TIME² PRESENTS - The Fastest Watches In The World!

So, which watches do the top drivers wear when celebrating their success? As you might expect from such a lucrative sport, the choice of timepiece is largely dictated by sponsorship. McLaren’ Lewis Hamilton, pictured above with teammate Jenson Button, has been a brand ambassador for TAG Heuer since breaking into the sport. The 2008 World Champion has his own limited-edition version of the Aquaracer model as does his former teammate Fernando Alonso.

When the aforementioned Jenson Button reaches the podium – as he did in spectacular style in Canada earlier this year – he will also be wearing a TAG Heuer, most likely the Carrera 1887 Chronograph. When Jenson became World Champion with the now defunct Brawn GP team in 2009, he did so wearing an oversized Graham-London piece. When he switched teams the following year, Graham-London inevitably made way for TAG Heuer, the brand that has been synonymous with motorsport for decades. (Incidentally, to celebrate this heritage, TAG Heuer also produce a Formula 1 range and a highly collectible Silverstone collection.

The team to catch this season is Red Bull Racing, and thanks to their partnership with Casio, the highest watch on the podium this season has consistently been their Edifice model. Debuted last year, the EQW-M1100DB-1A that World Champ Sebastian Vettel and teammate Mark Webber often wear is a sporty chronograph, equipped with a 1/1000 second stopwatch. Furthermore, Vettel has his own limited-edition Edifice, and the ever-victorious Red Bull Racing team offer a complete Edifice range.

While Sebastian Vettel is rarely off the front of the grid, his less successful Brazilian counterpart Felipe Massa clearly triumphs in the watch stakes. The Ferrari star has a range of tourbillion watches with Richard Mille (the fine watchmaker that has now launched at TIME² Selfridges). Expect to pay around €70,000 for the exquisite RM011 model.

See TIME²’s collection of TAG Heuer Formula 1 watches for more styles.