I love the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Kith watches, but I wish they weren’t limited editions

TAG Heuer has just teamed up with Kith to bring back the legendary Formula 1 watches from the 80s and 90s. The new TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith watches arrive in bold colourways inspired by standout models from TAG’s past, each updated with modern materials.

You can find all the information in Stuff’s TAG Heuer Formula 1 | Kith explainer, where I break down the history of the Formula 1 watch and talk about each new model in detail. Here, though, I’ll talk about something that annoys me about the new release… the fact that these watches are limited editions.

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

There are 10 new watches in total, seven vibrant watches are exclusive to Kith and are limited to 250 pieces each, there are also two Kith exclusive models with steel bracelets, each limited to 350 pieces. TAG Heuer boasts two exclusives, limited to 825 pieces each, and finally, there’s a shared model between TAG Heuer and Kith, limited to 1350 pieces. That’s 5450 watches in total (if my maths is correct).

Now, this launch shouldn’t be a surprise – everyone expected TAG Heuer to reintroduce the plastic-bezel Formula 1 ever since the MoonSwatch collaboration between Swatch and Omega became an outstanding, headline-dominating success. Plastic, affordable watches linked to premium brands are in vogue, and if you’ve got a model with genuine history, you’d be foolish not to make the most of it.

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.

It’s even the reason some people got into watch collecting, one of whom was Kith founder Ronnie Fieg, who, like so many others, bought one as his first watch when he was younger.

It seems to me that because these new 2024 models are so limited, they’ll fail to have the same cultural impact as the original.

The MoonSwatch was an outstanding success, in part, due to its non-limited nature. Of course, the affordable Bioceramic chronograph was incredibly difficult to buy when it first launched. You’ll remember the long queues and the insane reseller prices which only aided in building hype around the release, but if the MoonSwatch was a limited edition, it would have been a flash in the pan.

Two years after the initial launch, all models (aside from the MoonShine Gold) are still available, with new Snoopy models even being added, so patient collectors can walk into a Swatch store and buy one.

Looking to the future…

Now it’s time to put my speculation hat on – are these first Formula 1 | Kith models just the first wave of watches to test the water and build hype? Will TAG Heuer bring out non-limited edition, TAG Heuer-only branded watches in the future? Personally, I hope so.

TAG Heuer went to the trouble of tracking down the original supplier of the case, along with the very same mould that was used for the pieces made in 1986. That seems like a lot of effort for 5500 watches, don’t you think?

Of course, there are also a number of colourways TAG Heuer still hasn’t revived, such as the awesome ‘Ghostbuster’ reference, as well as my personal favourite orange model. Maybe we could see these re-released in the future? Time will tell…

In the meantime, check out the Formula 1 | Kith collection. The watches will be available to buy on Monday 6th May at all Kith shops, 10AM on Kith’s website & the Kith App.