The Ayrton Senna x TAG Heuer Appreciation Thread

Mspeedster · Nov 23, 2024

bpsmith
Cool that. You could probably buy those separately to mod your MP4/4, but then would they be out of context brand wise?

They'll work, Good Year on the McLaren too.

Overall, Lego has done a better job of getting the look of the Williams right. Even Mansell looks more like him, compared to Senna.

bpsmith · Nov 23, 2024

I found this afterwards. 👍🏽

Mspeedster · Nov 23, 2024

The Mansell Lego Icons caught me by surprise, but I love that they're doing the old F1 cars. Next, I hope Lego will do Prost's gorgeous looking Ferrari 641, to complete Senna's main rivals.

Hawk · Nov 25, 2024

Mspeedster
I believe Senna is wearing the same watch in this pic. It appears to be another digital watch, perhaps a Casio or Seiko again.

As he's with Adriane Galisteu, the pic is from '93 or '94.

yes you're probably right, now we have to identified it, looks like approximatively this...

Hawk · Nov 25, 2024

Mspeedster
The Mansell Lego Icons caught me by surprise, but I love that they're doing the old F1 cars. Next, I hope Lego will do Prost's gorgeous looking Ferrari 641, to complete Senna's main rivals.

problem of exclusivity for Ferrari

Mspeedster · Nov 25, 2024

Hawk
yes you're probably right, now we have to identified it, looks like approximatively this...

Not quite, here's a blow up pic.

The shape seems more Apple watch like. We'd need to look at digitals from around '93. But identifying these kinds of watches are not a priority for me. I'm more interested in the watches Senna wore while racing, especially TAG Heuer, which I think are pretty much covered at this point.

Mspeedster · Nov 25, 2024

Hawk
problem of exclusivity for Ferrari

I don't see an issue. Lego already has various Ferrari kits, including their modern F1 car.

When I have time, I'd like to build this custom designed 1/8th scale Lego of Senna's McLaren MP4/4. I think it's much closer to the actual car's shape compared to Lego's kit.

Screenshot_25-11-2024_73024_rebrickable.com.webp

Mspeedster · Nov 30, 2024

There's a new TAG Heuer EDGE Magazine article out on the Senna series: https://magazine.tagheuer.com/en/20...you-need-to-know-about-netflixs-senna-series/

I've binge watched all 6 episodes. Oddly, the Heuer ref 409 given to Senna by his father when he leaves for England is the 'hero' watch in the Netflix series. He wears it throughout the entire show. I only saw Senna wearing the S/EL S25.706C during Episode 4. Instead, it's Ayrton's father who wears the S/EL ana-digi throughout the series.

Earlier in this thread, I had mistakenly thought that Leone/Senna was wearing a 6000, as this would have been period correct during his '94 season with Williams. However, it's actually the Heuer pre-Carrera 409.

Senna wearing a vintage early '60s pre-Carrera throughout his racing career is Netflix fiction. I've never seen a photo of him wearing that watch while racing (and I've looked at hundreds of photos, maybe more than a thousand). I wonder if TAG Heuer influenced the producers to make the 409 the hero watch in order to link the modern Carrera Senna models to Ayrton Senna? Or if it was the showrunners who made the choice for the sake of storytelling?

While the series is based on true events, there's fictional stuff in it too, like the lady reporter Laura Harrison and Marcelo, the kid who inspires Senna to keep racing. So if Ayrton's father gave him his watch in real life, I have my doubts that it was a Heuer 409. Certainly, Senna wearing this watch throughout his whole career is untrue.

If his father did give him a watch, my hunch is that it's more likely the square mystery watch discussed earlier in this thread. Seen during his early Karting years and as late as 1988 during his appearance on Xuxa's TV show.

Incidentally, the Xuxa TV show is recreated in the Netflix series and Senna is wearing the Heuer 409 in the scene instead of the square mystery watch.

Mspeedster · Nov 30, 2024

The real Senna at home, wearing the square mystery watch.

Also, Leone as Senna recreating the shot TAG likes to use in their Senna adverts. Ironic, as he barely wears the S/EL in the Netflix series.

Hubert · Nov 30, 2024

^ I started watching the series and I'm enjoying it very much, so far. They certainly took creative license to make the series condense and cohesive, but I'm glad Heuer / TAG Heuer are prominently featured.

Mspeedster · Nov 30, 2024

Hubert
^ I started watching the series and I'm enjoying it very much, so far. They certainly took creative license to make the series condense and cohesive, but I'm glad Heuer / TAG Heuer are prominently featured.

I enjoyed it too and happy to see Heuer/TAG Heuer. But I was disappointed that the S/EL ana-digi, Senna's true watch, wasn't featured more. The Heuer 409 has many close-up shots.

Overall, I think the movie Rush is better. I also prefer the 2010 Senna movie documentary in some respects, but I'm quite pleased with the Netflix series result. I need to rewatch it again to catch more of the details, since I watched in native Portuguese/English and needed to concentrate on reading the subtitles during the Portuguese dialogue.

Here's the Netflix recreation of the Xuxa TV special, Senna wearing the pre-Carrera 409 instead of the square mystery watch worn IRL.

What's also interesting is that the series spends a lot of time on Senna's relationship with his wife Lillian and then Xuxa, while his relationship with Adriane Galisteu is glossed over. There's a debate amongst fans on who was the love of his life, many feel it was Adriane while others believe it was Xuxa.

thingziliketoo · Dec 2, 2024

It was a good series, my wife and I binged it today together. I enjoyed learning more about his life and the racing culture back in his day.

