.
 

A small date aperture at 3 o’clock rounds out the added functions, while white-tipped hour and minute hands and a stunning yellow central chronograph hand cover the time-telling duties of the timepiece.
 

Finally, a striking yellow rubber strap beautifully amplifies the dial colors. The timepiece is also rated for 200 meters of water resistance.

While driven by a state-of-the-art precision quartz movement, the 43mm steel execution has a more subtle, classic appearance, and, actually, a somewhat more technical intent than its mechanical sibling.

For this model, a heritage-inspired “cross hair” small seconds sub dial rides at 3 o’clock; the angled date window is swept down to 4 o’clock; the Brazilian colors adorn a 1/10th of a second counter at 6 o’clock; and the 9 o’clock position sports a 30-minute totalizer, all integrating nicely on a black sunray dial surface.

Classic button-style chrono pushers and a protected crown emphasize the vintage flavor of the presentation. But let’s talk about the steel bracelet for a second, shall we?
 

Ayrton Senna famously wore a TAG S/EL watch during his late-1980s competition heyday. Sport and racing watches of that era often had distinctive, almost bulbous, metal bracelet links. While the Formula 1 Chronograph x Senna 43mm’s bracelet is sleeker and a bit modernized from the Senna-era S/EL, the look is unmistakably ‘80s.
 

In this writer’s opinion, it’s a terrific bracelet approach that is now finally enjoying some long-overdue interest from collectors. This version also carries a 200m water-resistance rating.

Regardless of which Carrera Chronograph x Senna you choose, you can expect a striking, stylized design of Ayrton Senna’s eyes looking back at you from behind his iconic slat-view helmet on the solid casebacks, as well as striking commemorative leather packaging for each.

No limited run count was offered for the special edition automatic 44mm edition (Ref. CBZ2081.FT8092) priced at $5,850. The quartz-based 43mm special edition (Ref. CAZ101AX.BA0637) is limited to 3,000 examples and is priced at $2,700.

For more information, check out TAG Heuer’s website.