Monaco is the one Formula 1 weekend where the cars are only half the show.
The other half is everything happening around them: the yachts, the balconies, the celebrities, the team bosses, the drivers walking through the paddock like they know every camera angle already, and of course, the watches. Monaco has always been Formula 1’s most glamorous race, but in 2026 the wrist game felt especially loaded.
Kimi Antonelli won the race for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton put Ferrari on the podium, Isack Hadjar fought his way into third, and off-track the paddock looked like someone gave the watch industry VIP access and told everyone to dress accordingly.
From Richard Mille and TAG Heuer to IWC, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Girard-Perregaux, and H. Moser, these are the watches we spotted at the 2026 Monaco Grand Prix.
Checo Pérez: Patek Philippe Complications World Time 5130G
Estimated market: $40,000
Checo Pérez went with a Patek Philippe World Time 5130G, and honestly, this is a very strong Monaco move.
The 5130G comes in white gold with Patek’s world-time complication, displaying the time across 24 cities. It is elegant, practical, and very collector-coded without needing to scream from the wrist.
For Checo, it fits. He has always had that experienced, global-driver energy: Mexico, Monaco, F1 paddocks, sponsor events, private travel, and a career that has lived across continents. A World Time Patek is not just a nice watch here. It actually matches the life.
Patrick Dempsey: TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph
Estimated retail: $28,500
Case: 40mm titanium
Movement: Automatic Calibre TH80-00
Patrick Dempsey wearing a TAG Heuer Monaco at Monaco is almost too perfect, but he is one of the few people who can make it feel earned.
The Monaco Evergraph is not just another square chronograph. It is TAG Heuer pushing the Monaco into a more experimental high-watchmaking lane, using a 40mm Grade 5 titanium case and the automatic TH80-00 movement, built around compliant-mechanism technology designed to reduce friction and wear inside the chronograph system. In plain watch terms, TAG took one of its most famous racing icons and gave it a nerdier mechanical upgrade.
Dempsey makes it work because he is not just borrowing motorsport culture for a weekend. He is an actor, yes, but also a real racing guy. A Monaco on his wrist in Monaco is not costume. It is lore stacking on lore.
Terry Crews: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore Black Ceramic 26238CE.OO.1300CE.01
Estimated market: $85,000
Terry Crews in a black ceramic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore is one of those pairings that needs very little convincing.
The Offshore has always been the Royal Oak’s bigger, more aggressive younger sibling. This reference comes in black ceramic with a black dial, giving it that stealth-armor presence AP does so well. Ceramic also gives the watch a lighter, more scratch-resistant feel than steel, which matters when the watch already has the wrist presence of a small machine.
On Terry, the Offshore does exactly what it should. It matches the physicality, the personality, and the “I am not here to wear a 34mm dress watch for your approval” energy. Some watches wear the person. This one had to keep up.
Nico Hülkenberg: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked 15407ST
Estimated market: $200,000
Nico Hülkenberg came through with one of the stronger collector pieces of the weekend: the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked 15407ST.
This is not just “an AP skeleton.” The 15407ST uses AP’s double balance wheel architecture, which improves stability and precision by placing two balance wheels and two hairsprings on the same axis. Visually, it gives the openworked dial more depth and a proper mechanical centerpiece. The stainless steel case and bracelet keep the classic Royal Oak language intact, while the pink-gold-toned movement parts give the watch warmth without turning it into a full precious-metal flex.
For Nico, this is a sharp choice. He is not the flashiest driver in the paddock, but the watch says someone around him, or Nico himself, knows the difference between a recognizable AP and a properly serious one.
Gabriel Bortoleto: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona Platinum 126506
Estimated market: $120,000
Gabriel Bortoleto wearing the platinum Rolex Daytona 126506 is a serious young-driver wrist check.
The 126506 is one of the modern Daytona kings: platinum case, ice-blue dial, brown Cerachrom bezel, and the updated Rolex chronograph movement inside. It is heavy, literally and culturally. Platinum Daytonas have a very specific Rolex aura because they are not as loud as gem-set pieces, but everyone who knows watches knows exactly what they are looking at.
On Bortoleto, it gives future-star energy. A platinum Daytona on a young F1 driver feels like someone skipped the tutorial and went straight to endgame inventory. Very clean. Very expensive. Very Monaco.
Isack Hadjar: TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph CDW2150.FC8360
Estimated retail: $13,050
Case: 39mm titanium and 18K 5N rose gold
Movement: Automatic TH20-11
Isack Hadjar had a major Monaco weekend, and the watch matched the moment.
He wore the TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph CDW2150.FC8360, a 39mm version in titanium with 18K 5N rose gold accents. This is a smarter Monaco than people might realize. The titanium keeps it light and modern, while the rose gold adds just enough precious-metal warmth without making it look like a jewelry watch.
Inside is TAG Heuer’s in-house TH20-11 automatic chronograph movement with an 80-hour power reserve. So yes, it looks cool in the paddock, but it is also a proper mechanical chronograph with actual substance. For a young driver stepping further into the spotlight, a modern Monaco at Monaco is exactly the type of obvious that still works.
