Taxonomy — the science of classifying and organizing living things (and other things) into groups based on shared characteristics and relationships.
Wow . . . there it is. One of the things I enjoy most about this watch hobby.
A good taxonomy helps us understand and appreciate our vintage watches. Autavia reference 1163 GMT — we have three choices, Mark 1, Mark 2 and Mark 3. Those Landeron 13 chronographs (circa 1940) are all a blur until we realize that they powered only four Heuer references – 2402, 2403, 2406 and 2433, but let’s also keep in mind that Heuer’s 1942 catalog shows that the reference 2403 had four different bezels – a biseuu, etages, monaie and a gouges. So that taxonomy is a little more complex.
And so it is that even when a modern brand – like TAG Heuer — introduces nine models of a new watch — like the Formula 1 Solargrph — we need to organize and classify them. And how do these nine models relate to the 10 models that it released in a collaboration with Kith 10 months earlier? Or to the 40 models that the brand release three decades earlier? Developing a good classification of all these watches helps us understand them . . . and yes, taxonomy itself is one hell of a fun thing!
With that, here are the nine versions of the Formula 1 Solargraph that TAG Heuer has just introduced —
And the dates when the nine models will become available are as follows —
When I saw the press release covering these nine watches, I was overcome by the urge to sort and classify them. Within the nine references, we have limited edition and “core collection” watches; dials in three colors; six styles on minute / hour tracks printed on the dials; bezels in five colors; three styles of straps and bracelets (in six colors); two styles of logos on the dials; and two styles of caseback. Even the limited editions will be produced in three different quantities (1,000, 1,500 and 3,000). Yes, these new watches begged to be sorted into useful buckets.
My first attempt – separate them by the core collection and the limited editions. Simple, but we are still left to classify the six limited editions. Next, I looked at the three models with dark dials and six with white ones? Again, we are left with six watches with white dials. What about breaking them down by the models on bracelets and those on straps? But that still leaves us with six watches in the strap pile.
Then I remembered something that a friend told me early on in my watch collecting career. Study the cases, and all the other details will fall into place. And so it is with these nine new Formula 1 Solargraph watches. We have three types of cases — (1) TH Polylight (TAG Heuer’s name for this particular bio-polyamide), (2) Black DLC-Coated steel cases, and (3) Sandblasted Steel, and the reference numbers used by TAG Heuer confirm these groupings.
In this posting, we’ll cover the basics of the nine watches in the Formula 1 Solargraph collection, and we’ll also look at the predecessors of each of the watches. Some of the new Formula 1 Solargraph watches incorporate the very same color schemes as the original Formula 1 watches from 1986.
The TAG Heuer x Kith collaboration in 2024 included 10 watches, and we’ll also consider which of the new Formula 1 Solargraph models incorporate color schemes that are similar to the Kith models.
At the end of this posting, we provide the specifications that are shared by all nine of the new models.
Formula 1 Solargraph — Green with Red TH Polylight Case (Ref. WBY1160) — LE 1000 Watches
In the beginning there was Heuer and, in 1986, TAG acquired Heuer to create TAG Heuer. The letters “T-A-G” (white letters, on a green background) were placed above the Heuer “shield” (white letters , on a red background) and the new brand had its legendary logo.
The first collection to display that new logo was the Formula 1, and so we look at the model with the green case and red bezel as representing the creation of the TAG Heuer brand.
The green / red version of the Formula 1 watch was included by TAG Heuer in the first batch of Formula 1 watches, in 1986.
There was no corresponding watch issued in the TAG Heuer x Kith collaboration, so it’s good to see TAG Heuer bring it back in 2025.
Formula 1 Solargraph — Red with Red TH Polylight Case (Ref. WBY1161) — Core Collection
The first batch of Formula 1 watches from 1986 included this same basic combination — white dial, black bezel and red case — with the primary difference being that the new Solargraph uses a red strap, whereas the original version used a black strap (with a red strap coming later).
This watch and color scheme is associated with the McLaren Formula 1 team, as the McLaren cars were red and white, and McLaren mechanics and other team members wore these watches during the 1991 season.
The TAG Heuer x Kith collection included a similar watch, except that the Kith version (called the “Tokyo”) had a light gray dial with pinstripes.
None of the TAG Heuer x Kith watches had the type of bright white dials that TAG Heuer had used in the 1980s, as the Kith models used soft gray and tan / cream dials instead of the bright white.
