2026 will mark the second year of TAG Heuer’s return to Formula 1 as the official time keeper. Fans of the sport will have noticed the oversized TAG Heuer F1 watch head mounted above the pit lane as the cars head out to track, and I suspect that watch will continue to play a role in the brand’s plans for the season. There is another watch that TAG Heuer is bringing into the fold of their F1 exposure this year, and that is their digital Connected E5 watch, which welcomes a new Formula 1 specific edition heading into the first race week of the season in Australia. Like previous partner versions of the Connected watch with the likes of New Balance, there is a new feature set that compliments the sport in question, in this case, the entire season of F1 racing upon us.
Being a digital watch, a unique feature set comes down to the software running on the device, though the watch itself does use a unique bezel that reflect the different stages of a race weekend, from practice sessions, to qualifying, to the race itself (as for the planned six sprint race weekends, well, you’ll have to improvise). The real draw here is the new Formula 1 app developed for the watch, which uses a proprietary OS built on the Android Open Source Project (AOSP).
With the Formula 1 app installed wearers can select the hero watch face, which will evolve with the season. Each race week will reveal the circuit to be raced on in the backdrop of the time, with a small dot lapping the track serving as the seconds indication. That national flag of the circuit’s location will also be incorporated into the design of the face. Delving into the app itself will provide users with the season schedule as well as updated standings throughout the season. Every session will be represented here, so it will be a convenient way to keep yourself connected with the entire race weekend even if you’re on the go or otherwise disposed during a race weekend.
The Formula 1 app is exclusive to this Connected E5 watch, and it works in conjunction with the watch itself, which features an engraved bezel that can be used to track each session as it unfolds in realtime. That includes all three free practice sessions, all three qualifying sessions, and the race itself. This represents a particularly useful, if niche, synergy between software and hardware, and makes this specific edition of the Connected E5 all the more peculiar.
The watch itself uses a 45mm sandblasted grade 2 titanium case that’s been given a black DLC coating. The bezel follows suit with white and red inlays for the F1 specific measurements. An integrated rubber strap sits flush against the case, and allows for a surprisingly wearable experience considering the overall size of the watch. There is no mechanical movement here, but the digital module will last two full days when fully charged (three in low power mode), and it takes about 30 minutes to get a full day’s worth of charge.
As a person who only wears a digital smart watch for specific use cases, I think watches like this that fully lean into their niche are preferable to the kinds of tools meant to be worn all day every day. This is a watch that provides a specific experience relevant to fans of F1, and while it may be redundant for just watching the race weekend unfold on a television, that’s a tough ask for folks that generally only make time for the race itself. If you’re not the type to sit and watch each practice session, this watch will still allow you to have that connection in real time.
The TAG Heuer Connected Calibre E5 45mm x Formula 1 watch will be available from March 03, just in time to track the Australian GP taking place the weekend of March 7th. Pricing is set at $2,550. TAG Heuer
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