The Ayrton Senna x TAG Heuer Appreciation Thread

Been alternating between this Senna pair for most of 2025 so far.
The Anthracite S25.206 has actually gotten a bit more of my wrist time. 🏁🏁

Not surprising, as Prost is portrayed very much like a caricature.

However, I do agree that the Brazilian production gives an almost mythical version of Senna. Portraying him in the best possible light and serving up a straightforward reenactment of famous pictures & video clips that Senna fans have seen many times before.

I think balls was the common denominator.

I've been looking at Senna's personal custom 6000 again, which is a kind of prototype of the Senna Edition that was released after his death. I think @Albert-AMG might be right. That the one Senna wore on a bracelet is different from the one in the article that @Anthony. shared and now sits in the TAG Heuer Museum. Incidentally, as @mattp wondered, the S/el is still there, just shifted over a place. But that S/el definitely does not look like the one that was gifted to Senna's mechanic and later auctioned.

The dial of the prototype in the Museum does look darker compared to one photographed on Senna's wrist. In addition to the shot I shared before (below), the shot with Adriane also appears to have a lighter dial. Furthermore, the article says Senna was wearing the one now in the Museum at the '94 Imola GP and he gave it to Mike Vogt, former TAG Marketing Manager, right off his wrist. So, I would think Mike would've kept it exactly "as is", rather than swap out a bracelet personally worn by Senna for a new leather strap that Senna never wore. That's why I suspect that Senna did have an earlier custom watch that was made just for him (as @Albert-AMG suggested) and the one in the article may have been a later prototype.

One more thought. We assume that Senna's custom 6000 was stainless steel. However, TAG Heuer had previously released an exclusive Platinum version, limited to 99 pieces and also solid 18k gold 6000s with matching 18k gold bracelets. What if Ayrton's custom 6000 was actually made of Platinum or White Gold??!!! 😲 Given his superstar status, a custom 6000 in precious metal would certainly have been a fitting. 🤔

I've made another discovery! In addition to the Automatic 6000 WH5151, Senna also wore the Quartz model. In fact, in many of the pictures that I've seen of him while racing, I think it's the Quartz model, which I believe to be WH1151.

The Automatic 6000 has 3 lines of text, including "Chronometer", and triangle markers at 6 & 9 o'clock. As shown in this picture of one of Senna's watches from '93.

However, the Quartz model only has 2 lines of text and early versions had line markers (not triangles) at 6 & 9 o'clock. Zooming in on the picture that TAG Heuer likes to use, it appears to be the Quartz model, not the Automatic.

Also, in this picture taken at the 1994 Pacific GP in Aida Japan, it looks like the quartz model.

As far as I know, the WH1151 was not sold with a leather strap. Did Senna have a preference for leather? Every gram less in an F1 car is beneficial.
😉

To better illustrate the difference, this is from the '94 Catalogue. Quartz WH1151 (LEFT), Automatic WH5151 (RIGHT):

Senna not only wore the Quartz model in 1994, but also in these pictures during the '92 & '93 F1 season:

Italian GP 1992

European GP 1993

Monza 1993

I'm not sure about the early version, the catalog shows it on a bracelet, but there were many optional leather straps. Around 1995, it seems the markers of the Quartz WH1151 were changed to add the triangles at 6 & 9 o'clock. The '95 catalog shows WH1151 on this brown strap.

This shows the various straps, the two different blues are circled. Of course, Senna could probably get any configuration he wanted!

Amsterdam, 2025 😉

Very cool! I noted your WH1151 before, but at the time didn't know that Senna wore the Quartz model. Since his Automatic WH5151 was more publicized.

Also, in '94 (not sure about the other years), Senna wore it with a gold bin buckle. And yes, he had a preference for leather straps.

Looks to me like Mika Hakkinen was honoring his former teammate by wearing a Senna Edition 6000. This shot is from the 1995 F1 Season.

Here's a clearer shot of Mika Hakkinen wearing his Senna Edition 6000, from the 1997 F1 season.