Tag Heuer Launches Racing Watch Tribute to Indy 500

A full throttle timepiece that celebrates racing’s biggest day.

In case you missed it, the winner of Sunday’s 2020 Indianapolis 500 was Japanese racer Takuma Sato. Hopefully part of his winnings involved getting the latest quartz chronograph honoring the iconic annual race—the Tag Heuer Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition.

This year the Indy 500 was held without a live crowd due to the coronavirus pandemic. There were things that didn’t change, though, like Tag’s status as the race’s official timekeeper or the watchmaker’s intimate understanding of how watch and vehicle design can work in harmony.

The new Indy timepiece has the quartz movement and 43 mm case size like other models in the line but this variation had design input from IndyCar series organizers to more closely tie it into the venerable race and its location. Art on the face includes a strip of bricks—a nod to the Brickyard and the bricks at the Indy’s finishing line.

The ceramic bezel bears the legend “INDY 500” in red and it is also etched in the stainless steel case back. 

With its quartz movement, practical 200 meters of water resistance and chronograph functions in addition to the elegant subdials this could be a watch from an earlier era, and it does seem like a subtle nod to racing-related Tags from the past. 

If it’s time to beef up your collection, though, you should know that the Tag Heuer Formula 1 Indy 500 2020 Special Edition is a limited run of just 1,500 numbered watches. 

The watchmaker says delivery of the watch will begin September 30, 2020. It retails for $2,100 and can be purchased at tagheuer.com.