The Formula 1 is the watch that introduced most people to TAG Heuer. It has been in production since 1986, it is the brand's highest-volume model by a wide margin, and it is the one TAG where a strap collection makes more sense than a single strap — this is a colourful, casual, motorsport-themed watch, and motorsport is the rare genre where a bright strap reads as correct rather than as a mistake.
Before the colours, though, one piece of housekeeping. "Formula 1" covers forty years of watches in at least three different sizes, and they do not share a strap. Here is how to work out which one you have.
Formula 1 Strap Sizes: Check Your Reference
Find your reference number on the caseback, then use this:
| Formula 1 generation | Case size | Strap width |
|---|---|---|
| Formula 1 Date (WAZ1110, WAZ2113, CAZ2011 and similar) | 41mm | 20mm |
| Formula 1 Chronograph (CAZ1010, CAZ101x, WAZ1010 and similar) | 43mm | 21mm or 22mm — varies by reference |
| Formula 1 Solargraph (WBY11xx, 2025 onwards) | 38mm | see the warning below — do not order from this range |
The 43mm chronograph is the one to be careful with. It is a single case size that does not use a single width: one reference has been measured at 21mm, another is listed at 22mm, and owners report the same split. If you own a 43mm chronograph, measure the gap between the lugs before ordering, or send us your reference number and we will confirm it. Our Formula 1 straps are cut in 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24mm, so whichever answer you get, the size exists — but it is worth knowing the answer first.
Owners of the 2025 Formula 1 Solargraph: this is a different watch. The 38mm Solargraph revives the shrouded lug of the 1980s original, which means the strap does not simply span between two lugs — its end is shaped to sit inside the case, and the width is narrower than any conventional sports watch (owners measuring theirs report roughly 18 to 18.5mm). Straps cut for the 41mm and 43mm Formula 1 will not fit it, and we would rather tell you that than sell you one. If you own a Solargraph, message us with your reference before ordering anything.
A Little Background
The Formula 1 arrived in 1986 as a cheerful, hard-wearing quartz watch in bright colours — the model that put the brand on a lot of wrists for the first time. It grew up over the following decades into the 41mm date models and 43mm chronographs most owners have today, and in 2025 the line was revived in a 38mm solar-powered form that leans hard on the original's design. Collectors like the Formula 1 for the same reason they always did: it is the least precious watch TAG makes, so you can actually wear it, knock it about, and change how it looks whenever you feel like it. That last part is where the strap comes in.
The Best Straps for the TAG Heuer Formula 1
A note on approach: on most watches you pick one strap and stop. On this one, buying two or three is the point. The advice below is ordered accordingly — start with black so the colourful ones read as additions rather than gambles.
1. Black Nylon — buy this one first
The black nylon strap for the Formula 1 is the least interesting and most useful strap on this page, which is exactly what a first strap should be. Nylon suits the Formula 1 better than leather ever will — it is light, it dries, it does not mind the gym or the beach, and it keeps the watch looking like the casual object it was designed to be. Every dial colour in the range works against black.
2. Black/Red Nylon — the racing colour
Red is the Formula 1's signature accent, and it appears on more of these watches than any other colour. The black and red nylon strap keeps the base neutral and puts the colour where the eye already expects it, which is why it is one of the most popular choices among Formula 1 owners. It is the safest way to make the watch look sportier without making it look like a different watch.
3. Black/Blue Nylon — for the blue dials and bezels
If your Formula 1 has a blue dial, a blue bezel or blue accents on the flange, the black and blue nylon strap is the tonal choice — it repeats a colour already on the watch instead of introducing a new one, so everything reads as one design. This is the quiet version of a colourful strap, and it is the one that will get worn most often after black.
4. Stainless Steel — the Formula 1's own look
The Formula 1 is one of the few TAG models as strongly associated with its bracelet as with any strap, and a stainless steel bracelet for the Formula 1 is the straightforward way to get that look back on a watch that came on rubber — or to replace a bracelet that has seen a decade of daily wear. It dresses the watch up a level without touching the case.
Two more colourways exist in the same fit — black and white, and a blue-and-orange racing livery — and you will find both in the full Formula 1 strap collection. The blue-and-orange in particular is the one that makes people ask about the watch.
Buckles and Fitting
Every nylon strap ships with your choice of buckle — a pin buckle in silver or black, or a silver deployant — and spring bars are included. Fitting is conventional: standard spring bars, no special hardware, and the matching installation tool makes it a two-minute job if you would rather not fight it with a fingernail.
The Bottom Line
The Formula 1 is the TAG you are meant to wear every day and change whenever you like, and Helvetus cuts straps for it in every width the family uses — 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24mm — so the only thing you need to get right is which one your reference takes. Nylon and steel straps are covered by our one-year warranty, shipping is free worldwide with no import costs, and more than 50,000 customers already trust us with their watches. Start with black, then buy the colour you actually wanted.
