FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Formula 1 'Senna' Quartz & Calibre 16 Chronographs

TAG Heuer Boutique / Milton Keynes, 10th November 2025

A few years ago I did a post about all the Ayrton Senna watches that TAG Heuer had produced, which included a poll of the C.O.C.O. and pronounced the Ayrton Senna designed (WH1114) 6000 Series the pick of the bunch. Since then we've seen last year's (oddly) predominantly blue tourbillon version... and now these slightly more accessible 'Formula 1' models (for those of us operating on slightly more real-world budgets). As luck would have it I visited the TAG Heuer boutique in Milton Keynes a few days ago and these two both happened to be in the store; as such this post is really not so much of a 'First Impression's' post for me, but since we all love to read what the Council's first impressions are I didn't want to skip to a full 'On the Wrist' post either.   

I must admit, despite the fact that I personally own a 'Senna' branded Formula 1 (the 2nd placed WAZ1014), every time I hear about a new watch coming out I roll my eyes. There's been so many of them (these are the twenty fourth and twenty fifth models in fact), which I suppose is quite incredible really and if nothing else illustrates the enduing power of the Senna brand. 

I know, I know... 'celebrity' endorsements are best treated with a degree of scepticism, but Ayrton did have a genuine connection to TAG Heuer, having driven for the McLaren F1 team (owned by then TAG Heuer shareholder Ron Dennis) and he continued to wear the brand even when he left to drive for Williams in the ill-fated 1994 season. Sure, if he'd lived and continued to drive for Williams it's possible that he could have switched to another watch brand (if say Williams had attracted a watch sponsor), but given that he did work with TAG Heuer to design the first 'Senna' 6000 Series, we can at least attribute a little more authenticity to the collaboration than say the ones with Chris Hemsworth, Bella Hadid or indeed Steve McQueen.

So first on the chopping block we have the stainless steel model, which I have to say looks a lot better in real life than it does in the render. I was fully expecting a woefully misprinted mess of a 6 o'clock subdial, but in reality it looks.... okay. It's still not great, but the render gives the impression of a right dog's dinner and it isn't that bad!

This one is limited to just 3000 pieces, albeit as the salesman expressed to me with a refreshing honesty, that's probably still more than they will make of the Calibre 16 version below. And 3000 pieces isn't really 'limited' in any real sense is it? It's just a marketing tactic, which probably helps sell a few watches and doesn't hurt anyone, so whatever.

This watch felt surprisingly heavy when I tried it on, maybe that's because I had been wearing my titanium Golf all day and that weighs practically nothing, but even so I think this watch has a bit of heft to it for sure. I mentioned this to the salesman and he said it was because of the Link bracelet... I'm not sure why that bracelet would be heavier than any other bracelet, but I must admit the Link Searacer I used to own was pretty weighty too so maybe there is some truth to it.

I do like that they've moved the 'Senna S' to the 12 o'clock position on the aluminium (yes, aluminium.... I know right, WTF?) bezel this time around, yes it looks a little bit crowded, but better that than the old way where it constantly looked like the bezel had been knocked off centre.

Ultimately it's a 'nice' watch, nothing ground-breaking, nothing stunning, nothing to get in a froth about. Is it worth the £2300 asking price? Objectively no, but in the grand scheme of 2025 watch prices and relative to other products from TAG Heuer I think you could do worse. I'd certainly take this over any of the (cheaper) F1 solargraphs at £1600 or so...

Let's be real shall we, one of these watches is FAR cooler and more interesting than the other one, despite it's almost £5000 price tag. And while you only get the old Calibre 16 movement (with an estimated 56 hours of power reserve, verses 80 hours for the in-house powered models) that does mean it has the benefit of being more generally serviceable by a local watchmaker rather than having to send it back to TAG Heuer for weeks on end.

Here there's no antiquated aluminium bezel, this time it's forged carbon; which almost always looks great and the cool, futuristic titanium case is DLC coated with a yellow highlight to the DLC coated crown complementing the detailing on the dial and the very striking bright yellow rubber strap. I must admit this strap is great fun and gives you the kind of buzz you used to get from the old 1980s Formula 1s (without the 'uncanny valley' vibe you get from 90% of the new Solargraphs).

Some complain the 44mm case is too big, but I don't find it so (partly because there are no lugs to speak of) and the black coating does help to minimise the impact of it on the wrist. It certainly feels no larger than the steel 43mm version and due to it's construction is much lighter on the wrist. 

Both watches feature the 'Senna' eyes (as seen previously on the tourbillon version) on the backplate, it's not something I find particularly appealing, but others have told me they like it and since it's on the back of the watch it wouldn't matter much to me one way or another. Unlike the dial of course, which to me is nicely executed with a very sharply designed 6 o'clock subdial and the ubiquitous 'Senna S' printed in white at the 9 position. 

Some may not appreciate the 6,9,12 layout of the old Calibre 16 movement, but I've always preferred it to the more generally acceptable (and admittedly more symmetrical) 3,6,9 layout found on watches using the Heuer 02 movement. Maybe that's just because the first watch I truly fell in love with was the H01 skeleton which also has the 6,9,12 layout, or maybe it's just because I find it more interesting and avant garde. 🤣

Anyway, enough about me... it's time now to turn these two over to the esteemed Council of Considered Opinion. They've been pretty stingy with their scores in recent weeks, brutalising every Extreme Sports Carrera that's been thrown into their pit, could it be that these two will mark an improvement in their collective moods? Let's find out... 

