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Formula 1’s rich history with luxury watches

By Ben Pattavina

Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton adjusts his watch in the parc ferme after the qualifying sessions at the Autodromo Nazionale circuit in Monza, on September 10, 2021, ahead of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix. (Photo by LARS BARON / various sources / AFP) (Photo by LARS BARON/AFP via Getty Images)
Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton adjusts his watch in the parc ferme after the qualifying sessions at the Autodromo Nazionale circuit in Monza, on September 10, 2021, ahead of the Italian Formula One Grand Prix. (Photo by LARS BARON / various sources / AFP) (Photo by LARS BARON/AFP via Getty Images) /
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Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1
Chris Grainger-Herr, IWC Schaffhausen, Lewis Hamilton, Formula 1 (Photo by Remy Steiner/Getty Images for IWC) /

Formula 1 watches: Team partnerships with watch brands

Sorry, Rolex fanatics — there’s not much here for you to get too excited about. While Rolex is the official sponsor of Formula 1, they have no current partnerships with any of the 10 teams on the grid. But with that being said, there are still plenty of interesting partnerships between the teams and watch brands.

Starting off with the 2022 world champions, Red Bull have a partnership with TAG Heuer, a coupling that first commenced in 2016 and will extend at least through 2024.

The bond goes back to before the partnership when Red Bull reportedly suffered a falling out with engine maker Renault. Red Bull rebranded the engines as TAG Heuer, even though the brand had nothing to do with Formula 1 engines that year.

Moving on to Mercedes, they’ve enjoyed a partnership with Swiss brand IWC Schaffhausen. IWC (short for International Watch Company) was founded by American watchmaker Florentine Ariosto Jones 154 years ago.

While it may not be the most sought-after watch brand, it sponsors one of the flashiest athletes in the history of sports in Lewis Hamilton.

And it’s safe to say that this has been one of the best partnerships in the sport. After forming a partnership with Mercedes in 2013, the same year Hamilton joined the Silver Arrows, the team won their first championship the following year in 2014, the first of eight straight world constructor titles.

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