TAG Heuer’s Latest Carrera Taps Team Ikuzawa

Following TAG Heuer’s first collaboration with racing-inspired fashion label Team Ikuzawa and Bamford Watch Department in 2023, the trio has returned for a second lap with the Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa, bringing the red-and-white livery of the namesake racing team to the popular "glassbox" format for the first time. Initial thoughts Unlike many other legacy Swiss watch brands, TAG Heuer has demonstrated an ability to reach beyond traditional design influences to infuse its watches with a diverse range of elements from contemporary fashion. Last year's Fujiwara streetwear collab is a prime example. With racing being so strongly linked to TAG Heuer’s history and brand identity, the collaboration with Ikuzawa is conceptually very fitting and extends the brand's reach beyond the starting grid, deeper into motorsport culture. The Carrera Ikuzawa gets the mid-sized 39 mm 'glassbox' case, which is just under 14 mm thick. Due to the movement the case is a little tall, but proportioned well enough overall. The case takes its name from its dramatically domed crystal, which encompasses the raised dial flange underneath, in place of a traditional bezel. Despite numerous vintage design cues, the Carrera Ikuzawa doesn’t look or feel like a vintage watch or vintage reissue. The clous de Paris dial texture and the depth of the 'glassbox' construction help it maintain its contemporary look. A Chrono-first dial Originally a racing team that competed in a range of motorsports in the 1980s, Team Ikuzawa was more recently reborn as a fashion label, the brainchild of Mai Ikuzawa, daughter of the racing team's founder. With the basis of Team Ikuzawa being retro-style auto-racing, the vintage-inspired Carrera is a logical base. With so much in common with the standard Carrera, much of the difference is down to the dial, which blends design cues from Team Ikuzawa’s racing liveries with inspiration from vintage Heuer racing dashboard timers, especially the Heuer Roadmaster rallytimer. True to its racing-inspired theme, the dial design puts the focus almost entirely on the chronograph function. In contrast to the standard Carrera Chronograph lineup, the Carrera Ikuzawa deletes the usual applied hour markers in favour of a more minimalist, chronograph-first design. This brings the chronograph sub-dials to full attention, especially the 30-minute sub-dial for the elapsed minutes, which features an exaggerated high-contrast red and white roulette design, popping against a white clous de Paris dial texture. Above the date at six o’clock the ‘Team Ikuzawa’ signature is on display front and centre in the exact same position many racing teams had their logos placed on vintage Carrera chronographs. Track-tested movement Functionally speaking, the Carrera Ikuzawa is an ordinary TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph, fitted with the cal. TH20-10 that powers the rest of the contemporary two-register line-up. This variant of the brand's bread-and-butter chronograph platform does away with a running seconds sub-dial usually found at six o'clock, which gives more space for the secondary signature. It's a reliable movement with a weekend-proof 80-hour power reserve, and the chronograph is a modern design with both a column wheel and a vertical clutch. But despite its many attributes, a thinner chronograph calibre is probably in the works. Unfortunately, the view of the movement — industrially finished though it may be — is obscured by both the Team Ikuzawa and Bamford logos, resulting in a cluttered look. Tool time The watch is cleverly delivered inside a toolbox in Ikuzawa red that wouldn't look out of place in pit lane. The box is triple-signed and includes two extra straps that can be swapped in for the seven-link bracelet that comes standard. The packaging is somewhat beyond the norm for TAG Heuer, but it reinforces the Carrera’s character as a born-and-bred racing tool. Key Facts and Price TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa Limited Edition Ref. CBS221M.EB0435 Diameter: 39 mm Height: 13.9 mm Material: Stainless steel Crystal: Sapphire Water resistance: 100 m Movement: TH20-10 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, and chronograph Winding: Automatic Frequency: 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz) Power reserve: 80 hours Strap: Steel bracelet, with two supplementary straps included Limited edition: 150 pieces Availability: Available from TAG Heuer boutiques and authorised retailers Price: US$10,500 before taxes For more, visit Tagheuer.com.