TAG Heuer’s return to F1 shines bright with the Formula 1 Solargraph
Jamie Weiss2025 will certainly go down as one of the most momentous years in TAG Heuer history, with the brand having resumed its role as official timekeeper for Formula 1 – a sport that the watchmaker has long been entwined with, and a sport that it’s great to see the brand return to. Part of this partnership means that the pit lane clocks at all F1 races from now on are TAG Heuer clocks, and the brand debuted an intriguing design for these clocks that closely resembles their ’80s-era Formula 1 watch – which was notably revived briefly in hypey fashion through a limited edition collaboration with streetwear brand KITH last year.
When I was on the ground for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last month, I remember thinking, “that pit lane clock is sick – but does this mean we’re going to see a new Formula 1 watch?” Well, that’s exactly what’s happened at Watches and Wonders Geneva 2025. In a genius move, TAG Heuer has taken the iconic Formula 1 watch design and blessed it with its Solargraph solar-powered movement, bringing this cult-classic retro timepiece into the 21st century.
The cases
Making its debut in 1986 as the first watch to bear TAG Heuer rather than Heuer branding, the original Formula 1 watch was a colourful, affordable and highly collectible quartz watch with a plastic case and strap. The Formula 1 Solargraph’s form is similar but not identical to the KITH Heuers that were released last year, which were more faithful recreations of the 1986 original.
They’re slightly bigger at 38mm in diameter and 9.9mm thick (compared to 35mm and 9.45mm), have beefier crowns, and feature a slightly redesigned bezel and strap options. Crucially, they also feature a slightly different range of colourways. There are nine colourways total, all of which have bio-polyamide (read: plastic) bezels but otherwise vary in case material from steel to black DLC steel to totally bio-polyamide.
Interestingly, these Formula 1 Solargraphs are half as water-resistant as a KITH Heuer, dropping down to 100 metres from 200 metres – not that these are being positioned as dive watches, the Aquaracer Solargraph fills that position! I don’t think this is a big deal – as long as it can survive getting splashed by champagne during a podium celebration, that’s all that matters.
The dials
All nine colourways of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph feature opaline dials with large, rhodium-plated, polished, applied indices filled with Super-LumiNova, with the 12, 6 and 9 hour markers shaped like the TAG Heuer shield (barring the ref. WBY111A.FT8106, which has lume-filled Arabics instead) and a date window at 3 o’clock. The Mercedes-style hands also make a return.
Compared to the original Formula 1 and the KITH Heuers, the F1 Solargraph’s indices are slightly larger, and the opaline finish gives them a more contemporary, premium look. Naturally, the different colour choices are vivacious and eye-catching: these are not subtle watches by means, echoing the flamboyant nature of the sport they’re named after.
The straps
There are three different strap options for the Formula 1 Solargraph at launch: the bare steel-cased models come on three-row stainless steel bracelets, the black DLC and bio-polyamide-cased models come on retro-styled rubber straps, and the ref. WBY111A.FT8106 comes on a slightly different racing rubber strap. Of note: the retro rubber strap options, unlike those found on the KITH Heuers, have steel or black DLC steel pin buckles.
The bracelets are a little less Jubilee-esque than those on the KITH Heuers – they have broader, faceted links and look a bit more modern. The rubber strap options also feature a more modern and tougher FKM rubber that’s more comfortable on the wrist. Another nice upgrade.
The movement
Officially, the movement that powers these F1 Solargraphs is called the Calibre TH50-00, but most people just call it the Solargraph movement. Developed in partnership with La Joux-Perret (which is owned by Citizen, widely considered the market leader in solar movements), the Solargraph movement can be charged by either the sun or artificial light. TAG claims that two minutes of exposure to direct sunlight is enough to power the watch for an entire day, and that once fully charged (which will take less than 20 hours in the sun), the watch can run for up to six months with no light exposure. Additionally, if the watch stops ticking, it only needs exposure to any light source for ten seconds to start up again.
By now, the Solargraph movement is a pretty well-known quantity: solar movements generally are extremely robust and boast remarkable longevity, with batteries frequently lasting decades or more. What’s really impressive is how seamlessly this solar movement has been integrated into the Formula 1: without the ‘Solargraph’ text on its dial, you’d have no idea it was a solar watch.
The verdict
I’m a massive Formula 1 fan (the motorsport specifically but the watches also) and I missed out on getting one of the KITH Heuers last year, so I’m stoked to see the OG Formula 1 design make a more permanent return to TAG Heuer’s range – and I know I’m not the only one. I think the brand has done a great job balancing being faithful to the original while also introducing solid quality-of-life tweaks… And using a solar movement just makes sense.
Andrew put it this way when we revealed our Time+Tide x TAG Heuer Aquaracer Solargraph ‘Sundowner’ last year: “if you’re going to do a quartz watch, you may as well make it solar”. And I totally agree – solar watches are just so convenient that you don’t feel as if you’re missing out too much by not having a mechanical movement. And by the way, TAG Heuer also released a new range of mechanical Formula 1 chronographs earlier this year, if that’s more your thing…
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The real question is this: what colourway do you go for? I’m partial to the red-cased model, as it resembles the Formula 1 model that McLaren mechanics wore back in the day, although the ref. WBY111A.FT8106 with its slightly different strap and dial gives off big ’90s/’00s vibes. Decisions, decisions.
TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph pricing and availability
Each colourway of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph collection will be released gradually throughout 2025, with launches tied to different F1 Grands Prix, including the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in July and the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in September, with the first releases tied to the Miami Grand Prix in late April/early May. There will be pre-sale windows aligned with each race weekend: for instance, for the Miami Grand Prix, the ref. WBY1114.FT8084 (steel case/bracelet, white dial, red flange) will open for pre-sale on the Tuesday ahead of officially going on sale on the Friday, the start of the race weekend – with all releases following this pattern. Make sense? Price: CHF 1,750 (models on rubber strap), CHF 1,850 (models on steel bracelet)
| Brand | TAG Heuer |
| Model | Formula 1 Solargraph |
| Reference | WBY1111.BA0042 WBY1112.BA0042 WBY1113.BA0042 WBY1114.FT8084 WBY1117.FT8087 WBY111A.FT8106 WBY1160.FT8085 WBY1161.FT8086 WBY1162.FT8105 |
| Case Dimensions | 38mm (D) x 9.9mm (T) x 45.2mm (LTL) |
| Case material | Stainless steel Black DLC steel Bio-polyamide |
| Water Resistance | 100 metres |
| Crystal(s) | Sapphire front |
| Dial | White, blue or black opaline |
| Bracelet and strap | Coloured rubber strap, steel pin buckle Steel three-link bracelet, folding clasp |
| Movement | TH50-00, solar quartz |
| Power Reserve | 10 months |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date |
| Availability | WBY1111.BA0042, WBY1114.FT8084 – Miami (02/05/25), pre-sale: 29/04/25 14:00 CET WBY111A.FT8106 – Barcelona (30/05/25), pre-sale 27/05/25 08:00 CET WBY1112.BA0042, WBY1113.BA0042 – Silverstone (04/07/25), pre-sale 01/07/25 09:00 CET WBY1160.FT8085, WBY1161.FT8086 – Monza (05/09/25), pre-sale 02/09/25 08:00 CET WBY1162.FT8105 – Singapore (03/10/25), pre-sale 30/09/25 01:00 CET WBY1117.FT8087 – Mexico (24/10/25), pre-sale 21/10/25 15:00 CET |
| Price | CHF 1,750 (rubber) CHF 1,850 (bracelet) |