Lewis Hamilton and Watches: TAG Heuer to IWC to Richard Mille

A Watch Story That Follows the Career

Lewis Hamilton, born on 7 January 1985, is a seven-time Formula 1 world champion whose career has run in parallel with three major watch relationships. Each one lines up neatly with a team change, which is not unusual in the sport. F1 teams typically sign timing and horology partners the way they sign fuel or tyre suppliers, and drivers under those team contracts are often associated with the partner brand as a result. Hamilton's watch history is a clear example of how that works in practice.

The McLaren Years and TAG Heuer

Hamilton raced in Formula 1 for McLaren from 2007 to 2012. TAG Heuer was McLaren's long-standing watch partner throughout that era, and Hamilton was associated with the brand during those years as part of that team relationship. TAG Heuer's own ties to motorsport run deep, with a history of chronographs built specifically for timing races, so the pairing with a McLaren driver fitted the brand's identity closely.

Mercedes and Twelve Years with IWC Schaffhausen

When Hamilton moved to Mercedes for the 2013 season, his watch affiliation moved with him. He became an IWC Schaffhausen brand ambassador for the entirety of his time at the team, a partnership that ran from 2013 to 2024, twelve years in total. IWC has been a partner of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team across that period, which is the commercial backdrop to the relationship.

Over those twelve years, IWC produced three watches bearing Hamilton's name, according to the brand's own press releases. Each one used a different case material and complication, and each reflected a different stage of his time with the brand.

1. Ingenieur Chronograph Edition "Lewis Hamilton" (2014)

Reference IW379602 was built with a titanium case, a material prized in watchmaking for being significantly lighter than steel while still being highly resistant to corrosion. The case back carried carbon fibre taken from one of Hamilton's racing cars, a detail that tied the watch directly to his career on track rather than being a purely cosmetic collaboration.

2. Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition "Lewis Hamilton" (2019)

Launched in December 2019 at IWC's Abu Dhabi boutique and limited to 100 pieces, reference IW503002 is a substantial watch at 46.5mm, cased in black ceramic. Ceramic is popular in high-end watchmaking because it is extremely scratch resistant and stays lighter than steel, though it is more brittle if struck hard. The dial is a deep Bordeaux red, with the crown and case-back ring finished in 18-carat 5N gold, a rose-gold alloy.

Inside is IWC's in-house perpetual calendar movement. A perpetual calendar mechanically tracks the different lengths of the months, including leap years, so the date does not need manual correction for decades. This version also includes a moon phase display and a four-digit year indicator, backed by a seven-day power reserve, meaning the watch can run for a full week without being wound. IWC has stated that Hamilton co-designed this edition, giving it a more personal input than a simple licensing arrangement.

3. Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton (2023)

Announced on 21 September 2023, reference IW394008 was limited to 44 pieces, a direct nod to Hamilton's racing number 44. The case is platinum, a dense and naturally hypoallergenic precious metal that is heavier than gold and generally reserved for a manufacturer's most prestigious references. It measures 43.5mm and houses a teal dial set with 12 diamonds, along with an embossed panther-eye logo.

The movement is IWC's manufactured calibre 89900, which combines a flying minute tourbillon with a chronograph and a retrograde date display. A tourbillon is a rotating cage that houses the escapement, designed to average out the effects of gravity on timekeeping accuracy in different positions, and it is widely regarded as one of the most difficult complications to construct. A "flying" tourbillon is supported from below only, which leaves it visually unobstructed from above. The retrograde date function moves a hand across an arc before it jumps back to the start of the scale, rather than rotating in a full circle. Power reserve on this calibre is 68 hours.

The Three IWC Hamilton Editions at a Glance

• Ingenieur Chronograph Edition "Lewis Hamilton" (2014): titanium case, carbon fibre case back sourced from one of his racing cars.
• Big Pilot's Watch Perpetual Calendar Edition "Lewis Hamilton" (2019): limited to 100 pieces, 46.5mm black ceramic case, Bordeaux dial, 5N gold accents, in-house perpetual calendar with moon phase and seven-day power reserve, co-designed by Hamilton.
• Portugieser Tourbillon Rétrograde Chronograph Lewis Hamilton (2023): limited to 44 pieces, 43.5mm platinum case, teal diamond-set dial, calibre 89900 with flying tourbillon, chronograph and retrograde date, 68-hour power reserve.

The Move to Ferrari and the End of the IWC Partnership

Hamilton left Mercedes to join Ferrari for the 2025 season. IWC remained with Mercedes as that team's watch partner, which meant the IWC and Hamilton partnership came to an end after twelve years. This is a straightforward consequence of how these sponsorships are structured. The watch brand's deal is typically with the team, not solely with an individual driver, so a driver switching teams often means switching watch affiliations as well, exactly as happened when Hamilton left McLaren for Mercedes back in 2013.

Richard Mille at Ferrari

Richard Mille has been Ferrari's watch partner since 2021, well before Hamilton's arrival at the team. Since joining Ferrari for 2025, Hamilton has worn Richard Mille watches through that existing team partnership. Motorsport.com reported that he wore a red RM 67-02 "Italy" during his first outing for Ferrari at Fiorano in January 2025, and that he has since been seen in other Richard Mille pieces, including an RM 74-02 Automatic Tourbillon.

It is worth being precise about what is and is not confirmed here. No independent report has announced Hamilton as an official Richard Mille brand ambassador in the formal way IWC announced their partnership back in 2013. What is documented is that he has worn Richard Mille watches in a Ferrari context, which is consistent with the team's existing sponsorship, rather than evidence of a personal ambassador contract with the watch brand itself.

What Remains Unknown

Public reporting tells us a good deal about Hamilton's sponsored watch relationships, but almost nothing verified about any personal collection he might hold outside those team and brand deals. I think it is worth being honest about that gap rather than filling it with speculation. The three IWC editions made in his name are well documented through the brand's own releases, and his current Richard Mille pieces have been reported through race-weekend coverage, but beyond those specific, sourced facts, the details of what Hamilton personally owns and wears away from his F1 duties simply are not part of the public record.

Closing Thoughts

What strikes me most about this timeline is how closely it mirrors Hamilton's career rather than any personal watch-collecting narrative. TAG Heuer at McLaren, IWC across twelve years and three limited editions at Mercedes, and now Richard Mille at Ferrari all trace team contracts rather than a private hobby playing out in public. That is a common pattern in Formula 1, and Hamilton's case is a particularly well-documented example of it.