Watches of F1 drivers and tennis players in 2026: which references, at what price
TAG Heuer times Formula 1, Richard Mille equips Ferrari and McLaren, Rolex reigns over Wimbledon: the map of watch partnerships in 2026, the associated references, and which ones are actually within reach.
Watch culture · · 7 min read
"What watch does Charles Leclerc wear?", "what is Nadal's watch?": in sport, the watch on a champion's wrist is almost always that of a contract. That is good news for the buyer, because partnerships are public and verifiable. Here is the 2026 map for Formula 1 and tennis, keeping only the associations announced by the brands or teams, with the references you can actually buy and their market value.
Formula 1: TAG Heuer on timing, eight teams under contract
Since 2025, TAG Heuer has been Formula 1's official timekeeper, under the partnership signed by the LVMH group with the championship. The brand is also the watch partner of Oracle Red Bull Racing. In 2026, eight of the eleven teams have a watch partner; Cadillac, Audi and Haas do not.
| Team | Watch partner | What you can buy |
|---|---|---|
| Red Bull Racing | TAG Heuer | Monaco, Carrera, Formula 1 |
| Ferrari | Richard Mille (since 2021) | RM series, very limited editions |
| McLaren | Richard Mille (since 2016) | RM series, very limited editions |
| Mercedes-AMG | IWC (since 2013) | Pilot's Watch chronographs, team editions |
| Aston Martin | Breitling | Navitimer B01 43 team edition, limited to 1,959 pieces |
| Williams | Girard-Perregaux | Laureato Williams editions |
| Racing Bulls | Tudor | Black Bay collection |
| Alpine | H. Moser & Cie | Streamliner Alpine editions |
Among drivers, the most visible association remains that of Charles Leclerc with Richard Mille: the brand has devoted dedicated editions to him, including an RM 72-01 in Monaco colours and a limited RM 67-02. These are watches costing several hundred thousand euros, produced in very small series and reserved first for the brand's clients.
Tennis: Rolex, Richard Mille and Hublot
Rolex has been Wimbledon's official timekeeper since 1978 and counts Roger Federer, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner among its "Testimonees". The brand does not market an "Alcaraz" or "Sinner" model: its ambassadors wear watches from the Oyster catalogue, which makes the association both highly visible and without effect on any particular reference.
Rafael Nadal has worn Richard Mille since 2010, including during matches: the brand designed ultralight watches for him that can withstand the shocks of play, including the RM 035 "Rafael Nadal" line. Novak Djokovic is a Hublot ambassador, and the brand has produced Big Bang Unico editions designed with him.
2026 value grid: from hundreds of euros to hundreds of thousands
The ranges below cover the series references associated with these partnerships, in good condition and complete. Limited "team" or "player" editions are negotiated case by case.
| Athlete / team | Reference | Retail price | Observed value 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Formula 1, TAG Heuer | TAG Heuer Formula 1 (quartz) | about €1,500 – €2,500 | €800 – €1,600 |
| Red Bull Racing, TAG Heuer | Monaco CBL2111 | about €7,000 at launch | €4,300 – €4,700 |
| Mercedes-AMG, IWC | Pilot's Watch chronographs | several thousand euros | €4,000 – €6,000 depending on version |
| Novak Djokovic, Hublot | Big Bang Unico Titanium 42 | about €20,000 | €10,000 – €12,500 |
| Felipe Massa, Richard Mille | RM 011 | discontinued | €180,000 – €205,000 |
| Rafael Nadal, Richard Mille | RM 035 and derivatives | on request | generally above €150,000 |
Within reach or not: three entry levels
Under €5,000. This is the territory of TAG Heuer, Tudor and pre-owned IWC chronographs. A quartz Formula 1 or a pre-owned Monaco let you wear the "paddock" watch for the price of a good chronograph. The Monaco also has a real racing story, that of Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans.
From €10,000 to €30,000. Hublot, the teams' Breitling or Girard-Perregaux editions, and the Rolex watches worn by tennis players (Datejust, Day-Date, Submariner, Daytona). Here, market value depends far more on the reference than on the athlete: a Daytona keeps its premium with or without Wimbledon.
Above €150,000. Richard Mille. The Leclerc or Nadal models are not sold freely in boutiques: access depends on your relationship with the brand, and pre-owned is often the only realistic channel. Market value there is high and relatively stable on the emblematic references.
History, not just the contract
The relationship between motor racing and watchmaking is older than today's contracts. Heuer was already timing competitions in the mid-20th century, and the brand readily recalls that drivers such as Juan Manuel Fangio and Ayrton Senna wore its watches. Rolex, for its part, named the Daytona after the Florida circuit. These historic references count for more in market value than any recent partnership: a 1960s Carrera or Daytona sells on its history, not on the team of the moment.
Tennis follows a comparable logic. Rolex's presence at Wimbledon for nearly half a century anchors the brand in the sport's imagination, but no reference draws a measurable premium from it. For the buyer, that means there is no "tennis surcharge" to pay.
What the partnership changes to market value
Limited "team" editions are the ones that most often disappoint on resale. They appeal to a finite number of fans, whereas the base reference interests the whole market. An edition in a team's colours generally loses more than the standard version, except when the run is truly confidential and the team wins.
Conversely, when an athlete wears a series reference over the long term, the effect on demand is real but diffuse: it establishes the brand, not a measurable price rise. Richard Mille is a special case: the brand produces little, and its ambassadors are at the heart of its image. In this segment, value retention is strong, but a limited edition without its original documents loses a significant part of its premium.
To go further on what makes a market value hold, our article on Rolex, Patek and Audemars value retention compares the brands over several years.
Before buying "a champion's watch"
- Check whether the piece is an official edition (numbered, announced by the brand) or a series watch simply worn by the athlete.
- Insist on the box, the papers and, for an edition, the certificate that comes with it.
- For a Richard Mille, have the watch authenticated by the brand or an independent expert: they are among the most counterfeited watches on the market.
Own one of these references? The Causli valuation tool gives you a range tailored to your example, its year and its condition.
