Rush (2013) Watches: Lauda's Heuer Silverstone and Hunt's Gold Carrera
Rush is Ron Howard's 2013 film about the 1976 Formula One rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda . Its watch story is short and unusually well documented: TAG Heuer was an official partner, loaned original vintage pieces from its museum, and the two leads wear Heuers. This guide covers what each character wears, a reported mix-up over who got which watch, and what the real drivers wore.
The short answer
Chris Hemsworth as Hunt wears a solid gold Heuer Carrera chronograph, and Daniel Brühl as Lauda wears a vintage Heuer Silverstone . Brand and model are confirmed by TAG Heuer's own supplier statement; no source gives a reference number. WorldTempus reports the film swapped the watches relative to real life, where the gold Carrera is the one linked to Lauda. We found no Rolex or Longines tie-in, and no watch used as a plot device.
Who wears what: quick reference
| Character (actor) | Watches |
|---|---|
| James Hunt(Chris Hemsworth) | Heuer Carrera chronograph (solid gold) |
| Niki Lauda(Daniel Brühl) | Heuer Silverstone chronograph (vintage) |
| Marlene Lauda, Suzy Miller and the supporting cast(Alexandra Maria Lara, Olivia Wilde and others) | No documented watch |
How we label the evidence
Confirmed means a costume designer, prop department, the brand or the show itself said so, or multiple reputable outlets agree and cite a source. Reported means a single reputable outlet or database reports it. We leave out other fan speculation, and where sources disagree we say so. All prices are in US dollars and are indicative; check current listings before buying.
James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth)
Hunt is the flamboyant one, and the watch fits: a solid gold Heuer Carrera chronograph. The Carrera was launched in 1963 by Jack Heuer and named after the Carrera Panamericana road race. Per TAG Heuer, the original was loaned from its museum and returned to La Chaux-de-Fonds after filming, and it is displayed in the brand's 360 Museum.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where you see it | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heuer Carrera chronograph (solid gold) | Not stated by any source; 1158CHN is the real-world gold Carrera, but no source says the film watch is one | Confirmed | Worn by Hunt. No source describes a specific scene | ~$34,000-$50,000+ for a regular gold vintage 1158CHN (Boss Hunting, undated listing; Bonhams 2018 sale of a 1971 example, reported). Provenance examples fetch far more |
Brand and model are confirmed. The reference is not, so any price here is a guide to the family, not an identification of the film watch. See the reported swap below.
Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl)
Lauda is the more conservative character, and he wears a vintage Heuer Silverstone, a 1970s chronograph named after the British circuit. It was another original loaned by TAG Heuer and returned to its museum. Lauda was a technical advisor on the film, according to Time+Tide, and said after seeing the finished film that it was very accurate.
| Watch | Reference | Evidence | Where you see it | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heuer Silverstone chronograph (vintage) | Not stated by any source | Confirmed | Worn by Lauda. No source describes a specific scene | ~EUR 2,040-10,268 at auction, 2010-2014, average ~EUR 6,190 across 10 sales for ref. 110.313 (CollectorSquare, retrieved Oct 11, 2026); indicative ~$3,500-$9,000. A 1973 blue-dial example was listed at $7,295 |
The price is for ref. 110.313, the commonly sold Silverstone. The film's reference is not stated, so treat it as a family guide, not an ID. The Silverstone is one of ten TAG Heuer items loaned to the production: four stopwatches and six wrist chronographs, which also included gold, blue and brown pieces, a Monaco, a Manhattan and a Chronosplit Ferrari.
Marlene Lauda, Suzy Miller and the supporting cast (Alexandra Maria Lara, Olivia Wilde and others)
We found no watch documented for Marlene (Lara), Suzy Miller (Wilde), Clay Regazzoni (Favino) or Alastair Caldwell (Mangan). The costume coverage we found describes Gucci clothing for Hunt and Suzy and Ferragamo for Lauda and Marlene, and mentions no watches. Heuer branding appears on the overalls of Lauda, Regazzoni and Ferrari crew, but that is branding, not a watch. This is an absence of sources, not proof that no watch appears.