Formula 1 Solargraph — Blue with TH Polylight Case (WBY1162) — LE 1500 Watches
There as a blue model in the original Formula 1 collection from 1986, with a blue dial and bezel being used with a black bezel and strap. The new Formula 1 Solargraph uses a bright white dial, but with the case and bezel being blue, there will be no confusion about which is the “blue one.”
The TAG Heuer x Kith collaboration also included a blue model, however, the Kith model offers a different look than the new Formula 1 Solargraph. The Kith model had a black case and dial, with the blue being used only for the track on the dial, the bezel and the rubber strap.
Formula 1 Solargraph — Black with Black DLC Coated (WBY1114) — LE 3000 Watches
The new black Formula 1 Solargraph had near one-to-one predecessor with the original collection from 1986, with the black dial, bezel, case and strap (and red track on the dial), except that the new model is a DLC Coated Steel case, whereas the original model was black composite.
The black model in the TAG Heuer x Kith collection (called the “New York”) had the black bezel, case and strap, with the dial being charcoal and the track on the dial being a gradient of grays and earth tones, matching the numerals on the bezel.
Formula 1 Solargraph — Yellow with Black DLC Coated Case (WBY1117) — LE 1500 Watches
Yellow / black was one of the original Formula 1 models, from 1986. This original model (reference 380.513) followed the same layout as the new Solargraph model — black dial, yellow track, yellow bezel, and black case, with a yellow strap.
On the original model from 1986, however, the TAG Heuer logo on the dial is yellow, being the only model to have a colored TAG Heuer logo.
The TAG Heuer x Kith collection from 2024 included a yellow / black model (called the “Toronto”), with a different layout of colors. The Kith model has a yellow dial, white track, black bezel, black case and yellow strap.
Formula 1 Solargraph — White and Red in Sandblasted Steel Case (WBY1111) — Core Collection
This color scheme (white dial / red track / black bezel) had its origins in the very first of the Formula 1s, from 1986, except that the case of the original model was red, rather than stainless steel. Of course, the red case gave the original watch a very different look, more like the red Polylight model from the current release.
A similar watch was offered In the TAG Heuer x Kith collection, although the dial was more of a cream than the bright white and Kith added some red numerals (5-10-15) and markings to the bezel.
This was the “Global” model in the Kith collection, meaning that it was available through TAG Heuer or Kith. Perhaps this is similar to TAG Heuer now putting the white / red model in the core collection, a statement that this watch will have appeal to a broad audience.
Formula 1 Solargraph — Blue and White in Sandblasted Steel Case (WBY1112) — Core Collection
The original Formula 1 collection from 1986 included a model with a blue dial, but the similarities ended there as this early model was in a blue composite case, and the bezel and strap were black.
The TAG Heuer x Kith collaboration from 2024 included two blue models, and the new Solargraph is relatively close to the “Los Angeles” model, except that the Los Angeles model had a white dial. Both the Solargraph and the Kith models have steel cases and bracelets, with a blue bezel.
Formula 1 Solargraph — White and Green in Sandblasted Steel Case — LE 3000 Watches
TAG Heuer’s lineup from 1986 included a similar model — white dial, green track and green bezel, with a stainless steel case — except that this model was on a green rubber strap.
The TAG Heuer x Kith collaboration included a similar model, called the “Paris”, except that the Kith models used a dial with more of a cream tone, rather than the brighter Solargraph model.
Formula 1 Solargraph — Racing Style in Sandblasted Steel Case — LE 1500 Watches
In any family with nine children, there will be some natural alliances and groups that form over the years. In the Formula 1 Solargraph family, we have the three TH-Polylight children, with their bright-colored cases, the pair of Black DLC Coated models, and the three models on the Sandblasted Steel cases.
But in this particular family, there is also the one kid who is just “different”. It’s got the Arabic numerals for 6-9-12, rather than the geometric markers, and is also a bit of a copycat, with the white dial and red flange. We understand why the other kids make fun of this one; this kid sometimes just likes to be annoying. And when it’s time to pose for the family portrait, where do we put this ninth child? Surely it can’s stand alone, as a group of one, while all the others have their companions.
But the parents know exactly how to make this kid feel good and even get some love from the eight siblings. Give it a super cool “racing” style strap, give it the “Racing” nickname, and all of a sudden this kid is getting some love!
