If 2024 proved watches are absolutely at the mercy of trends, 2025’s breakout obsession has to be racing-inspired timepieces. And TAG Heuer is very much to blame. More specifically, AAA fake TAG Heuer watches getting back together with Formula 1 as the official timekeeping sponsor, with those big pit-lane clocks and their iconic red-bezel Formula 1 nostalgia moments doing a lot of heavy lifting.
Watchfinder & Co. data confirms the hype: racing-inspired watches are exploding, with TAG Heuer leading the way. The Formula 1 Sparkling model saw +112% UK sales growth year-on-year, while the Carrera Ladies model is up +104% on the pre-owned specialist. In perfect replica watches UK terms, that’s the equivalent of sticking in the fastest lap and doing doughnuts on the home straight just because you can.
It makes sense. Motorsport aesthetics have been everywhere this year: carbon-fibre textures, punches of neon, sponsor-logo maximalism, and that whole “Drive to Survive but make it fashion” vibe.
We asked some experts what they believe is fuelling this rise in interest around racing-inspired watches. Young Brando of the YouTube channel Watches ’n Style puts it like this: “The ‘90s have been coming back in a big way, and the F1 racetracks are no exception,” he says. “TAG Heuer’s return to Formula 1 and the return of top TAG Heuer copy watches with explicit branding links to the enterprise therefore could not have been more topical.”
But he suggests a crucial difference. “Growing up in the ‘90s, I remember the sport as being much more European. Since Liberty Media’s acquisition in 2017, however, Formula 1 has become quite consciously global. There are going to be 12 nationalities represented in the roster of drivers with locations that span five continents: from Melbourne, Australia to Abu Dhabi, UAE to Las Vegas in the USA.”
Brando points out that beyond the streaming-era hype, the wall-to-wall coverage of all the new host cities has also helped push buy replica TAG Heuer Formula 1 watches global footprint into overdrive.
“Miami and Las Vegas are such circuits that thrive especially under this global spotlight. It is like having two more Super Bowls every year: with two more occasions for the celebrities and other public figures to show up and show out – to flex their racing-themed “fits” and, of course, watches! I think the ubiquity of this sort of celebrity presence in the circuit – and the unrelenting coverage of it across different kinds of media! (guilty as charged!) – had its role to play in reinforcing and propagating that “flex culture” around the sport.”
1:1 clone TAG Heuer watches has also been smart in how it has segmented the line, rolling out everything from the Kith revival collaboration to the Formula 1 Solargraph to meet different audiences. “Not everyone can swing a new Carrera chronograph or shell out six figures for a Monaco Rattrapante, after all. But surely for around £1.5k, there is a much broader audience who are itching to be part of the festivities! Formula 1 is now as much about the off-track spectacle as the racing – a rolling global fashion week with better pyrotechnics. And TAG Heuer has leaned into that energy, giving fans an entry point that doesn’t require billionaire-team-owner money.”
Watch collector Norman Seck is on the same page: when asked whether the F1 link-up powered this year’s spike, he doesn’t pause for a second. “A resounding yes!” he says. “It felt like an overdue reunion for Formula 1 and TAG Heuer. In fact, TAG Heuer probably is the pioneer in F1 sponsorship and launching an actual watch model, F1, which comes in different colours and materials back in 1986. With the recent link up, it is a case of all stars aligned. So it is definitely no surprise that the sales numbers have improved drastically for them.”
So will the trend last into 2026? All signs point to yes. Racing culture continues to dominate fashion moodboards, the sport keeps adding blockbuster destinations, and best TAG Heuer fake watches just proved that the right nostalgia hit can turn a classic into a must-have.