It was Sunday 1 May, 1994 – just over 30 years ago now – when Ayrton Senna’s life was snuffed out by an accident that was almost banal: of the sort that would have left no physical trace on his body had it not been for a broken suspension arm that made an improbable flight like a javelin through Ayrton’s helmet visor.
Ten years earlier, on Sunday 25 March, 1984, the Brazilian had made his Formula 1 debut at Jacarepagua in Brazil with an uncompetitive Toleman but soon he was snapped up by the well-known Lotus team, where he took his first wins and pole positions. The rest is history.
Ayrton Senna. Credit: Media World.
The iconic Lotus is the car that really helped Senna make his name, defined by its classic black and gold ‘John Player Special’ livery. Those colours look pretty good on a watch too – as all Rolex lovers know – but REC watches have taken the inspiration that bit further by actually making a watch out of Senna’s Lotus 1986 98T Formula 1 car, which he raced to two victories and an incredible eight pole positions. REC, which, as the name suggests, is a Danish watch company that makes a speciality out of recycling, has managed to get hold of parts from Lotus chassis number 4: raced by Senna in the closing eight races of the 1986 Formula 1 season. Specifically, the case uses reforged aluminium from the car’s plenum tubes: part of the engine intake manifold.
The whole thing is encased in a Carrera-style ‘glass box’ – which gives this chronograph an unmistakeable motorsport flavour, only enhanced by the black and gold colour scheme. The chronograph is powered by REC’s first-ever in-house movement: which they call the RC-98T/4, in homage to the car it is inspired by. REC has produced quite a few watches over the years that have similarly been made from the parts of historic cars and planes, but this is the first one that’s been created from such a significant Formula 1 car.
The 98T/4. Credit: REC Watches.
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Unsurprisingly, with all these innovations, it’s also the most expensive watch REC has come out with at £3195 – but there’s a pre-order discount of 20% if you want to secure one of the 989 pieces right now. You’ll have to wait until March of next year for delivery though.
Senna was of course most closely associated with TAG Heuer in the watch world, fronting the brand’s famous ‘Don’t crack under pressure’ campaign. He was actually first linked with the brand in 1988 but only became an official TAG Heuer ambassador in 1994 – the year he died – with the distinctively 1990s two-tone S/el (sports-elegance) model becoming his signature model. It wasn’t that long ago that these watches were deeply unfashionable, but now their moment is here once more, with values on the rise. Such is the Senna effect. Had it not been for his repeated successes at the Japanese Grand Prix (and his tie-in with Honda, who supplied engines to the McLaren team with which Senna won his titles) TAG Heuer would probably have never opened its boutique in Tokyo.
TAG Heuer S/el. Credit: Media World.
Even after his death, TAG Heuer’s link with Senna remains, thanks to a partnership with the charitable foundation named after him. In total, there have been 12 limited-edition TAG Heuer Senna models watches produced; all featuring design elements inspired by his iconic helmet and racing career.
From the very first 6000 series, equipped with a chequered flag dial, to the new Formula 1 Senna edition that was released in 2022, there have been Senna watches for every generation of motorsport fan: even those who never knew him. Still now, if you look at the front wing of every Williams Formula 1 car, you’ll find the same Senna ‘S’ logo that features on the limited-edition Senna watches. To date, the Senna Foundation has raised nearly $500 million for youth projects in Brazil and changed the lives of around 36 million people.
Monumento Ad Aryton Senna, Imola, Italy. Credit: Media World.
And that tells you all you need to know. Only the truly great sporting champions leave a legacy after their deaths that transcends their immediate arena. And Senna is still up there: known for his talent, spiritualism, devotion to social causes, and characteristic far-away gaze. We’ll never know what he was thinking of for most of that time, but maybe he was looking for a meaning; a way to leave his permanent imprint on history. Through his social work and the world of watches, he definitely has.
What has TAG Heuer got planned for this 30th anniversary? In truth, we don’t know yet. But the company says it’s determined to honour the world champion’s memory for many years yet to come…
