The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna Special Edition is celebrating an anniversary. 30 ago, Aryton Senna became the youngest Formula 1 driver to win a third world title. TAG Heuer commemorates the legacy of the motorsport legend with a yellow-black chronograph. Is the special model worth it?
About the watch lounge
As with my last TAG Heuer watch tests, this time I once again worked with the online portal uhrenlounge.de. The watch lounge of Aika Juweliere from Dresden specializes in the online sale of watches from well-known manufacturers such as Oris, Tissot, Hamilton and Seiko. Since the watch lounge is also an authorized dealer of TAG Heuer watches, you will find a generous range of timepieces from the Swiss brand in the online shop. As always, all important links can be found at the end of the test report. If you have any questions about watches, the watch lounge’s competent customer service is available to help you.
The Senna myth
November 3, 1991 marks one of the many highlights in Aryton Senna’s career. The exceptional Brazilian driver was the first to cross the finish line with his McLaren that day and was crowned world champion for the third time. Even then and even today, Senna is more than just a world champion. Senna is considered a national hero, an icon. The name exerts a fascination on people that is perhaps only achieved by Michael Schumacher in Formula 1. In addition to the driving talent and the rivalry with Alain Prost, this is undoubtedly also due to his tragic death in Imola in 1994, when Senna left the track in the Williams and had an accident in a collision with the barrier wall.
The myth remains unbroken to this day. The Swiss luxury watch brand TAG Heuer, part of LVMH, has dedicated its own special edition to the Brazilian icon for the anniversary described above, which in turn is part of the Formula 1 collection. TAG Heuer itself has been closely linked to the premier class of motorsport for decades and still acts as a sponsor of the Red Bull team today. Last summer I was able to test the TAG Heuer Aston Martin Red Bull Racing together with the watch lounge.
As with the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna Special Edition, the Senna-typical yellow color runs through the entire 2021 collection. The new special model should have some details in store for Senna fans. After all: Aryton Senna and TAG Heuer have a common history. Senna has been a brand ambassador since 1988. The TAG Heuer Formula 1 Senna Special Edition can be seen as a homage. Whether the sporty chronograph does justice to the Formula 1 legend?
In the unboxing
The model with the reference number CAZ101AJ.FC6487 is a sporty chronograph whose functional appearance is already known from several other timepieces from the Swiss luxury watch manufacturer. TAG Heuer is not reinventing the wheel with this design. What is unique, however, are the references to the person Aryton Senna, or rather to the brand Aryton Senna. The world champion was already active in business during his lifetime and sold products under the brand with the characteristic double Senna S. The lemon yellow Senna-S is a ubiquitous design feature of the watch. You can find it, for example, on the bezel or the dial.
I find the black leather strap interesting, which is supposed to be based on the bracelet that Senna himself is said to have regularly worn on his TAG Heuer. But we’ll look at that in detail later. A reference to the scope of delivery. This is quite generous. TAG Heuer doesn’t skimp and includes a watch roll in the packaging – practical!