The history of the Official Timekeeper of Formula One is prefaced not by a watch brand, but rather by a person. Her name was Michele Dubosc, who began her career in motorsport as a rally co-driver before mastering the art of timekeeping. In an era when timekeeping involved a plethora of manually operated mechanical stopwatches, Dubosc’s reputation for accuracy was considered the gold standard. This was perhaps best illustrated at the 1971 Italian Grand Prix, where her timing results were presented and accepted as conclusive evidence against attempts at manipulating headlines.
From a technological standpoint, Heuer laid the foundation for modern timekeeping with the development of their ACIT (Automatic Car Identification Technology) system which involved placing transponders in each car. The Heuer Centigraph HL205 quartz timer was used from 1973 to 1979, and was able to accurately time vehicles down to a thousandth of a second.
1982-1991: Longines
In the context of modern sponsorship, Longines became the first Official Timekeeper of Formula One in 1982 along with Italian computer brand Olivetti, a position it retained until the end of the 1991 season. While Longines never produced Formula One watches, it did release a number of officially co-branded Ferrari timepieces as a sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari.
Longines branding has also appeared in Grand Prix motorcycle racing events from 1990 to 1994, possibly as an official timekeeper.
1992-2003: TAG Heuer
Heuer had been acquired by Techniques d’Avant Garde in 1985, and was known as TAG Heuer by the time it took on official timekeeping duties in 1992. By then, the well-established Formula 1 line was a mainstay in the TAG Heuer catalog but had been discontinued after LVMH acquired the brand in 1999. In the early 2000s, the text “Official Timekeeper of the FIA F1 World Championship” was included on the case back of certain models such as the Micrograph F1 and F1 Kirium.
2006-2015: Jacques Lemans*
While there was no Official Timekeeper title involved, 2006 saw Austrian watch brand Jacques Lemans sign a 10-year agreement to produce officially licensed Formula One watches. With a consumer-friendly price range of €190 to €390, the aptly named F1 Collection was unveiled at Baselworld 2006.
2010-2012: Hublot
Hublot would become the Official Watchmaker of Formula One in 2010. The partnership was kicked off with the monochromatic Hublot F1 King before making a splash later that year with the infamous Bernie Ecclestone ad. Appearing in the ad was the first F1 King Power, a line of watches that would go on to span several years.
2013-2024: Rolex
Rolex began its tenure as a Global Partner and the Official Timepiece of Formula One in 2013. Despite having never produced any officially licensed watches with any team, driver, or the series itself, the famous brand has long enjoyed an established association with the pinnacle of motorsport including three-time F1 world champion Sir Jackie Stewart being a longtime ambassador. Reports of the brand’s exit from the sport began surfacing in July of 2024.
2025-Now: TAG Heuer
An announcement made on October 2, 2024 confirmed a 10-year global partnership between Formula One and LVMH starting in 2025. TAG Heuer subsequently announced their return as the Official Timekeeper of Formula One on January 1, 2025 via the watch brand’s social media outlets.
* There is an apparent overlap between Jacques Lemans and Hublot, and so far no information has been found that directly addresses this. One possibility is some form of limited licensing agreement similar to what Ferrari had with Hublot and Movado, where the two brands stayed in distinctly separate price ranges.
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