Some partnerships go beyond a simple commercial deal to become genuine icons of automotive culture. The one that unites TAG Heuer and Gulf undeniably belongs to this category. The oil company’s famous light-blue and orange stripes, immortalised on the most prestigious endurance circuits and in cinema thanks to Steve McQueen’s Porsche 917K in Le Mans, continue to fascinate enthusiasts more than half a century after they first appeared.
With the Formula 1 Chronograph x Gulf, TAG Heuer revives this heritage with a sports chronograph in which every detail evokes the world of competition. More than a tribute watch, this special edition captures the DNA of two houses that share the same history built on speed, innovation and performance.
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A shared history born on the track
Since the 1960s, TAG Heuer has enjoyed a privileged relationship with motorsport. From the Formula 1 paddocks to the 24 Heures du Mans, the Swiss manufacture has stood alongside the greatest drivers and timed some of the most memorable chapters in racing history.
Gulf, for its part, has become a true legend thanks to its light-blue and orange livery, considered today one of the most emblematic in the history of motorsport. These instantly recognisable colours evoke both the prototypes of endurance racing and the golden age of motor competition.
This new Formula 1 Chronograph naturally brings these two worlds together in a creation where emotion counts for as much as technique.
Gulf’s colours at the heart of the design
From the very first glance, there is no mistaking it.
The black dial is crossed by the famous vertical light-blue and orange stripes that made Gulf’s reputation. This powerful contrast instantly brings the watch to life and recalls the bodywork of the cars that shaped the great days of the 24 Heures du Mans.
The orange touches are also found on the central chronograph hand as well as on several dial details, adding a perfectly controlled visual energy.
The three black counters retain excellent legibility, while the applied indexes and Super-LumiNova-coated hands ensure optimal readability in all conditions.
The result is particularly successful: the watch takes up Gulf’s historic codes without falling into excessive nostalgia, offering a contemporary and immediately identifiable aesthetic.
A resolutely modern Formula 1
This special edition is based on the latest generation of the Formula 1 collection, thoroughly revamped by TAG Heuer.
The case adopts a more angular and more assertive architecture, directly inspired by modern single-seaters. The taut lines, sculpted volumes and crown guards reinforce its sporty character.
The tachymeter bezel, made of forged carbon, adds a further technical touch while reducing the overall weight. This material, now a fixture in top-level motorsport, further underlines the link between this watch and the world of competition.
The integrated steel bracelet extends this pursuit of fluidity, offering a natural continuity with the case and excellent comfort on the wrist.
A chronograph designed for action
Beneath this decidedly sporty aesthetic beats an automatic chronograph movement offering the functions that mechanical enthusiasts value most.
The watch displays the hours, minutes, small seconds, a precise chronograph as well as a date window discreetly integrated into the dial.
Conceived as a genuine tool watch, it also benefits from a robust construction and water resistance suited to everyday use, staying true to the spirit of the Formula 1 collection born in the 1980s to accompany a generation of speed enthusiasts.
Every element contributes to that impression of solidity that has always characterised TAG Heuer’s sports chronographs.
A meeting of heritage and modernity
One of the main strengths of this Formula 1 Chronograph x Gulf lies in its balance.
The watch does not merely seek to reproduce the aesthetic codes of the past. It reinterprets them through the contemporary design of the new Formula 1, while keeping the emotional power of the Gulf colours fully intact.
Motorsport fans will immediately recognise the references to the great days of endurance racing, while watch enthusiasts will appreciate the work done on the materials, the construction of the case and the quality of execution of this special edition.
A watch for racing enthusiasts
For more than fifty years, the Gulf colours have evoked speed, endurance and mechanical feats. TAG Heuer, for its part, remains one of the manufactures most intimately tied to sports timekeeping and motorsport.
With this Formula 1 Chronograph x Gulf, these two legacies meet in a watch that goes beyond a mere exercise in style. It celebrates a universal automotive culture built on performance, innovation and passion.
Resolutely contemporary in its design, deeply historical in its inspiration, this new Formula 1 stands out as one of the most appealing special editions of the year for all those who thrill to the sound of engines and who believe that a great sports watch should tell a genuine story.
Frequently asked questions
It is a special edition and the fourth collaboration between TAG Heuer and Gulf. Based on the latest generation of the Formula 1 collection, it is a sports chronograph that celebrates the motor-racing heritage the two brands share.
The light-blue and orange livery is one of the most emblematic in motorsport history, immortalised on endurance prototypes and in cinema by Steve McQueen’s Porsche 917K in the film “Le Mans”. More than half a century later, it still fascinates enthusiasts.
The black dial is crossed by the famous vertical light-blue and orange stripes, with orange touches on the central chronograph hand and several dial details. The three black counters remain highly legible, and the applied indexes and Super-LumiNova-coated hands ensure good readability in all conditions.
It uses the latest, thoroughly revamped generation of the Formula 1, with a more angular case inspired by modern single-seaters, crown guards, a forged-carbon tachymeter bezel that is both technical and lightweight, and an integrated steel bracelet for a smooth, comfortable fit.
An automatic chronograph movement showing hours, minutes, small seconds, a chronograph and a date. Built as a genuine tool watch with a robust construction and everyday water resistance, it stays true to the Formula 1 collection born in the 1980s for a generation of speed enthusiasts.
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