The T+T team were everywhere at the F1 Australian Grand Prix – here were the highlights
Jamie WeissThe 2025 Formula 1 World Championship kicked off with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne last weekend, and it’s fair to say it was one of the most momentous season launches ever. Not only did it see Melbourne return to its rightful place as the opening race of the season – something we haven’t seen since 2019 – but it also represented the start of a massive changing of the guard for F1. The last year of a rules cycle, 6 rookies joining the grid, Lewis Hamilton joining Ferrari… It also marked the first race where Rolex wasn’t the official timekeeping partner of the sport, with the Crown ceding that title to TAG Heuer. We’re all pretty big F1 fans at Time+Tide – Borna and I especially – and the Venn diagram between F1 and watches has a massive overlap. So naturally, we were all over the F1 weekend, dividing and conquering to capture the most important watch news of the race.
My F1 race week started on Tuesday when I joined Chivas Regal at a pop-up bar called Leclerc’s – with (no surprises here) Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc as the guest of honour. I actually ended up having quite a lovely chat with Charles – not an interview, just a nice human conversation – who is an utterly humble and charming dude. Turns out he’s never been to Sydney, so as a proud Sydneysider, I was more than happy to give him some recommendations for the next time he’s in Australia. We also chatted watches for a bit: he was a fan of my Grand Seiko SBGE257 and also mentioned that he’s good friends with Jean Arnault, director of watchmaking for Louis Vuitton, who really sparked his interest in watches. I’m a McLaren fan but I think I’ve got a bit of a crush on Charles now?
On Wednesday, I went full McLaren superfan and basically chased Oscar Piastri around Melbourne, first to an event at The Espy in St Kilda with Jack Daniels where he spent a bit of time signing things for fans and talking to the mainstream press, and then later that afternoon at an event with Airwallex, where Piastri helped unveil a unique McLaren Artura art car designed by First Nations artist Reko Rennie. I had the chance to interview Reko last year about the immersive art installation he created for Vacheron Constantin in Sydney – turns out his signature art style works just as well on a supercar as it does in a watch boutique.
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Thursday saw Andrew fly into town and hit the Albert Park Circuit with the rest of the media courtesy of TAG Heuer. Andrew even managed to interview the reigning World Champion, Super Max Verstappen himself; his new Red Bull Racing teammate, young Liam Lawson; as well as the designer of TAG Heuer’s new Formula 1 pit lane clock. We’ll have a full wrap-up from the race from Andrew dropping on YouTube shortly.
Meanwhile, Borna and I headed to the Mercedes lounge by the track with IWC to spend a bit of time with George Russell, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Valtteri Bottas. I wonder how long it will take IWC to do a George Russell edition?
On Friday, Borna joined Porsche at the Porsche Pavilion to watch free practice, check out the new (controversially hybrid) 911 and get some Porsche Design Chronographs on wrist. At the same time, Alex and I were prowling the F1 paddock, watch-spotting among the great and the good while asking punters some hard-hitting questions about watches and cars. It was my first time in the F1 paddock, and I was totally overstimulated – my head on a swivel as celebrities and drivers were all around.
Saturday was the highlight, though. I joined Tudor and Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team for qualifying, even getting a tour of the VCARB garage and having the privilege of watching quali from the back of the garage – an F1 fan bucket list item well and truly checked. Saturday was a sweltering 37°C at the track, but in the back of the garage it was even hotter, with tyre blankets and indeed Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar’s Racing Bulls VCARB 02 race cars making the mercury climb even higher.
It was cool seeing Tudor Black Bay Ceramic Blues on the wrists of all the VCARB team members, especially the mechanics as they performed their lightning-fast tyre changes. The atmosphere in the garage when Tsunoda qualified 5th (outqualifying both Ferrari drivers!) was electric, with the elation of the VCARB team absolutely palpable.
Sunday, though? Wet and wild. In classic Melbourne fashion, we backed up a scorcher with torrential rain. Borna and I managed to nab grandstand tickets (although unfortunately in completely different grandstands)… But it would’ve been nice to have been in Paddock Club like I was on Friday and Saturday (the peak of first-world problems, I know) as I got absolutely drenched to the bone, as did Borna. Andrew stayed dry, though – lucky bugger.