Quartz 6.5/10, Calibre 16 10/10: "I don't particularly like this quartz F1. With the same 43mm case and Link bracelet, there have been versions since 2015 that I much prefer. So, it's a 6.5/10 for me. On the other hand, I absolutely love the Calibre 16 version in this new generation of automatic Formula 1s! I think the price is excessive for a Calibre 16, but this flaw is currently shared by almost the entire TAG Heuer range, which has seen its prices rise disproportionately in just a few years compared to inflation. Despite this, for me it's a 10/10."

Quartz 7/10, Calibre 16 4/10: "I love when TAG uses the link bracelet on the F1. 7/10 for the bracelet variant... 4/10 for the new, ugly F1 with Ronald McDonald’s strap!"

Quartz 7.5/10, Calibre 16 7/10: "Not a big fan of the Link watch, but this F1/Link is nicely linked with Senna. The Calibre 16 is nice. With a green strap even better I think. 44 is too big for me. Unfortunately.."

Quartz 7/10, Calibre 16 8.5/10: "If I had no knowledge of the previous Senna releases, or if they didn't exist, and I was given a choice of these two watches, I'd likely go for the quartz F1 with its Link style bracelet. Indeed, my wife who was with me at the boutique immediately said the one with the metal bracelet looks better. But as I am quite familiar with the previous Senna releases, I was immediately drawn to the sharp looking 44mm Calibre 16 in eye popping black & yellow. I like the newly styled Cal 16 Formula Ones, and this Senna edition is one that I'd actually consider buying, maybe - 8.5/10. In comparison, the quartz model now feels like a tired old design. I really wish they had given the F1 Solargraph the Senna treatment instead. However, I still like the overall look, and the Link bracelet exudes a nostalgic connection to Senna, not present in the Cal 16 - 7/10. Objectively speaking, if I go back to my hypothetical scenario where there were no Senna tribute watches before these two, my scores would probably be reversed."

Quartz 5/10, Calibre 16 4/10: "Eh. Quartz 5/10 thanks to the bracelet. The DLC titanium would be great but I think TAG is the only company still trying to charge nearly $6k US for a base-model Sellita 510. 4/10 quickly losing interest with every new release..."

Quartz 4/10, Calibre 16 5/10: "Only 3000?! Not really a fan of the big hour numbers on the top one, looks a bit busy. And comfortable as I'm sure it is, I am not a big fan of the link bracelet design. 4/10.

The yellow looks more cohesive, but I bet that strap will show the dirt quite quickly. 5/10."

Quartz 5/10, Calibre 16 6.5/10: "Quartz 5/10; I like the bracelet but the 6 o'clock subdial is odd. I know what its trying to do, but it doesn't work for me. Calibre 16 6.5/10; I like black and yellow together so this for me is great. Lovely carbon bezel. 6 o'clock subdial looks so much better and like the new F1 case."

Quartz 7/10, Calibre 16 7/10: "Not a big F1 fan and don’t get the whole Senna thing as there are so many of them. Not the worst I have seen though."

Quartz 7.5/10, Calibre 16 9.5/10: "My thoughts on the limited edition steel one first. It's a nice looking watch overall. I like the bracelet, the caseback with Senna's eyes is also neat and a nice touch. I like the idea of the helmet subdial at 6 but it hasn't quite worked here, looks a bit messy and unfinished. The bezel design is ok but it appears to be an aluminium insert, it would be good to see a ceramic insert at this price point. Still a nice watch and a fairly affordable price point for a LE watch. Speaking personally, so many of these are too big for me, 40mm is my max on a 7 inch wrist. As for the Calibre 16, this is a good looking watch, very little to fault here apart from the size again. A 44mm watch is like an alarm clock on my wrist and looks rather silly. Unlike some recent F1 related releases this really does shout motorsport. It does so in a cohesive style and remains very legible too. The helmet subdial works well here, I think because the central part is deeply recessed unlike the steel LE model. Nice "hi tech" materials in use, DLC coating on titanium, carbon bezel is cool too. Cal 16 ~ 7750 is a movement I like. Again, I like the "Senna eyes" caseback too. I'm a sucker for black watches, if it was 40mm or even 42mm at a push I'd be going close to maximum marks. Even so it's still a 9.5."

Quartz 4/10, Calibre 16 3/10: "Not really a fan of either piece, and the price is once again, absurd. Overall, I think the design is just too busy, and the more I look at the Cal. 16, the less I like it."

Quartz 6/10, Calibre 16 7/10: "I've seen the live picture of the Calibre 16 and it was....alright, I guess. Certainly, these are rather uninspiring watches."

Quartz 4/10, Calibre 16 5/10: "I cannot justify the price of the Formula 1 Extreme series with its Cal. 16 movement, so my rating won't improve. As for the other quartz model, it doesn't differ significantly from previous iterations and strikes me as an unnecessary model."

Quartz 5/10, Calibre 16 6/10: "Pretty uninspired."

Quartz 6/10, Calibre 16 6/10: "I prefer the Link-style bracelet on the quartz model, but the dial of the Calibre 16 watch is noticeably better, especially the bottom subdial."

Quartz 7/10, Calibre 16 6/10: "The link bracelet looks good on the F1, although I guess this might be the beginning of the end of the Link collection. On the other hand the Calibre 16 is a bit unbalanced in my eyes."

Quartz 7/10, Calibre 16 8/10: "I love that they have made a quartz option but the 'helmet' subdial looks much better on the calibre 16 version. The carbon bezel is also very cool."