6 best watches inspired by the speed and precision of Formula 1

Following Lewis Hamilton's departure, the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team welcomes Kimi Antonelli alongside George Russell for the 2025 season. On the track, drivers endure extreme centrifugal forces, demanding a timepiece built to withstand intense stress. Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team CEO Toto Wolff has been spotted wearing a prototype of the Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL by IWC Schaffhausen—an innovation engineered with a groundbreaking shock-absorbing system designed to protect its movement under extreme conditions.

Read more: 5 greatest Formula One drivers of all time

From prototype, the watch is now available commercially, but limited to 100 pieces. The Big Pilot’s Watch Shock Absorber XPL Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team incorporates the proprietary SPRIN-g Protect shock absorber system, based on a cantilever spring that absorbs a large portion of G-forces before they have a chance to impact the movement. Manufactured from a bulk metallic glass that is more elastic than conventional crystalline metal, it spreads the stress evenly across its entire length and width. 

Despite its strength, the watch is incredibly light thanks to the Ceratanium case. The Mercedes-AMG Petronas’ green appears on the edges of the grainy black dial as well as the rubber strap.

See also: IWC’s CEO Christoph Grainger-Herr on winning the top prize at GPHG 2024

Richard Mille became a partner of the McLaren F1 team in 2016, a collaboration that led to the RM50-03 Tourbillon Split-Seconds Chronograph McLaren F1, one of the lightest chronographs ever made, the following year. The partnership later expanded to the automotive side, the latest project being the RM 65-01 McLaren W1 inspired by the British automaker’s new W1 supercar.

Touted as one of the most complex chronographs from Richard Mille, speed is of the essence for this timepiece. As such, the movement possesses a high frequency of 5Hz with a vertical clutch and two six-column wheels, capable of recording elapsed time down to one-tenth of a second.

Similarly, the design evokes a sense of high velocity. The Carbon TPT case mimics the ergonomic curves of the W1 car while the papaya orange strap features patterns that recall the foils and ducts on the automobile’s engine cover. 

Incidentally, Richard Mille is also a partner of the Ferrari F1 team, which has resulted in the creation of one of the thinnest mechanical watches ever, the RM UP-01.

Read more: A closer look at Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc's Richard Mille watch during Monaco Grand Prix

H. Moser & Cie.’s partnership with Alpine, which was inked in 2024, cuts across their entire motorsport spectrum including supporting the BWT Alpine F1 Team. The first fruit of this collaboration was the Streamliner Cylindrical Tourbillon Skeleton Alpine with a secondary domed dial.

An ode to transparency and three-dimensionality, the steel watch boasts a flying tourbillon with a cylindrical hairspring that reduces the friction of the pivots and improves the isochronism. Showcasing Moser’s unique expertise in haute horlogerie, crafting cylindrical hairspring is almost a lost art today and takes 10 times longer than a traditional hairspring. The automatic calibre HMC 811 is fully skeletonised to highlight the lightness of the tourbillon.

In keeping with the minimalist aesthetics, it positions a small domed dial at 12 o’clock for time-reading. The dial sports the signature blue of Moser and Alpine in synthetic spinel. (Moser would later release one in pink.)

See also: A fireside chat with Edouard and Bertrand Meylan of H. Moser & Cie.

Last year, Girard-Perregaux not only renewed its Official Watch Partner agreement with the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team but also expanded the collaboration to the automaker’s Lagonda brand of luxury cars blending high-performance engineering and opulent design. 

Read more: Ulysse Nardin's independent legacy: Innovation and excellence under Patrick Pruniaux

The partnership has now birthed the Laureato Chronograph Aston Martin Edition, distinguished by a dial in a unique shade of green, a colour synonymous with the British marque. The iridescent effect is achieved by applying 15 ultra-thin layers of automotive paint and subjecting it to two cooking cycles. 

Framing it is a Grade 5 titanium case, prized for its lightweight nature, strength, and exceptional resistance. The chronograph is powered by a self-winding movement with an oscillating weight decorated with circular Côtes de Genève motif.

Tudor returned to motorsports in early 2024 when it partnered with the Visa Cash App RB Formula One team, which will simply be known as Racing Bulls for the 2025 season. The Swiss watchmaker had earlier marked the partnership with a 41mm Black Bay in ceramic with a dial in blue, the team’s colour. It is powered by the COSC-certified Calibre MT5602-1U with a silicon balance spring and 70-hour power reserve. 

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