Lando Norris: Richard Mille RM 67-02 McLaren Carbon TPT Custom
Price: Not for sale
Lando Norris and Richard Mille might be one of the most natural modern F1 watch relationships.
The RM 67-02 McLaren Carbon TPT custom is built around the same language that makes Richard Mille such a strong fit in motorsport: lightweight materials, extreme ergonomics, bright team-coded details, and a case construction that looks like it came out of a wind tunnel. The RM 67-02 platform is known for being ultra-thin and athlete-driven, more performance object than traditional luxury watch.
On Lando, it fits the current celebrity-driver template perfectly. He is not just a driver. He is a personality, a content-era athlete, and one of the faces of the McLaren revival. The watch feels less like jewelry and more like part of the kit.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Oceana IW389404
Estimated retail: $12,900
Case: 41mm blue ceramic
Kimi Antonelli had the biggest weekend on track, and his IWC choice had the right energy.
The IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Oceana comes in a 41mm blue ceramic case with a monochromatic blue design. It is part of IWC’s broader ceramic push, where the brand has been treating color and material science as seriously as dial design. The pilot chronograph layout keeps it familiar: three subdials, day-date display, and that clean instrument feel IWC does well.
On Kimi, the watch feels young without looking unserious. Blue ceramic is modern, technical, and slightly less expected than black ceramic. For a 19-year-old driver winning Monaco and making the paddock look like it needs a software update, that is a pretty good match.
George Russell: IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Black Ceramic IW328107
Estimated market: $8,900
George Russell kept things in the Mercedes-IWC family with the IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Black Ceramic IW328107.
This is one of those watches that does not need to entertain you with extra nonsense. Black ceramic case, clean pilot dial, practical proportions, and a design that feels more focused than flashy. It is a classic IWC move: make the watch technical, wearable, and slightly serious.
That is very George Russell. Polished, controlled, media-trained, and usually dressed like he read the event brief twice. The black ceramic Pilot 41 feels like the watch version of “I have a meeting after qualifying.”
Gunna: TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph CBL2113.FC6177
Estimated retail: $7,950
Case: 39mm steel
Gunna wearing a TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph is a more interesting rapper-watch choice than the usual fully iced-out suspects.
The CBL2113.FC6177 keeps the classic Monaco formula alive: 39mm square steel case, blue dial, chronograph layout, and the unmistakable design DNA tied to Steve McQueen and racing cinema. It is not subtle, but it is not trying to be a diamond avalanche either.
On Gunna, the Monaco feels stylish in a design-forward way. He could easily go louder, but this says he understands shape, color, and context. Wearing a Monaco at Monaco is obvious, yes, but sometimes obvious is correct.
Lewis Hamilton: Richard Mille RM 43-01 Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph
Estimated market: $2,230,000
Case: Carbon TPT
Lewis Hamilton wearing the Richard Mille RM 43-01 Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph at Monaco is the kind of watch spotting that feels almost too cinematic.
The RM 43-01 is the first Richard Mille created under the Ferrari partnership, combining a tourbillon, split-style chronograph energy, power-reserve display, torque indicator, function selector, and a case language that looks aggressively Ferrari without needing to put a car on the dial. In Carbon TPT, it has that layered, technical texture Richard Mille has made famous.
On Lewis, this is perfect. He has always treated the paddock like a cultural platform: fashion, music, activism, luxury, and motorsport all in one frame. Now that he is in Ferrari red, a Ferrari Richard Mille on the wrist feels like the full character skin unlocked. Ridiculous price, ridiculous engineering, and somehow still believable on him.
Charles Leclerc: Richard Mille RM 72-01 “Charles Leclerc” Monaco Limited Edition
Estimated market: $680,000
Limited edition: 150 pieces
Charles Leclerc wearing a Monaco-specific Richard Mille in Monaco is the kind of hometown symbolism F1 loves.
The RM 72-01 “Charles Leclerc” Monaco Limited Edition is an automatic flyback chronograph in Quartz TPT, limited to 150 pieces. The RM 72-01 is notable because Richard Mille designed the chronograph mechanism so the hours, minutes, and seconds are decoupled from each other, allowing the chronograph to run without draining the same energy in the usual way. That is the type of detail Richard Mille collectors care about: not just expensive, but mechanically unconventional.
For Charles, the Monaco connection adds the emotional layer. He is the local hero, the Ferrari prince, the man who has had Monaco heartbreak and glory baked into his public story. Wearing a limited-edition RM with his name tied to Monaco is almost too poetic for F1 Twitter to handle.
Max Verstappen: TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph CBW2181.FC8322
Case: 41mm titanium coated with black DLC
Movement: Automatic TH81-00
Max Verstappen wore one of TAG Heuer’s most serious Monaco pieces: the Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph CBW2181.FC8322.
A split-seconds chronograph, also called a rattrapante, lets you time two intervals at once. In racing terms, that is not just decorative. It connects directly to split timing, lap comparisons, and the whole obsession with fractions of a second that motorsport is built on. TAG puts that complication inside a 41mm titanium case coated in black DLC, with sapphire elements that let the movement architecture become part of the show.
