TAG Heuer marks the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort with two new Formula 1 Solargraph watches

Edited By: Liya Shanawas
Photo: Tag Heuer
Photo: Tag Heuer

TAG Heuer has introduced two limited-edition Formula 1 Solargraph watches to commemorate the final Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.

Both models are built on the existing 38mm Formula 1 Solargraph platform and share a sandblasted steel case, a gray opaline dial, and a bright orange bezel, a color choice that nods to the orange-clad crowds that have packed Zandvoort's grandstands since Formula 1 racing returned there in 2021.

The pair differs mainly in how they're worn and how many will be made. One version comes on an orange rubber strap, is limited to 1,500 pieces, and is priced at ₹2,05,000. The other comes on a sandblasted, three-row steel bracelet, is limited to 1,000 pieces, and will be sold exclusively online.

Photo: Tag Heuer

Both watches are powered by TAG Heuer's TH50-00 Solargraph movement, a solar-charged quartz caliber that draws energy from natural or artificial light.

According to the brand, a full charge can sustain up to 10 months of running time in total darkness, and as little as one minute of direct sunlight is enough to power the watch for a full day.

Both models also feature a sapphire crystal, a date window at 3 o'clock, 100 meters of water resistance, orange and red accents on the dial, and Super-LumiNova treatment on the hands and applied hour markers.

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The bright colors and accessible price point echo the origins of the Formula 1 line itself. The model debuted in 1986 as the first watch to carry the newly created TAG Heuer name, and it was designed as an entry point into Swiss watchmaking at a time when the brand needed to compete with Swatch's dominance of the affordable-watch market.

TAG Heuer heritage director Nicholas Biebuyck has described the goal at the time as giving people a "gateway into Swiss watchmaking."

That first-generation Formula 1 was released in dozens of color combinations and went on to sell around three million units. Vintage Heuer historian Jeff Stein has characterized it as a direct answer to Swatch's colorful, mass-market approach, but unlike Swatch's plastic pieces, the original Formula 1 was a genuine sports watch, complete with a rotating bezel and 200 meters of water resistance.

The new Zandvoort editions are refined than 1986 original, but the underlying formula of color, quartz movement, and relative affordability as an entry into the TAG Heuer catalog remains intact.