This editor’s note highlights the key facts and market implications behind “Encounter of the Third Kind”, with emphasis on sourcing, product fit, fabrication, logistics, or buyer impact.
Watchmaking in the past was a bit like the geopolitics of the 1980s: two opposing blocs, and that was it. On one side, mechanical; on the other, quartz. But today, a third type is changing the game: solar technology, as TAG Heuer demonstrates with its Formula 1 Solargraph, now available in a "Pastel" range.
One should not underestimate its significance: with a surface area not exceeding 2 square centimeters, developing a watch capable of powering multiple complications for several months, or even years, is no small feat. It is a major technological challenge. This is precisely what the new TAG Heuer Formula 1 Solargraph models are built upon, encapsulated in a new "Pastel" range.
The watch is designed as an entry point into the TAG Heuer universe: produced in volume, with trendy colors, and at an affordable price, thus quartz. The Solargraph collection continues this battery-powered adventure with a new photon-powered chapter. Ever-changing, even surprising, the "Pastel" capsule collection also takes the opposite approach to the colorful world of traditional Formula 1 watches, with soft and discreet tones.
All these pieces use natural or artificial light as an almost unlimited energy source. One minute of exposure to sunlight is enough to power the watch for an entire day, while a full charge, achieved in less than 40 hours of light exposure, provides up to 10 months of autonomy in total darkness. Even after stopping, the watch restarts with just 10 seconds of light exposure. Its internal accumulator has a lifespan of up to 15 years, a sign of lasting reliability.
Finally, the Swiss company Ronda recently launched its own solar movement, the Solartech 200 and 2000. With classic functions, these calibers have a power reserve in darkness of eight months, and the chronographs five months. If the battery is depleted, three minutes of exposure to sunlight are enough for one day of autonomy, and ten hours in sunlight for full capacity. Ronda is currently the only manufacturer to offer two solar movements, one specifically for chronographs. It equips ranges from Mondaine, Swiss Military, Victorinox, RVOW, among others. Ronda's very competitive positioning allows these brands to offer entry-level prices starting at 650 CHF.
Encounter of the Third Kind
What is true on planet Earth is also true in the watchmaking world: the most abundant, free energy offered to the entire world without distinction is solar energy. To give an idea of the scale, it is estimated that only 45 minutes of the solar energy reaching us would be enough to meet all the needs of humanity (8.3 billion people) for an entire year.
The Aquaracer 2023 collection was the first from TAG Heuer to integrate solar-powered technology, and in 2025, the Formula 1 followed suit. It is not an in-house movement. It is produced by La Joux-Perret, owned by the Citizen Group. It is therefore found in Citizen watches, as well as in Alpina, also owned by the same group.
Competition Organizes
These technical specifications place the Solargraph movement in a good position among the competition. At the Swatch Group, through its subsidiary Nivarox, the Tissot T-Touch remains vague about its autonomy, stating "months." However, we must acknowledge the watch's merit in offering an astronomical number of functions (step counter, calories burned, distance traveled, altimeter, barometer, temperature, weather trends, compass, azimuth, notifications), the use of which—or not—has a decisive impact on the movement's power reserve, developed in Neuchâtel. Note that the T-Touch is connected, which the Formula 1 Solargraph is not. Its price starts at less than 1,000 CHF.
At Richemont, Cartier also benefits from its own movement, developed in Switzerland, now implemented in the Tank. This "SolarBeat" claims 16 years of normal operation before battery replacement. The watch charges for a full day in just 2 minutes in the sun… but Cartier does not disclose its autonomy. Its average price is around 2,500 CHF.
In line with TAG Heuer's philosophy of constant evolution, the Formula 1 "Pastel" 2026 capsule collection stands out from the usually bold aesthetic of the Formula 1 by adopting softer, more discreet shades.
Five references are presented, ranging from yellow, pink, green, and blue to pastel blue. While all cases are 38 mm, the straps are either steel or rubber, allowing a price range from 1,850 CHF to 2,650 CHF.
