Which watches do F1 drivers actually wear?
Borna BošnjakWatch sponsorships aren’t a new thing in motorsport, and the last couple of years have treated us to some interesting watch brand and Formula 1 collaborations. From the days of the revolutionary marketing of Jack Heuer and the icons his work created, to Michael Schumacher’s Omega collaborations, we’re seeing more and more brands that are not normally associated with motorsport entering the fray – H. Moser & Cie. being a particularly interesting example. But do the drivers actually wear these watches when they’re not on the grid? And if not, do they wear a watch at all? I took a lengthy gander through the drivers’ social media profiles to see for myself.
Sponsor faithful
While he may not be a shoo-in for the title this year, Max Verstappen far and away the front runner for brand loyalty in 2025. Whether it’s a stroll around Amsterdam or a Christmas party, his TAG Heuer Monaco Skeleton has been getting a lot of attention, but the Carrera is an increasingly reoccurring presence, more specifically in the 1158 CHN-tributing gold Glassbox variant.
Being the youngest driver in the line-up, a brand partnership as important as the one between IWC and Mercedes is nothing to scoff at, so it’s not surprising to see Kimi Antonelli sticking closely to the Schaffhausen brand. George Russell is very much the same, partying with Danny Ric and Martin Garrix while sporting a lovely blue-dialled IWC Portugieser. As he mentioned during our interview a couple of years back, his favourite is the Portugieser Annual Calendar, though the watch that has made the most appearances on his wrist in 2025 is the new Ingenieur. That hasn’t stopped him from delving into Tiffany-tinged Rolex waters, however.
A little bit of both
While you’ll commonly find Lando Norris wearing the McLaren collaborations with Richard Mille, he’s no stranger to a luxury sports watch either. Though his work-provided Richard Mille is already quite a lot of watch, Lando seems to be a bit of a watch nerd, and that’s not just because he’s “cooking” while wearing a rose gold Daytona. The (admittedly old) photo of him celebrating an anniversary sees him wearing a Royal Oak Offshore Music Edition, but on an orange rubber strap. This would surely mean that, at some point, Lando swapped the usual blue strap that comes with the watch for this orange one. He’s one of us! Okay, maybe not – but it would be cool!
Speaking of Richard Mille, the avant-garde brand had an exciting addition to its ambassador line-up with Lewis Hamilton. His previous, long-standing partnership with IWC was prolific, and saw some very special collabs like the Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph, so you may expect him to be an RM man through-and-through. That’s held true so far, but in the past, he’s certainly enjoyed a Patek or two – like this Nautilus Travel Time Chronograph 5990/1R, while being his usual fashionable self.
His teammate Charles Leclerc has also been spotted with a Nautilus Travel Time on his wrist, but as someone who has been supported by Mille from his days as a very young driver, Leclerc usually fully immerses himself in the Richard Mille spirit. Whether it’s a game of ping pong or some golf, he’s sported various iterations of the avant-garde brand throughout the years. A special-edition collab may be in order.
Earlier on in his F1 days, Tsunoda often wore the Pluto variant of the MoonSwatch, but with Tudor taking on the Racing Bulls sponsorship, he has mostly worn the team variant of the Black Bay Ceramic. However, it also looks like he picked up a Gerald Charles along the way, wearing it for a few photoshoots and special occasions.
Potential enthusiasts
Pierre Gasly definitely has a thing for watches. While having previously worn a rose gold Hublot, a tourbillon-equipped TAG Heuer Carrera, and a steel Cartier Santos, he’s lately delved into Audemars Piguet. A blue-dialled Royal Oak in 41mm accompanied him to the NBA and on winter holiday, but what I’m really looking forward to seeing is how far he leans into H. Moser & Cie. It’s a brand that has mostly been reserved for the eyes of enthusiasts until now, but with the mainstream appeal of Formula 1 growing each season, it’s a great opportunity.
One of the rookies on the grid, Ollie Bearman is fully unrestricted in his watch choices considering that Haas currently doesn’t have a watch partner. While most of his time is spent wearing a Whoop band, Bearman has worn both the Uranus MoonSwatch, and its bigger brother, the Speedy Pro.
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It just goes to show the impact the MoonSwatch had, as Tsunoda and Bearman certainly weren’t the only big-time athletes opting for the Bioceramic tribute to arguably the most iconic watch ever made.
As Williams is another team without a watch sponsor, Alex Albon is free to choose his wristwear himself. His go to for much of his off-track activities, both in Japan and New York, has been the Cartier Santos. It also looks to be the green-dialled variant – a true connoisseur’s choice, if I do say so myself.
While he’s not wearing his team’s H. Moser, rookie Jack Doohan tends to opt for a simple, steel Rolex Daytona.
And he’s not the only Antipodean with a thing for Rolex’s racing watch. Kiwi Liam Lawson has at least two of them – the white-dialled, ceramic-bezelled example matching Doohan’s, as well as one on an Oysterflex bracelet. He’s also worn a white-dialled chronograph on a brown leather strap, I’m almost sure it’s a vintage Daytona, but haven’t been able to find a good enough pic to confirm. Oh yeah, he also does wear the Tudors that come as perks of the job.
In lieu of having a sponsorship through the team, Esteban Ocon took it upon himself to get a sponsored watch on his wrist. His partnership with Bianchet was announced earlier this year, though I’ve also spotted him wearing a Tiffany blue-dialled Tiffany Union for a game of basketball.
Naked wrists
There’s a quintet of drivers that tend to go bare-wristed unless they’re wearing their team watch, those being Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto, Isack Hadjar, and Lance Stroll. With Piastri and Bortoleto partnering drivers who clearly have a thing for watches – especially the latter – I can only hope some of their horological influence rubs off. But there’s one driver that goes beyond that, and that’s Fernando Alonso. Even though his Aston Martin team has a partnership with Girard-Perregaux, you’d be hard-pressed to find him actually wearing one of the team watches, even in press conferences and official photoshoots. Fernando does what Fernando wants.
The certified WIS, and honourable mentions
There is one driver that stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of his watch collection – at least one that he’s happy to share. While you might not be able to say the same about his Sauber this year, Nico Hulkenberg is making the most of his team lacking a watch sponsor. Highlights include rose gold Royal Oaks and brightly coloured Offshores, with a bit of Nautilus thrown into the mix, too. But his favourite seems to be the rose gold Daytona on a black Oysterflex bracelet. I’m not surprised – that’s one hell of a watch.
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And though they’re not on the grid week-in-week-out, I wanted to shout out two other drivers. I’m almost certain Daniel Ricciardo is a watch guy. Though his F1 return with Racing Bulls didn’t exactly go to plan, his wrist game continues to be strong. The Aussie continues enjoying his extensive Patek Philippe collection which includes a 5271P, 5711 Ruby, 5164R… Oh, he’s also an AP fan, recently wearing a 50th Anniversary Jumbo in yellow gold.
Last, but certainly not least, is my favourite driver and watch brand team-up on the grid. It comes courtesy of honorary Australian Valtteri Bottas, and Finnish brand Sarpaneva. Sure, the Finn is a reserve driver for Mercedes this year, but his Sarpaneva collabs are still worth sharing. The two have collaborated on a few pieces, the coolest of which has to be the Kilpisjärvi. A limited edition of 17 pieces, it tributes the northern lights in signature Sarpaneva lume. For those wishing for a more affordable option, the two also released a watch through Sarpaneva’s entry-level arm, S.U.F. Helsinki, aptly named the Flying Finn.