As for the race, it was one of the most exciting I’d ever watched. The wet conditions led to carnage on the track, with 6 drivers crashing out and even hometown hero Piastri almost joining them in the later stages of the race. All the Aussie fans were gutted to see Piastri spin out… But in a true display of Aussie grit, the young Melburnian managed to reverse back onto the track after being bogged in the grass, recovering to a respectable 9th after overtaking Hamilton on the last lap. Then, I joined hundreds of eager fans for a track invasion, a tradition that was good to see return as well, to watch Lando Norris lift the trophy and spray the already-drenched crowd with champagne. How good.
Anyway, lots of burnt rubber, lots of spills, lots of cheers and lots of watches – that’s how I’d sum up the 2025 Australian Grand Prix. Stay tuned for more content from the race and from the 2025 F1 season on Time+Tide; we’ve got plenty in the tank (pun entirely intended). Enjoy the weekend ahead!
Jamie the Time+Tide Team
Watch meme of the week: an unholy union
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The Ressence Type 7 dropped this week, and its design has proven to be somewhat… Divisive, to say the least. I’m keen to get one on my wrist at Watches and Wonders in Geneva, though. Can’t believe that’s just over a week away!
Wristshot of the week: Who says F1 drivers never wear their watches?
This might be the best wrist shot I’ve ever taken. As I was chatting with Charles Leclerc last Tuesday, he asked what I did for a living. “Oh, I write about watches… Could you show us yours?” The Monégasque was only happy to oblige, pulling down his cuff for me to reveal his exceptionally scratched-up Richard Mille RM 72-01 Flyback Chronograph. Of course, Leclerc and Ferrari are both sponsored by Richard Mille, so he gets the watch for free – but it’s cool to see that he actually wears it and doesn’t baby it. Actually, Charles shared that Richard Mille (the man and the brand) has been his longer sponsor and believer “second only to my manager”, with their relationship starting in 2011 when he was still in go-karts, with Leclerc saying he “wouldn’t be here today” without Mille. As my colleague Noelle Faulkner put it, it’s a “lovely story in this world of grabby sponsor mayhem”.
Time+Tide Shop pick of the week: NOW Magazine Issue 10
Hot off the presses: NOW Magazine Issue 10 brings you fast folks, faster cars, and more than 180 of the best watches to buy, thanks to our painstakingly assembled Watch Buying Guide. Some highlights include an interview with Usain Bolt, a ranking of the watch world’s spiciest commentators, as well as an in-depth feature about the relationship between cars and watches, with some of the watch world’s luminaries including Bulgari’s Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani and MB&F’s Maximilian Büsser talking about their rad rides.
Issue 10 of NOW Magazine can be ordered both physically and digitally through the Time+Tide Shop, either online or you can pick up a copy for yourself at our Melbourne Discovery Studio. A digital copy will set you back A$7.95, and a physical + digital bundle will set you back A$19.95. Find out more and order your copy here.
Our favourite Time+Tide coverage of the week
TAG Heuer Heritage Director Nick Biebuyck takes us through the brand’s Formula 1-filled motorsport history
It’s not often that you get the chance to bring a camera into a watch brand’s archives, and even less often do you get nearly unbridled access, led by the brand’s own Heritage Director. But that’s exactly the courtesy TAG Heuer and Nicholas Biebuyck granted us before the opening of the 2025 Formula 1 season in Melbourne, taking Andrew and Marcus on a tour of (TAG) Heuer’s historical influence on the fastest sport in the world. Watch above, or read Borna’s write-up here.
Louis Vuitton teams up with Kari Voutilainen on an ultra-elevated tantalum take on the Escale
The much-anticipated “LVoutilainen” is here: France’s best-known luxury brand and Finland’s master watchmaker have collaborated on a 5-piece limited edition, following on from LV’s collaboration with Rexhep Rexhepi, the Louis Vuitton x Akrivia LVRR-01 Chronographe à Sonnerie. Cased in tantalum with platinum elements, boasting a hand-painted guilloché gold dial and powered by a Voutilainen GMT movement, it’s one of the most interesting watches either Voutilainen or LV have ever made. Read Jamie’s report here.
All the different kinds of diamond cuts, and how they’re used in watchmaking
The art of cutting gems has a long and winding history, but gemstone faceting in the way we’re familiar with today is actually a relatively recent development that has required advanced science both to conceptualise and to undertake. Whether it’s a diamond-set bezel or a huge statement jewel on a watch dial, understanding the process of their manufacturing will only enhance your appreciation for them. Let Buffy educate you here.