Is This The Best Livery Ever? Introducing The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Automatic Chronograph × Gulf
What is the best livery in motorsport history? Is it John Player Special Lotus, Rothmans Porsche, Marlboro McLaren, Martini Lancia, or Silk Cut Jaguar? Are we missing one? For many people, the ultimate race car livery is light blue and marigold. In their eyes, nothing beats the look of a Gulf-sponsored Porsche 917K or Ford GT40. It’s hard to disagree with that; it is an awesome livery. And the classic combination of light blue and orange also works on the dial of a modern watch. Just look at the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Automatic Chronograph × Gulf, a lightweight 44mm sandblasted Grade 2 titanium sports watch with a high-tech forged carbon bezel.
TAG Heuer and Gulf have a long-running partnership that has become a familiar sight. So far, around 10 TAG Heuer watches have been launched bearing Gulf colors. The new Formula 1 Automatic Chronograph × Gulf is special, though, since it’s the first automatic Formula 1 Gulf chronograph. The previous three Formula 1 Gulf models were quartz chronographs. The latest mechanical Formula 1, in one of motorsport’s most recognizable color schemes, debuts with a titanium case, a forged carbon bezel, and an automatic chronograph movement. Limited to 1,000 pieces, this watch retails for €6,300 / US$6,300.
The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Automatic Chronograph × Gulf: Do you still want to be Steve McQueen?
When I was a young kid, I watched the film Le Mans on television. And not only was I gripped by the action, danger, and beauty of the different race cars, especially the Gulf-sponsored Porsche 917K, but I also knew I wanted to be as cool as Steve McQueen. It’s an impossibility, I know, but still, the man oozed coolness. I didn’t actively notice the watch he was wearing at the time; that came later. Of course, I now know that no one ever will be as cool as McQueen, and a 917K in Gulf livery is also out of reach for me and most of us. But if you still want some Gulf-colored McQueen coolness in your life, there’s a shortcut — a special-edition TAG Heuer.
The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Automatic Chronograph × Gulf appears on the grid with a dial that roars like a 12-cylinder boxer engine. It has a black opaline center surrounded by a blue ring, as well as signature blue and orange racing stripes running vertically across the dial. The three-register chronograph layout integrates seamlessly into the design. And the skeletonized hands help keep the display feeling open while adding a contemporary touch. Sharply faceted applied indexes underline the watch’s technical aesthetic.
Large but lightweight
The colors are classic, but the execution is very contemporary. The 44mm-wide, 47.3mm-long, and 14.1mm-thick angular case, for instance, is made of sandblasted Grade 2 titanium and topped with a forged carbon tachymeter bezel. Now, the Porsche 917K didn’t have any carbon parts, but it did have plenty of titanium components in the engine, drivetrain, and suspension to keep the weight down to around 800 kg (1,764 lbs). The new XL watch also features a colored accent ring between the bezel and case. It’s another reference to the iconic color palette.
The black DLC-coated chronograph pushers are very outspoken. So is the crown with its orange lacquer accent. What isn’t very 917K-like is that you can’t see the “engine” TAG Heuer put in the case. But since the 25-jewel, 4Hz, 48-hour-power-reserve caliber 16, which is actually a Sellita SW500, is hardly the movement equivalent of a Type 912 air-cooled, 180-degree flat-12 engine, it’s fine. Instead of a display case back, the watch has a solid one with an engraving of the Gulf logo as a reminder of the collaboration.
The watch comes on a matching sandblasted Grade 2 titanium bracelet that integrates cleanly with the case. As with previous Gulf editions, presentation also receives special attention. In other words, you get dedicated packaging finished in signature blue and orange.
Light blue and marigold forever!
Limited to 1,000 watches, the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Automatic Chronograph × Gulf undoubtedly appeals to collectors of Gulf memorabilia as well as fans of modern TAG Heuer chronographs, like the titanium models in the Formula 1 collection. The watch is living proof that light blue and marigold are a match made in heaven. The colorway works not just on a retro-inspired square Monaco dial. It also looks good on a round watch made of contemporary materials in modern shapes and sizes. TAG Heuer keeps the iconic livery alive and rejuvenates it through this chronograph. Now, would you race/sport one of these? Or are you waiting on a watch with a dial in John Player Special, Rothmans, Marlboro, Martini, or Silk Cut colors?