On Max, this is probably the most fitting TAG you could put on his wrist. He is not a fashion peacock. He is a precision monster. A split-seconds Monaco is not just stylish. It speaks his language: measure everything, waste nothing, win anyway.
Carlos Sainz: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton 42mm
Estimated retail: $45,800
Case: 42mm stainless steel
Carlos Sainz went with the Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton, one of the more tasteful integrated-bracelet picks of the weekend.
The Laureato has always lived in an interesting place. It has the sporty integrated-bracelet shape collectors love, but it is not the obvious Royal Oak or Nautilus route. The skeleton version opens the movement architecture while keeping the case and bracelet clean, giving you technical detail without turning the dial into a full mechanical mess.
On Carlos, it fits. He has a polished, slightly understated style. He does not need the loudest watch in the paddock. The GP says taste, not panic. In Monaco, that is harder to pull off than people think.
Pierre Gasly: H. Moser Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton 6814-1200
Estimated market: $93,800
Pierre Gasly wearing an H. Moser Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton is one of the better enthusiast picks here.
The Streamliner is already one of the more distinctive modern integrated-bracelet designs, with its fluid cushion case and bracelet that feels more 1970s design object than generic steel sports watch. The tourbillon skeleton version takes that language and opens it up, putting the flying tourbillon and movement architecture on display without losing the Streamliner’s smooth silhouette.
This works on Pierre because he has always had more style awareness than the average “team polo and sunglasses” paddock guy. Moser is independent, slightly contrarian, very collector-coded, and not the first thing casual fans would recognize. That makes it a strong choice.
Toto Wolff: IWC Big Pilot Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Ceratanium IW356201
Estimated retail: $102,000
Case: Ceratanium
Toto Wolff wearing his own IWC collaboration is the most team-principal thing possible.
The IWC Big Pilot Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team is made in Ceratanium, IWC’s material that combines the lightness and structural strength of titanium with a ceramic-like black surface. It is large, technical, monochrome, and extremely Mercedes-AMG Petronas in personality.
The Big Pilot format already has command-center energy. On Toto, it becomes almost too accurate. It looks like the watch equivalent of a strategy wall, a headset, and a very expensive decision made calmly while everyone else panics.
Final Take
Monaco gave us exactly what Monaco should give us.
TAG Heuer owned the heritage lane with the Monaco showing up everywhere, from Patrick Dempsey and Gunna to Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen. IWC kept the Mercedes side sharp with Kimi Antonelli, George Russell, and Toto Wolff. Richard Mille handled the billionaire engineering theater with Hamilton, Leclerc, and Norris.
Then the rest of the grid gave us range: Checo in a Patek World Time, Nico in a serious openworked AP, Carlos Sainz in a Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton, Pierre Gasly in a Moser tourbillon, Terry Crews making a ceramic Offshore look like a gym accessory, and Bortoleto pulling up with a platinum Daytona like a rookie with cheat codes enabled.
That is why Monaco works so well for watch spotting. The watches are not random. They tell you something about the person wearing them, the team they represent, the image they want to project, and the strange little luxury ecosystem that only F1 can create.
Some were tasteful. Some were tactical. Some were pure chaos. Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari Richard Mille looked like it should come with a race engineer.
Perfect Monaco behavior.
Watches Featured
Checo Pérez: Patek Philippe Complications World Time 5130G, estimated market $40,000
Patrick Dempsey: TAG Heuer Monaco Evergraph, estimated retail $28,500
Terry Crews: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Offshore 26238CE.OO.1300CE.01, estimated market $85,000
Nico Hülkenberg: Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Double Balance Wheel Openworked 15407ST, estimated market $200,000
Gabriel Bortoleto: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona 126506 Platinum Ice-Blue Dial, estimated market $120,000
Isack Hadjar: TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph CDW2150.FC8360, estimated retail $13,050
Lando Norris: Richard Mille RM 67-02 McLaren Carbon TPT Custom, not for sale
Andrea Kimi Antonelli: IWC Pilot’s Watch Chronograph 41 TOP GUN Oceana IW389404, estimated retail $12,900
George Russell: IWC Pilot’s Watch 41 Black Ceramic IW328107, estimated market $8,900
Gunna: TAG Heuer Monaco Chronograph CBL2113.FC6177, estimated retail $7,950
Lewis Hamilton: Richard Mille RM 43-01 Ferrari Tourbillon Chronograph, estimated market $2,230,000
Charles Leclerc: Richard Mille RM 72-01 “Charles Leclerc” Monaco Limited Edition, estimated market $680,000
Max Verstappen: TAG Heuer Monaco Split-Seconds Chronograph CBW2181.FC8322
Carlos Sainz: Girard-Perregaux Laureato Skeleton 42mm, estimated retail $45,800
Pierre Gasly: H. Moser Streamliner Tourbillon Skeleton 6814-1200, estimated market $93,800
Toto Wolff: IWC Big Pilot Toto Wolff x Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team Ceratanium IW356201, estimated retail $102,000
