I bought a vintage TAG Heuer Formula 1 for £160 and I couldn’t be happier

One of the biggest watch stories this year, outside of Watches and Wonders, has been the release of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith collection. These colourful 90s revivals are a massive dose of nostalgia and I think they’re incredibly fun.

But, as much as I like these new watches, I can’t purchase one as they sold out immediately (and they’re slightly out of my budget). I’ve written about why I don’t think they should be limited editions here, but luckily enough, there are plenty of vintage models on eBay at much more affordable prices…

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If you missed last week’s story, TAG Heuer teamed up with lifestyle brand Kith to bring back these legendary Formula 1 watches. The 10 new colourways are inspired by standout models from TAG’s past, but each has been updated with modern materials.

You can find all the information in Stuff’s TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith explainer, where I talk about each new model in detail.

At first, I thought I could resist the temptation of getting one, but after seeing everyone from Max Verstappen to Alexandra Daddario wearing one at the Miami Formula 1 Grand Prix, I knew I had to scratch the itch. After persuading myself, I was ready to jump on the bandwagon (the exact same thing happened with the MoonSwatch).

The original Formula 1 collection was released in 1986, and it stood out for using an innovative case construction – a mixture of a stainless steel inner case coated with fibreglass, and a plastic bezel. The original Formula 1 was foundational to the success and longevity of TAG Heuer, with over three million pieces produced.

A lot of those original watches still exist today, although due to the cheaper materials used, many look worse for wear. The original bezels were made from soft plastic (rather than the steel, aluminium, or ceramic of more traditional watches) so most have been scratched beyond recognition. The brittle plastic straps didn’t weather too well either.

I spent hours trawling through eBay listings, assessing how badly damaged each bezel was, looking for the best combination of price, colour, and condition.

I eventually found a 35mm orange model in Japan for £160. This is a little cheaper than most of the other models on eBay, the pictures were blurry, the strap had been replaced, and the listing mentioned a small chip in the crystal (but no scratches on the bezel). Of course, it didn’t have a box or papers either.

It was throwing up a few red flags. Were those blurry images hiding something? I messaged the seller asking for more pictures. He didn’t have any, but he said the watch was in good condition, so I took the plunge (I figured at £160, it isn’t too much of a gamble).

The watch arrived seven days later wrapped in bubble wrap. I carefully opened up the packaging and was very pleased with what greeted me. The watch was in great condition. The small chip in the crystal is barely noticeable and the bezel looks almost new.

I love the bright orange colour, contrasting with the silver aluminium case, grey/lavender dial, and maroon minute track and hands.

I swapped the third party leather strap it came on for a matching orange silicone strap I had laying around. It’s a shame to miss out on the character of the original strap, but from what I’ve heard, these aren’t too comfortable anyway (so much so TAG Heuer replaced plastic for rubber in the Kith editions). If I ever do want to get the official TAG Heuer strap, I’ve read you can get replacement parts ordered from a TAG Heuer boutique.

This compact quartz watch is lightweight and comfortable to wear – I can see it getting a lot of wrist time this summer.

So, if you missed out on the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith watches at the weekend, I’d recommend you head over to eBay and find a vintage one. They’re fun, affordable, and a great entry to the TAG Heuer brand.

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