With the Formula 1 season around the corner, we wanted to do a deep dive into some of the most important historical watches worn by F1 drivers in decades gone by.
Of course, as the season unfolds, we’ll be doing plenty of coverage of the latest watches worn by drivers in 2026, but given this year marks something of a new era for the sport, we wanted to celebrate a few watches that the collecting community would today consider “vintage” (generally regarded as being at least two decades old).
From Niki Lauda’s legendary Heuer Carrera 1158CHN to Michael Schumacher’s Omega Speedmaster Skeleton in platinum, there are guaranteed to be a few watches you never knew had such great F1 lore. Let’s get into it.
Niki Lauda
Rolex GMT-Master “Pepsi” Ref. 16700
The Rolex GMT-Master might have originally been created for the skies, but its status as a truly dependable tool watch for anyone whose life spans multiple time zones makes it a perfect choice for Lauda.
Lauda was spotted wearing it on the pit wall of the Hungaroring racetrack near Budapest, during the time he worked with the Austrian Jaguar Premier Performance Division.
Heuer Carrera 1158CHN
Looking back to when Lauda was actually racing, he’s seen here wearing a solid gold Heuer Carrera 1158CHN that he’s understood to have been given by his Ferrari Formula One Team as early as 1976 (the same year he endured a severe racing accident).
Cased in solid 18K gold, it’s got a matching gold dial with contrasting black chronograph subdials and also happened to be a favourite of Jack Heuer, the watchmaker’s former CEO.
Heuer loved it so much that on the occasion of his 88th birthday, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph Jack Heuer 88th Birthday Gold Limited Edition was released in celebration.
Michael Schumacher
TAG Heuer Chronograph Ref. CG1123-0
Michael Schumacher has owned plenty of watches over the years, but one of the most iconic is the TAG Heuer Chronograph Ref. CG1123-0, which is a later version of the Ref. S 25706C worn by the one and only Ayrton Senna (Senna’s original watch sold at auction for €11,500). With a two-tone case and bezel, quartz movement, and unusual curved endlinks, it’s a design that just oozes ’90s charm.
Omega Speedmaster Skeleton Ref. 3097.30 in Platinum
Here, Schumacher is seen wearing a genuine deep cut in the world of watch collecting, the Omega Speedmaster Skeleton in platinum.
Created in partnership with master skeletoniser Armin Strom (who ran his own eponymous watch brand), it’s a work of watchmaking art that was created for the 25th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission as a 50-piece limited edition.
Ayrton Senna
TAG Heuer Chronograph Ref. S25.206
Simply put, this is one of the most famous F1 watches in history, worn by one of the sport’s most successful and celebrated drivers.
The TAG Heuer Chronograph Ref. S25706 is an early version of the same watch worn by Michael Schumacher, paired with a brown leather strap and featuring an anthracite coloured dial (instead of champagne).
Seiko A828 Speed Master Giugiaro Design
In the early years of Senna’s racing career, he drove for Team Lotus F1 and wore a relatively humble Seiko A828 Speed Master Giugiaro Design.
With gold lettering and a black-coated case and bracelet, it perfectly matched the team’s iconic Lotus JPS livery and features an interesting asymmetric design where the digital display is rotated to make for easier reading while driving.
Alain Prost
Ebel Voyager World Timer Ref. 1124913
In the early ’90s, Alain Prost was in the twilight of his career and was supported by the watchmaker Ebel, which today is enjoying a resurgence of popularity among the collecting community thanks to the Voyager World Timer you see here (also a favourite of Pierce Brosnan).
It was made in a range of configurations, but in gold and steel with a bracelet, it has to be one of the most compelling and affordable vintage watch buys today.
Jackie Stewart
Rolex Day-Date Ref. 1803
Just two years after racing in the 1966 Indianapolis 500 and celebrating with the purchase of a Rolex Day-Date, Rolex CEO André Heiniger officially made Jackie Stewart a Rolex ambassador (alongside sporting legends Arnold Palmer and Jean-Claude Killy).
He’s worn the Big Crown on his wrist ever since, and here, he’s seen wearing what’s likely a Day-Date Ref. 1803 complete with its legendary Presidential bracelet and fluted bezel.
Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675
A solid gold watch isn’t suitable for every occasion, so he also owned what’s likely a Rolex GMT-Master Ref. 1675, which was in production from 1959 till 1980 as one of the longest-running Rolex references in history.
Considering the tens of millions of kilometres and countless time zones that Stewart has travelled over the course of his career (he’s estimated to still travel nearly half a million kilometres per year), there’s arguably no better watch to have on the nightstand than a Rolex GMT.
If you enjoyed this wrap-up of the most important historical F1 watches, you might enjoy some of Boss Hunting’s other watch-spotting guides below:
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