How Motorsport Found its Colour – the New TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph Colours

TAG Heuer puts its foot on the gas with three vibrant new colours for the Formula 1 Chronograph collection.

Sit someone who knows nothing about motorsport in front of the TV during a race and the first thing they’ll notice is the colours associated with racing. Forget the names of the drivers for a moment. Forget lap times and pit stops. Motorsport is a kaleidoscope of vivid colour that adorns the livery and the thunderous racing cars that burn rubber on the tracks. Colour is what makes racing exciting. Flashes of red, green, blue and yellow scream past you in the thrill of the moment. That is, of course, if you’re lucky enough to be stood at the side of the race track. If not, you may opt for a TAG Heuer Formula 1 watch on the wrist.

The evolution of racing in colour

Just like TAG Heuer itself, colour is a part of the rich history and heritage of the racing culture. Motorsport racing at the beginning of the 20th century was much simpler. You’d cheer on your favourite colour. Drivers who owned their car would paint it in the colours of their national flag. But that could only mean one thing – multiple cars of the same colour. As the sport evolved, it became clear that there was a strong need for colour-coding cars. That’s when the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus (AIACR) took over. Founded in 1904, it governed the growing motorsport scene. Colours were signed based on nationalities and had to adhere to them. Since there are only so many solid colours, however, new shades appeared on the track.

Colour schemes got very interesting during the 1920s and 1940s as more hues were introduced. They went by the names of Rosso Corsa, Bleu de France and British racing green, for example. During the 1960s, sponsorship liveries came into play. Sleek colour combinations became a new thing for many fans to get excited about. Today, there are many examples of souvenirs and merchandise in these iconic colours. In many ways, colour has further strengthened the community spirit of racing.

TAG Heuer is strengthening its ties to the world of motorsport and casting some light on the importance of colour and racing. Its three new dial colours are nothing short of breathtaking. Highly saturated and enhanced by a shimmering sunray effect, the dials of these three new watches are vivid and punchy for grabbing attention. At the same time, they’re also the most classic colours of sport. They capture the spirit of the first few Formula 1 watches created by TAG Heuer during the 1980s. The colours are still seen today in flags, track markings, lights and team liveries. These high contrast dials, however, are combined with a matching-coloured strap to perfectly capture the rush of the adrenaline-fuelled racetrack as TAG Heuer extends one of its most influential sports watch lines.

The new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph watches

The three new Formula 1 Chronograph watches released by TAG Heuer come in shades of red, yellow and green. Ready for the fast lane, each model comes equipped with a highly legible display with clean, crisp trims around the chronograph counters and plenty of luminous material applied to the surface of the hands and markers. The sunray brushed yellow option features a central red seconds hand and correlating red accents on the minute scale around the flange. The green and red models have the same matching black and red minute track, which compliments a black PVD-coated fixed bezel and 60-minute markings on its surface. In the green version, red hints have been used to pull the chronograph counters away from their surface. Each model has a 30-minute counter at 9 o’clock, a small seconds counter at 3 o’clock and a 1/10th of a second counter at 6 o’clock. These features are combined with a date window at 4:30 and a set of Super-LumiNova-coated hour batons around the track. The 12 o’clock location, however, is represented by an Arabic numeral. The minute and hour hands of each watch are ultra-legible, thanks to more Super-LumiNova material.

The cases of the three new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph watches are manufactured from stainless steel. Expert designers at the Swiss brand’s ateliers have finished the push pieces and screw-down crowns with the same black PVD-coated finish as the bezel. All three watches measure a 43mm diameter and offer a water-resistant rating of 200 meters. The top of the case is sealed with a piece of anti-glare, scratch-resistant sapphire crystal glass front, while the back of the steel case is closed with the Formula 1 chequered flag pattern engraved upon its surface. The dynamic and daring design of the Formula 1 watch is enhanced further with a concentric circular pattern applied to the centre of the chronographs.

To deliver on accuracy and performance, the new Formula 1 watches are fitted with a quartz chronograph movement that ensures around-the-clock precision whether on the racetrack or not. Each watch, with its respective black, green and red rubber band is accompanied by a leather travel pouch for taking the watch with you when travelling.

For more information on the high-contrast green, yellow and red TAG Heuer Formula 1 Chronograph watches, speak to a member of our Jura Watches sales team today on 01335 453453.