Chrono24 Data Reveals The Real Impact Of Rolex’s Formula 1 Exit
- Rolex remains Australia’s most desired watch brand, but scarcity and rising prices are forcing collectors toward the grey market.
- TAG Heuer’s Formula 1 partnership and cultural relevance in Australia have driven a sharp surge in demand and resale value.
- Chrono24 data shows TAG Heuer Formula 1 models dominating 2025’s price growth charts, signalling a serious shift in market momentum.
The latest Chrono24 data confirms what any watch collector, or frankly, anyone who can tell the time, already knows: Rolex is number one in both brand awareness and model demand. In Australia, that’s no different; Rolex still reigns supreme. It’s the most searched, most desired, and most collected watch brand in the country.
That dominance isn’t an accident. Rolex has built a business model around scarcity, prestige, and timeless design.
You don’t buy a Rolex because it’s rare. It becomes rare because it’s a Rolex. Much like Enzo Ferrari’s famous quote, “Ask a child to draw a car, and certainly he will draw it red”, ask anyone to name a watch, and they’ll say Rolex. It’s the default answer. The brand has transcended horology to become shorthand for success.
But that success comes at a cost. US tariffs, rising prices of precious metals, and annual retail price hikes have pushed Rolex even further into luxury territory.
The reality in Australia, like much of the world, is that buying a Rolex at retail is almost impossible unless you’re a high-roller with an established purchase history. For everyone else, it’s the grey market or bust.
And that’s where things are shifting in 2025. Prices continue to climb and availability remains painfully low, forcing Australian collectors to look elsewhere for the next piece for the collection.
TAG Heuer, powered by a smart Formula 1 sponsorship strategy and surging grey market interest, is quietly becoming a serious contender in Australia’s rich horological market. Rolex may still be at the top, but after LVMH secured a historic partnership with the world’s hottest motorsport, there’s a new name turning heads in the paddock.
| Rank | Brand | Model | Reference | Version | Price (Aug 2025) | Price (Jan 2025) | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rolex | Lady-Datejust | 69173 | White Dial, Gold/Steel Case | €4,865 | €4,292 | +13.35% |
| 2 | TAG Heuer | Formula 1 | CAZ1014.BA0842 | Blue Dial, Steel Case | €1,598 | €1,422 | +12.38% |
| 3 | TAG Heuer | Formula 1 | WAZ1010.BA0842 | Blue Dial, Steel Case | €1,388 | €1,250 | +11.04% |
| 4 | TAG Heuer | Formula 1 Quartz | CAZ101K.BA0842 | Blue Dial, Steel Case | €1,509 | €1,377 | +9.59% |
| 5 | Panerai | Luminor Marina | PAM 00111 | Black Dial, Steel Case | €4,194 | €3,832 | +9.45% |
| 6 | Chanel | Première | H0001 | Black Dial, Steel Case | €1,841 | €1,690 | +8.93% |
| 7 | Tudor | Prince Date | 74034 | Silver Dial, Steel Case | €2,037 | €1,876 | +8.58% |
| 8 | Rolex | Lady-Datejust | 69173 | Champagne Dial, Gold/Steel Case | €4,918 | €4,572 | +7.57% |
| 9 | TAG Heuer | Carrera 5 | WBN2110.BA0639 | Black Dial, Steel Case | €2,575 | €2,396 | +7.47% |
| 10 | Rolex | Air-King | 14000 | Silver Dial, Steel Case | €4,714 | €4,388 | +7.43% |
If Rolex is the crown, TAG Heuer might just be the chequered flag, especially here in Australia. Long before luxury watches became an Instagram status symbol, TAG Heuer had carved out its place in the hearts of Australian watch buyers. Its connection to sport, particularly motorsport, runs deep.
In fact, TAG Heuer’s Pitt Street boutique in Sydney is the brand’s number one performing store globally; a staggering stat that underlines just how embedded the Swiss brand is in the Australian psyche.
Now, with TAG Heuer re-entering the Formula 1 fold as an official sponsor in 2025, its resurgence is becoming more than anecdotal. Australians are car-mad, from the Supercars Championship to the sold-out grandstands at Albert Park, and TAG’s Formula 1 collection is suddenly front and centre again, both culturally and commercially Down Under.
Chrono24 data backs this up. Three of the top four men’s watches with the highest price growth so far in 2025 are all TAG Heuer Formula 1 models:
- CAZ1014.BA0842 (Blue Dial): +12.38%
- WAZ1010.BA0842 (Blue Dial): +11.04%
- CAZ101K.BA0842 (Quartz, Blue Dial): +9.59%
Each reference is part of TAG’s long-standing Formula 1 range; timepieces that are not just accessible (most under €2,000 or around $3,500 AUD), but aspirational, thanks to their link to the grid and sleek, sporty designs.
This data, shared exclusively with DMARGE, shows a significant shift in sentiment: Aussie collectors are no longer just looking at Rolex, OMEGA or Tudor for their burgeoning watch collections. They’re backing TAG Heuer to win. And it’s forcing the bigger players in the Australian market to check their rear-view mirrors.
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