Some Initial Impressions
I have written this posting based entirely on the press release and photos provided by TAG Heuer, and I haven’t seen the new Formula 1 Solargraph “in the metal”. I will be at Watches and Wonders April 1 and April 2, and will spend some time with the watches, so I will provide those more informed impressions in subsequent postings.
About the Solargraph Technology — I have been intrigued by TAG Heuer’s use of the solar-powered movements and have checked out a couple of the models at my local Boutique. I have not, however, attempted to understand the technology or features of this movement, and also hope to cover this in subsequent postings.
In terms of the lineup of the first nine Formula 1 Solargraphs introduced by TAG Heuer, I believe that the lineup of nine watches introduced by TAG Heuer today represents an excellent opening for the collection. As we might expect, the three watches in the “core collection” — White-Red in steel case on bracelet, Blue-White in steel case on bracelet, and Red Polylight case on Red rubber strap — are the more conventional models, which we would expect to appeal to more prospective buyers. The Limited Editions are the more dramatic, exotic models, which we would expect not to be as popular, generally.
Again, we’ll focus on the three case-styles in the collection.
TH-Polylight Cases on Colored Straps. Some people will think that a Formula 1 should be a colorful case on on a bright, rubber strap, and these enthusiasts will have three of the classics to choose from – the red case with the green bezel and strap, the red case and strap with the black bezel, and the blue case and strap with the black bezel. Of these three models, the red / black is in the core collection, meaning that it should be available without too much trouble.
Black DLC Coated Cases on Colored Straps. The two models in the Black DLC Coated cases — one with black dial, bezel and strap, and one with a yellow bezel and strap — would probably be considered the most dramatic of the nine watches. We can understand that these are offered as limited editions, as they are probably “not for anyone”. But for the enthusiast who wants their Formula 1 to have some pop, these two are excellent choices.
Sandblasted Steel Cases. For those who prefer a stainless steel case and bracelet, TAG Heuer is offering three choices, with two of them being in the core collection. The models in the core collection include one with a white dial and red hours / minutes track (and black bezel) and one with a blue dial and white hours / minutes track (and blue bezel). The third stainless steel and bracelet model is offered as a limited edition, having a green bezel and green track on the white dial. This lineup seems sensible, with the white / red / black and blue / blue models likely being more popular than the green version.
Cards Not Yet Played
The nine versions of the Formula 1 Solargraph introduced today cover a broad range of styles, from the almost whimsical look of the Green / Red TH-Polylight watch to the more utilitarian White / Red in its Sandblasted Steel case. Still, we look at these nine models and the entire lineup of over 40 models from the 1980s / 90s, and we can be confident that TAG Heuer will have plenty of colors to work with going forward.
Enthusiasts will look forward to some of the legendary color combinations from the vintage TAG Heuer catalogs (as shown above), as well as some of the models issued in the TAG Heuer x Kith collaboration (for example, the multi-colored TAG Heuer “Katayama” model from the 1990s and the Kith “Hawaii” model, with its four colors).
Yes, I am optimistic that the nine versions of the Formula 1 Solargraph represent a good start to the collection and will serve as a base for tremendous creativity in additional models, going forward.
Specifications – All Models of the TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph (38 mm)
Limited Edition – as indicated above in headings
Movement — Calibre TH50-00
Case — 38 millimeters across the dial; thickness of 9.9 mm; 45.2 mm lug-to-lug; sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment; solid case-back; water-resistant to 100 meters (10 bar); bezels are bidirectional and constructed of bio-polyamide; case-backs are screwdown, constructed of steel; cases are constructed of either
- Bio-polyamide (which TAG Heuer calls “TH-Polylight”), or
- Black DLC-Coated stainless steel, or
- Sandblasted stainless steel
Dial / Hands — opaline dial (white, black or blue); colored flange marked for minutes / seconds; indices and hands are black lacquered applied indices (or rhodium-plated for the Blue Polyamide model), with white Super-LumiNova by day and green luminescence at night; “TAG Heuer” logo printed in green and red, black, or white; date in window at 3 o’clock.
Strap / Bracelet — Constructed of rubber or sandblasted steel (three-rows).
Prices — 1,750 CHF (on rubber strap) or 1850 CHF (on steel bracelet)
Jeff Stein
April 1, 2025, at 00:01, CET
revised, April 7, 2025