Mspeedster · Dec 2, 2024

thingziliketoo
It was a good series, my wife and I binged it today together. I enjoyed learning more about his life and the racing culture back in his day.

My wife and I have very different tastes when it comes to movies and television. I don't think she'd make it through six hours, ha!

Senna was a very complex individual, not without his quirks and flaws. I wish that the series would've explored more of what really made him tick, warts and all. But as this is a Brazilian production and supported by the Senna family, it's understandable that we got an almost saint like version of Senna.

I was disappointed that they didn't cover Ayrton's relationship with Adriane in detail, as she was a major part of his real-life story and according to some reports, Senna intended to marry her.

I found out that it was the Senna family that didn't want to include her, as they were always against their relationship. Which almost caused Netflix to cancel the production, but they agreed to limit her screen time instead.
https://canaltech.com.br/series/sen...e-galisteu-quase-cancelou-a-serie-da-netflix/

As expected, Alain Prost is portrayed very much as the villain. But I'm still most dissatisfied that they made the pre-Carrera 409 his primary watch. Much like Adriane, his true watch wasn't given enough screen time IMHO. :🍿:😉

Albert-AMG · Dec 2, 2024

Mspeedster
… his true watch wasn't given enough screen time IMHO. :🍿:😉

At least the S/el is featured here 😉

Aquagraph · Dec 3, 2024

Mspeedster
My wife and I have very different tastes when it comes to movies and television. I don't think she'd make it through six hours, ha!

Senna was a very complex individual, not without his quirks and flaws. I wish that the series would've explored more of what really made him tick, warts and all. But as this is a Brazilian production and supported by the Senna family, it's understandable that we got an almost saint like version of Senna.

I was disappointed that they didn't cover Ayrton's relationship with Adriane in detail, as she was a major part of his real-life story and according to some reports, Senna intended to marry her.

I found out that it was the Senna family that didn't want to include her, as they were always against their relationship. Which almost caused Netflix to cancel the production, but they agreed to limit her screen time instead.
https://canaltech.com.br/series/sen...e-galisteu-quase-cancelou-a-serie-da-netflix/

As expected, Alain Prost is portrayed very much as the villain. But I'm still most dissatisfied that they made the pre-Carrera 409 his primary watch. Much like Adriane, his true watch wasn't given enough screen time IMHO. :🍿:😉

Commercial decision I'm sure. No point advertising a watch no one can buy new. Might as well promote a vintage Carrera instead...

Mspeedster · Dec 3, 2024

Aquagraph
Commercial decision I'm sure. No point advertising a watch no one can buy new. Might as well promote a vintage Carrera instead...

And yet, in all of TAG Heuer's marketing with Gabriel Leone as Senna, he's wearing the S/el. Go figure? 🤔

Mspeedster · Dec 3, 2024

The Netflix series actually pays a lot of attention to some of the finer details. For example, when Senna first arrives at Lotus HQ he's driving his Mercedes 190E 2.3-16v, won at the '84 Race of Champions. In the '88 season, the TAG Heuer patch is correctly absent from his racing suit, as it was IRL. But then in '89, the TAG Heuer racing patch correctly appears on his arm. At this point in the story is when we also see Senna finally wearing the S/el in episode 4. Which is exactly when Senna first wears the S/el IRL.

However, after that, the Netflix series reverts back to his father's Heuer 409. It would have been more correct for Senna to continue wearing his TAG Heuer S/el from '89 onwards. But I suspect it was the showrunners who wanted to keep his father's watch as Senna's primary to connect with the storyline of his father asking him to always keep it on Brazilian time. It might've been less touching if the fictional Senna stopped wearing it once he became world champion.

mattp · Dec 4, 2024

I like the pedalbox shots. And the 🎶
Just started watching.

Anthony. · Dec 4, 2024

Just finished watching. Great production.
My wife is by no means a Motorsport fan but thoroughly enjoyed it.

Mspeedster · Dec 4, 2024

This article covers TAG Heuer's role in the Netflix series.
https://www.motorsport.com/Culture/...ship-with-tag-heuer-watches-netflix/10678792/

As I strongly suspected, it confirms that the plotline of Ayrton's father giving him the Heuer ref 409 was fictionalized for the series:
--
So when the production team behind “Senna” asked Biebuyck to loan them authentic ‘80s pieces for the show, he was more than happy to deliver in spades.

“We sent 28 watches,” Biebuyck says, including several two-tone S/EL Chronograph models that were favored by Senna, for actor Gabriel Leone to wear. The collaboration went even deeper when the series' team revealed a key — but fictionalized — plot line in the show centered on Senna’s father gifting him a vintage gold chronograph. “They approached us and said, ‘We want to include this as a major plot point. What would you suggest? Maybe something kind of precious?’” he recalled.
--

The Ayrton Senna x TAG Heuer Appreciation Thread

Mspeedster

bpsmith

Mspeedster

Hawk

Hawk

Mspeedster

Mspeedster

Mspeedster

Mspeedster

Hubert

Mspeedster

thingziliketoo

Mspeedster

Albert-AMG

Aquagraph

Mspeedster

Mspeedster

mattp

Anthony.

Mspeedster

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