Real life: what Lauda and Hunt actually wore
This section is about the real drivers, not the film. Heuer became official timekeeper of Ferrari in 1971, and Ferrari drivers wore Heuer chronographs engraved with their name and blood group. Lauda drove for Ferrari. Boss Hunting says he is understood to have been given a gold Heuer Carrera 1158CHN by Ferrari as early as 1976, though it hedges and sources the claim only to a link. A dealer listing for a gold 1158 says it became famous after being seen on Lauda's wrist in the 1970s.
Two other Lauda watches are less secure. Grail Watch Wiki lists a 1975 Heuer Monza, black and powered by Heuer 11, honouring his third place at the 1975 Italian Grand Prix. Boss Hunting also says he was spotted in a Rolex GMT-Master 'Pepsi' 16700, which we treat as UNCERTAIN: a single outlet, no source. A Spanish forum claim that he always wore a Rolex despite the Heuer deal is anecdote. We found no source linking Lauda to Longines.
For Hunt, who drove for McLaren in 1976 while Ferrari was Heuer's team, we found no reliable source naming a watch. Forum guesses exist and are unverified. What is documented is later: in June 2016, Freddie Hunt and TAG Heuer released numbered limited-edition James Hunt tribute chronographs, with a black sunray dial and three vertical stripes inspired by his 1976 kit, launched at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The film's reported swap: WorldTempus says the actors wear original TAG Heuer pieces but that the film swaps them. In real life Lauda should wear the gold Carrera and Hunt another Heuer chronograph, and it adds that Lauda's original gold Carrera was stolen. Time+Tide (2015) reports a museum-loan mix-up that put a Carrera like Lauda's on Hemsworth's wrist. Whether it was a mix-up or a choice is reported, not settled, and the theft claim rests on one source. For more on the maker, see our TAG Heuer history and the Heuer motorsport story.
Get the look for less
Real-world watches that echo the film's Heuers, with indicative US prices. These are editorial suggestions, not watches from the film.
| Watch | Why it fits | Price (US) |
|---|---|---|
| Vintage Heuer Carrera, gold (1158CHN family) | Hunt's watch in the film, Lauda's in real life | ~$34,000-$50,000+ |
| Vintage Heuer Silverstone (ref. 110.313) | Lauda's watch in the film, in the same family | ~$3,500-$9,000 |
Myths and mix-ups, corrected
- “Hunt wore the gold Carrera in real life.” In the film he does. In real life the gold Carrera is the Lauda-linked watch, and the film is reported to have swapped them.
- “Lauda's gold Carrera was stolen.” That is WorldTempus's statement alone, with no second source.
- “There is a Rolex or Longines in Rush.” None of the sources we found links either brand to the film or to Lauda and Hunt in 1976.
- “We know the exact references.” No source gives a reference for the film's Carrera or Silverstone.
- “Marlene's surname was Lauda.” Her surname before marriage was Knaus; the cast list reads Marlene Knaus-Lauda.
- “The Carrera Calibre 1887 Jack Heuer Edition was a film tie-in.” One search summary suggested it, but we could not verify it on any page, so we do not claim it.
Sources
WorldTempus (TAG Heuer supplier statement), The Jewellery Editor, Jura Watches and Banks Lyon (September 2013), Time+Tide, fashion.at (costume), Wikipedia (film facts), Boss Hunting, Grail Watch Wiki, Bachmann & Scher and The Rake (real-world context), CollectorSquare, and dealer and auction listings for prices. No Hodinkee, Fratello or Monochrome article on the film’s watches was found. Prices are indicative US-dollar figures, converted where sources used euros, compiled on October 11, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
What watch does James Hunt wear in Rush?
A solid gold Heuer Carrera chronograph, loaned from the TAG Heuer museum. No source gives the reference.
What watch does Niki Lauda wear in Rush?
A vintage Heuer Silverstone chronograph, also a TAG Heuer museum loan.
Was TAG Heuer involved in Rush?
Yes. It was an official partner, loaned ten items and gave technical help, according to WorldTempus.
What did Niki Lauda wear in real life?
He is linked to a gold Heuer Carrera 1158CHN and a 1975 Heuer Monza. A Rolex GMT-Master sighting is a single uncertain report.
Are there any plot watches in Rush?
No. We found no source describing a watch as a plot device.
Is there a Rolex in Rush?
None of the sources we found reports one.
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