The TAG Heuer F1 Chronograph finds its spiritual partner in the Goodwood Festival of Speed
Russell Sheldrake- The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Goodwood Festival of Speed is a limited edition of 500 pieces exclusive to the UK.
- The green dial and altered tachymeter bezel now reads “SPEED”.
- With small nods to the legendary motorsport event, the caseback features a full engraving of the annual gathering’s logo.
There are icons in every walk of life. A TAG Heuer chronograph can certainly be considered an icon in the watch world and the Goodwood Festival of Speed is undoubtedly an iconic event in the world of motorsport. Over the past 12 months, TAG has been reasserting itself as the watch brand of motor racing, whether it’s being trackside at the Indy 500, giving us another gorgeous Gulf livery, or having our heads spinning with what was possible for the Monaco at the Monaco GP. So when we hear that there is going to be a UK limited edition of the Formula 1 Chronograph to celebrate this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, it made perfect sense to us.
For those who are unaware, the Festival of Speed at Goodwood is something of a Mecca for those who claim to have petrol running through their veins. It runs from Thursday to Sunday over a hopefully sunny weekend in what can only be described as the grounds of a bucolic English stately home, and it attracts the very best from every form of motor sport. It all centres around the famous hill climb, which transforms into a catwalk for the big car manufacturers to display their latest and greatest, often with the best racing drivers in the world behind the wheel. And each high-rev climb is capped off with the obligatory doughnuts at the very end. Even if the organisers try to ban them.
This new limited edition takes the triple register F1 Chronograph, with its 12-6-9 sub-dial set-up and gives it a generous helping of green across both the dial and ceramic bezel, the latter of which features a tachymeter scale, that replaces its standard label for the simple, yet descriptive, word “SPEED”. The rest of this watch is very much as you would expect. The sunray brushed dial features a date window at 3 with red contrasting hands across the chronograph functions, which matches the red accents found on the crown and start/stop pusher. There is also a small flash of red at 39 seconds, which acts as a nod to the current hillclimb record, which is held by Max Chilton and set in a McMurtry Spéirling at a blistering 39.02 seconds back in 2022.
The white sub-dials have been given an azurage texture and complement the white lume used across the applied hour marks and the hour and minute hands. Everything here is designed for clarity, with the aim of being able to check your lap time while speeding around a track at over 100mph.
The stainless steel case still measures 44m across with a large, heavily knurled crown that proves incredibly easy to use. The caseback is screwed down and engraved with the Festival of Speed’s logo and, in small print at the bottom, marking it out as “one of 500”. Inside the case sits the Calibre 16, an automatic chronograph movement that is based on the ETA 7750. A relative workhorse calibre, it offers 48 hours of power reserve and has the benefit of being one of the widely available movements that is relatively easy to service, thanks to its global abundance.
This watch is very much one made for those who are addicted to going fast. Motorsport has been at the heart of what TAG Heuer is for a very long time, and this new Goodwood Festival of Speed limited edition only goes to continue that tradition. Despite this only being the second year of TAG Heuer’s official sponsorship of the event, it already feels right at home. Who knows, next year we might get a new record up the famous hill climb timed by a TAG Heuer.
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Goodwood Festival of Speed pricing and availability
The new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph x Goodwood Festival of Speed is available now in the UK and is limited to just 500 pieces. Price: £4,250.
| Brand | TAG Heuer |
| Model | Formula 1 Chronograph x Goodwood Festival of Speed |
| Case Dimensions | 44mm (D) |
| Case Material | Stainless Steel |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire crystal |
| Dial | Green |
| Bracelet | 3-row stainless steel, folding double security clasp |
| Movement | Calibre 16, automatic |
| Power Reserve | 48 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, chronograph |
| Availability | Limited to 500 pieces |
| Price | £4,250 |