Credits: IMAGO NurPhoto

A fashion enthusiast at heart, Lewis Hamilton has a wide array of watches from luxury brands. Turns out, his sponsors aren’t far behind. Thomas Hilfiger, also known as Tommy Hilfiger in the fashion world, has similar passions. The 73-year-old recently appeared at the Monaco GP. Accompanying him was his $1.8 million-worth Patek Philippe Nautilus 5711 Tiffany.

Hilfiger wasn’t the only one sporting ultra-luxury designer watches at the Monaco GP, though. Popular Instagram handle Insane Luxury spotted several celebrities with some extravagant timepieces.

Among those were Hollywood star Alexandra Daddario, Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, PSG’s Kylian Mbappé, and Prince Albert II. Hilfiger eclipsed them all, though, as his Patek Philippe turned out to be the costliest.

Prince Albert wore a Tag Heuer Monaco skeleton. The 39 mm titanium chronograph retails for $10,750, as per Tag Heuer’s official website.

Mbappe had a $77,000 Hublot adorning his wrist. The Big Bang Unico Rainbow is a 44mm titanium flyback chronograph with eye-catching VIBGYOR colors. Van Dijk wore an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak while Daddario sported a classic Tag Heuer Carrera 36 Pink.

Meanwhile, the Prince was also one of the dignitaries who was felicitating the podium finishers. A racing fanatic himself, he got emotional while handing the winner’s trophy to home favorite Charles Leclerc.

The Ferrari driver, keeping up with sponsorship duties, was wearing a Richard Mille. As per Wrist Aficionado, the RM 72-01 Chronograph retails for a whopping $525,000. It turns out that the expenditure was all worth it for the watchmaker.

Charles Leclerc proves his worth in gold for Richard Mille

Charles Leclerc started racing in F1 in 2018 with Sauber before earning a place at Ferrari the next year. In all these years, Leclerc tasted success several times but failed to even land on the podium of his home race in Monaco.

That was until this past weekend when he climbed the top step of the podium. The spectacle was one to savor not just for him but also for Ferrari’s official timekeeper Richard Mille.

Luxury watch brands and Formula 1 are a match made in heaven. Ever since the 1960s, both have had a relationship that continues to this day. While some trace it to the inherent need for timekeeping in the premier class of motorsport, others link it to the common interests held by rich individuals.

Currently, Formula 1 has Rolex as its official timekeeper. Meanwhile, teams like Red Bull, Ferrari, Mercedes, and McLaren have their own. Tag Heuer has been one of Red Bull’s trusted sponsors since 2016. Mercedes, on the other hand, has IWC as a partner since 2013.

Richard Mille is the only brand that is associated with two teams. They signed a deal with Ferrari in 2021 while the partnership with McLaren has continued since 2016. Girard-Perregaux joined Aston Martin in 2021, while Alpine signed a deal with H. Moser & Cie. in 2024.