Watches THE ULTIMATE COLLECTOR’S GUIDE: TAG HEUER SENNA SPECIAL EDITIONS

Who better to embody TAG Heuer’s tagline – ‘Don’t crack under pressure’ – than the legend that was (and is) Ayrton Senna. The all-but-superhuman motoracing star remains synonymous with incredible courage, skill and perseverance to this day.  Some say there will never be another like him. But even beyond his victories on the track, Senna created a reputation for exceeding limits, breaking barriers, and ‘raising the game’.

TAG Heuer’s enduring partnership with Senna began back in 1988 – and continued all the way up to his tragic death in 1994. Posthumously, the Senna Foundation chose to continue this partnership forward to 2004.  TAG Heuer’s relationship with both the icon himself and his foundation produced five Limited Edition Watches. And in 2015, the release of the new Carrera and Formula 1 ‘Senna’ Editions reignited the fire – At TAG Heuer, the spirit of Senna is back, with new editions in the collection sparking inspiration for racing enthusiasts the world over.

When he moved to McLaren, Senna was appointed brand ambassador for TAG Heuer’s then-new S/el line (Sports and Elegance) of watches. For himself, he chose the Analogue/Digital TAG Heuer S/el on a leather strap.

In 1993, a McLaren mechanic jokingly suggested swapping watches with Senna – if he won the World Championship. While he didn’t end up taking that season’s trophy home, the Brazilian still gifted his mechanic the watch TAG Heuer S/el S25706C.

While Senna appeared in multiple ads and carried TAG Heuer’s logo on his racing suit alongside McLaren, TAG Heuer only began producing the first Senna Limited Edition watch in 1994.

The TAG Heuer 6000 Senna Limited Edition, displaying the distinctive ‘Senna S’ logo, was the only model created with the driver’s creative involvement. Its unique black dial features two chequered flag patterns at the top and bottom, in an homage to the visual language of racing.

The second Ayrton Senna TAG Heuer followed five years later in 2001. Released in a Limited Edition of 1,991 watches – a tribute to Senna’s last victory in 1991 – the TAG Heuer Link Senna Chronograph also featured the ‘Senna S’, this time subtly embossed on the dial and only visible at certain angles.

2002 marked the release of the third Senna edition (Ref. CT2115), produced in a limited edition of 4,098 watches, in a nod to the total number of minutes elapsed in the driver’s 41 victorious races. The yellow highlights and the famous ‘S’ logo in yellow recall the colour of Senna’s iconic helmet.

A slight departure from its elder version, the 2003 model (CT5114) shows eye-catching white ‘Daytona’ style rings on the 12 and 6 o’clock sub-dials. Though the yellow highlights have disappeared, the Senna name and ‘S’ are featured next to the day-date at 3 o’clock, while the caseback proudly showcases Senna’s coloured helmet for the first time.

It’s worth mentioning that this model, limited to 4,000 pieces, was the only watch in the series to feature a Chronometer movement.

Released as a Limited Edition of 2,004 watches to mark the 10th anniversary of Senna’s death, the 2004 Link Senna brought significant changes to the series; for example, the bright green sub-dial hand and Senna’s signature.

In the years that followed, the partnership between Senna and TAG Heuer was put on pause. Other Senna branded watches appeared on the market, but these brands shared no history with the racing legend, and as a result failed to evoke his memory with the same authenticity. Fortunately, in 2015, TAG Heuer rejoined with the Senna Foundation to produce new editions bearing his name.

The new collection began with two special TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre 16 models – one in steel, the other in titanium. Two TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna editions followed, showing either red or yellow highlights. 

The first model from the 2016 collection is the Senna Chronograph, which uses the standard Formula 1 chrono. 43mm steel case. The unique elements to the Senna edition are limited to the dial, “Senna” aluminium bezel and engraved caseback.

For the first time, TAG Heuer’s famous Heuer-01 proprietary movement is paired with the Senna design codes. With an imposing 45 mm case, the Carrera Heuer-01 chronograph in black brushed steel with touches of red houses the skeleton dial and sapphire case back, allowing the precision engineering of the Manufacture movement to be admired.

The other pieces in the series are two Formula 1 models, one of which is the chronograph version, TAG Heuer’s archetypal “motor racing” model. Both watches are 43 mm in diameter and black, highlighted with touches of red, a combination which is a clear nod to the spirit of high speed racing. The dial features three red lines, hinting at the tracks left by a speeding race car. The chronograph version features a quartz movement accurate to a tenth of a second – an indispensable feature in a motor racing watch – powering the small counter at 6 o’clock, with the minute counter at 9 o’clock and the running seconds counter at 3 o’clock.

In 2018, two new models paying tribute to Ayrton Senna were released, this time reinterpreting the iconic TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph, and proudly displaying the famous Senna symbol and name on the dial, bezel and caseback. The Special Edition “TAG Heuer Carrera Calibre HEUER02 Chronograph Automatic” and the “Limited Edition TAG Heuer Carrera Heuer 02 Tourbillon Chronograph Chronometer” complete the Ayrton Senna Special Editions.

In 2019, TAG Heuer has launched two timepieces that celebrate Ayrton Senna by including design features reminiscent of his preferred watch style and love of his home country, Brazil. Two Senna watches make up the 2019 edition – the Formula 1 featured above and a Heuer 02 Tourbillon Carrera. 

In 2020, with the launch of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna Special Edition 2020 in two variations – an automatic chronograph and a quartz chronograph – the Swiss luxury watchmaker pays homage to its ambassador Ayrton Senna and underscores their partnership, which was one of the most remarkable alliances in the sporting world.

The TAG Heuer Formula 1 chronograph pays tribute to the legend of Ayrton Senna. A new addition to the TAG Heuer’s Formula 1 collection, celebrating the unwavering passion and commitment of TAG Heuer for motorsport competition. One of the features of the timepiece is the embossed black leather bracelet, a reference to the S/EL that Senna used to wear on his TAG Heuer. The iconic bracelet was the first to be made by TAG Heuer. Its distinctive unique S-shaped design is highly recognizable. The bracelet’s leather is dynamized with yellow stitching and also features a black steel clasp with double safety system push buttons.

In May 2022, the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna was introduced ; Special Edition with Senna’s original red watch colour as it continues to pay homage to its ambassador Ayrton Senna.