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Television presenter Richard Hammond spotted wearing Tag Heuer

Richard Hammond, one of the most recognisable faces of British motoring television, was caught on camera during a Top Gear driving segment wearing a TAG Heuer SeL Sport Automatic — a watch that feels almost tailor-made for the context. Seated in the driver's seat, helmet on, the steel case and dark navy dial are clearly visible on his left wrist, the watch holding its own against the kinetic chaos of a full-throttle lap.

The TAG Heuer SeL Sport, produced predominantly from the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, occupies a fascinating chapter in TAG Heuer's history. The 'SeL' designation stood for 'Series Elegance Line,' though the Sport variant pushed firmly toward function — a unidirectional rotating bezel calibrated to 60 minutes, a 38mm stainless steel case with lug geometry that anticipates the more aggressive sports watches of the decade that followed, and water resistance rated to 200 metres. Power came from the reliable ETA 2824-2 automatic movement, a workhorse calibre that ensured accurate, low-maintenance daily wear. The blue dial variant with gold-tone dauphine hands and applied baton indices gives the watch a quietly dressy edge that separates it from pure tool-watch territory.

From a collector's perspective, the SeL Sport sits in an intriguing grey zone. It is neither the ultra-hyped vintage 'Autavia' nor the blue-chip Carrera, which means examples trade at accessible prices — a genuine opportunity for the historically literate collector who values substance over social media cachet. The case condition on Hammond's piece looks honest, with the bezel and case still showing clean lines.

Hammond's connection to this watch makes cultural sense. His on-screen persona has always leaned into unpretentious, functional enthusiasm — fast cars, no nonsense. A late-1980s Swiss automatic rated to 200m, worn on leather during a timed lap, is not a watch chosen to impress a watch crowd. It is a watch chosen because it works.

On the current grey market, clean examples of the TAG Heuer SeL Sport in this blue dial automatic configuration typically trade between $350 and $650 USD depending on condition and originality of dial and bracelet — representing arguably the best value-per-specification ratio in the TAG Heuer vintage catalogue right now.