Lewis Hamilton changes luxury watch brand upon Ferrari arrival

Lewis Hamilton was spotted debuting a luxury Richard Mille watch on his Ferrari F1 debut.

While attention was understandably focused on Hamilton’s first test drive of a Ferrari car at a foggy, damp Fiorano on Wednesday, eagle-eyed onlookers would have noticed the seven-time world champion’s newest addition to his left wrist.

Hamilton previously wore IWC timepieces during his Mercedes days but Ferrari’s partnership with Swiss watchmaker Richard Mille has resulted in a switch up for the 40-year-old Briton.

Hamilton was spotted wearing a red (rather fittingly) RM67-02 ‘Italy’ automatic extra flat edition on his wrist. The case is made from layered sheets of carbon fibre, given it both a sophisticated and hi-tech finish.

The watch, which was released in 2024, retails at just under £300,000 and is the lightest in the Richard Mille collection.

Hamilton’s new teammate Charles Leclerc has been seen wearing the RM67-02 on his wrists over the past four years.

Hamilton will wear more Richard Mille timepieces over the course of his debut season with Ferrari this year, having completed a blockbuster switch from Mercedes - the biggest driver transfer in F1 history.

Meanwhile, F1 announced earlier this month that luxury watch brand TAG Heuer will return as the world championship’s official timekeeper from 2025, taking over from Rolex.

The move comes as part of F1’s 10-year deal with LVMH that will bring a number of its luxury brands to the sport. The partnership with F1 owner Liberty Media is reportedly worth as much as $1 billion.