From LL Cool J’s Rolex to Lewis Hamilton’s IWC, the Best Watches at the F1 Miami Grand Prix

The U.S.’s relatively newfound passion for Formula 1 showed no signs of dying down at this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix. For the second year running, stars from the worlds of sports, entertainment, and beyond were out in force for a weekend of full-throttle racing action in South Florida. As is the case during every race of the F1 season, the Paddock Club was the place to be seen, which meant anyone lucky enough to score a ticket for the VIP area was worth watching for excellence—horological and otherwise. Because of this, plenty of head-turning timepieces were on display. From Lewis Hamilton’s unreleased IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar to Tommy Hilfiger’s Tiffany Blue Patek Philippe Nautilus, here were the watches that really caught our eye.

Roger Federer’s Rolex Daytona

The most remarkable thing about Roger Federer’s 24-year professional tennis career might be how elegant he made dominance look. Because of this, it wasn’t shocking to see him wearing a Rolex Daytona this weekend. The sporty chronograph may be the brand’s most coveted model, but it doesn’t scream out for attention like so many of its peers—because it doesn’t need to, just like Federer. The 20-time Grand Slam winner wore the newest version of the iconic timepiece, which features an updated dial and a metal-rimmed ceramic bezel. Federer was also spotted wearing the brand-new 1908 at the Met Gala earlier this week, proving that being a Rolex ambassador comes with some serious perks.

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Lewis Hamilton’s IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar “Top Gun” Lake Tahoe Edition

Lewis Hamilton may be sitting in fourth in the current driver standings, but he’s lapped the rest of the field when it comes to style. Unsurprisingly, the seven-time F1 champ served up a number of bold looks this weekend. What we’ll remember, though, is the stark-white IWC Big Pilot Perpetual Calendar “Top Gun” Lake Tahoe Edition he had dangling from his white wrist in the lead-up to the grand prix. Why? Because the watch, which is a new version of a Big Pilot we’ve seen Hamilton wear a number of times before, isn’t currently available to the public. Luckily, the brand tells Robb Report that it’s slated to be released later this year.

Max Verstappen’s TAG Heuer Monaco

Hamilton wasn’t the only driver whose watch was worth paying attention to this weekend, though. Race winner, and two-time defending champion, Max Verstappen wore a special edition TAG Heuer Monaco while celebrating his third victory of the season. The new release is based on the rare “Dark Lord” version of the watch from the 1970s, and features a color-matching dial, 39 mm titanium case, and leather strap. At $9,000, it’s far from the most expensive watch we saw this weekend, but it’s easily one of the coolest.

LL Cool J’s Rolex Sky-Dweller

Organizers decided to do something different before Sunday’s race and have LL Cool J introduce all 20 drivers. The move may not have gone over well with the drivers themselves, but, if nothing else, it was at least an interesting change of pace. The rapper-turned-actor, who was backed by an orchestra conducted by Will.i.am, also sported one of the weekend’s most interesting watches—a Rolex Sky-Dweller. What was most interesting about the timepiece, which has an Everose gold case and slate dial, is that it’s one that’s clearly been in LL Cool J’s collection for a while now. How can you tell? The $50,000 watch features Roman numeral hour markers instead of the baton-shaped indices the Swiss brand currently produces.

Tommy Hilfiger’s Patek Philippe x Tiffany & Co. Nautilus

How do you ensure your watch stands out at an event like the Miami Grand Prix? If you’re Tommy Hilfiger, you show up wearing the most coveted timepiece in recent memory—Tiffany blue Patek Philippe Nautilus. The one-of-170 watch was Patek’s goodbye to the legendary Nautilus Ref. 5711 and has been driving collectors into a frenzy in the year and a half since its release. The $52,635 watch is so hard to get that one example sold for $3.2 million—or more than 60 times its original price—at auction last fall.

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