SPORT Precision on the Edge: Jean Campiche and the Evolution of F1® Timekeeping

The 1970s marked a turning point in how Formula 1® measured time — and Jean Campiche, who joined Heuer in 1973 after a demanding multi-stage selection process, was at the centre of it. At that time, motorsport timing was closer to art than science. Most timing was done manually, and Campiche operated large timing keyboards with multiple push-buttons—a technique that earned him the nickname “The Pianist” for the way his fingers danced across the keys. Armed with instinct, focus, and extraordinary dexterity, he recorded lap times and sectors by hand, developing a deep understanding of human limitations and mechanical potential.

As impressive as it was to witness, his approach was groundbreaking. Campiche’s work offered teams a strategic edge. He wasn’t merely capturing performance; he was anticipating it. When Heuer began collaborating closely with Ferrari in the early 1970s, Campiche spent six months embedded with the Scuderia, working alongside the legendary Mauro Forghieri and drivers like Niki Lauda, earning rapid respect within the paddock.

That same period saw Heuer introduce the pioneering Le Mans Centigraph in 1971—developed before Campiche joined the company—a revolutionary timing instrument capable of measuring and displaying results to 1/1000th of a second. Though developed for endurance racing, it signalled a turning point for motorsport timing technology. The Centigraph laid critical groundwork for the innovations that Campiche would later help operate and implement within Formula 1®, marrying precision timing with real-time visual display.

The late 1970s and 1980s marked a turning point in motorsport timekeeping. Campiche contributed to the transition from manual timing to increasingly automated systems, as microprocessors and software began to replace paper charts and pencils. With Heuer’s pioneering Chronosplit technology and later developments like the CP705 system—designed by Heuer’s engineering team led by figures such as François Prinz—timekeeping entered the digital age.

Campiche played a crucial role as the interface between engineers and race teams, helping define operational needs and refine how timing data was captured and displayed. Beyond delivering raw timing information, he enabled teams to interpret it more effectively. Race engineers could now make smarter calls, optimize setups, and fine-tune strategies as the action unfolded.

By the mid-1970s, Campiche had already gained a reputation as a specialist in timekeeping, thanks in part to moments where he identified errors in official results and corrected them.

As F1® became increasingly data-driven, the role of the timekeeper evolved. Campiche helped shape the practices that would eventually lead to today’s performance analysts and trackside engineers, who digest vast amounts of data during a race. His work illustrated how timekeeping could evolve from passive measurement into a strategic tool.

This evolution mirrored the transformation of the sport itself. As turbocharged engines screamed through circuits from Monaco to Monza, Campiche’s ability to manage and interpret timing systems revealed patterns and insights that teams increasingly relied on. Timekeeping was no longer passive; it had become a competitive weapon.

Campiche’s story is inseparable from that of TAG Heuer, the brand that redefined timekeeping both on and off the track. From the Mikrograph’s ability to record 1/100th of a second in 1916 to the cutting-edge Connected watches of today, TAG Heuer has always pushed the boundaries of what’s possible with time.

But Jean Campiche represented something more: a human bridge between the analog past and digital future. His work demonstrated that true innovation comes not just from machines but from those who imagine new ways to use them.

Jean Campiche retired in the early 2000s, but his fingerprints remain all over the sport. Every millisecond split on modern timing screens owes something to the operational mastery he brought to racing. In an age now dominated by data clouds and AI, his legacy reminds us that the soul of motorsport timing was—and still is—deeply human.

Jean Campiche stands out as a pioneer—someone who transformed timekeeping into a strategic advantage, turning milliseconds into moments of triumph.