TAG Heuer Carrera unveils the Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa

When it comes to motorsport, few manufactures can claim a legitimacy comparable to that of TAG Heuer. For more than sixty years, the Swiss house has accompanied the greatest competitions and helped write the history of precision timing. In 2026, this shared passion for speed takes on a new dimension with the second collaboration between TAG Heuer, Team Ikuzawa and Bamford Watch Department.

Following a highly acclaimed first edition in 2023, the three partners unveil a new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa, produced in just 150 pieces. More than a simple limited edition, this watch celebrates a meeting between Swiss watchmaking heritage, Japanese motorsport culture and the creative vision of two unmissable personalities: Mai Ikuzawa and George Bamford.

When motorsport history meets contemporary design

The world of Team Ikuzawa extends far beyond competition. Founded in 1981 by racing driver Tetsu Ikuzawa, the team has become, under the impetus of his daughter Mai Ikuzawa, a genuine cultural platform where automobiles, fashion, design and luxury intersect.

A graduate of Central Saint Martins in London, Mai Ikuzawa has established herself as one of the most influential figures of the new generation of Japanese creatives. Her approach consists of preserving Team Ikuzawa’s heritage while bringing it into dialogue with contemporary aesthetic codes.

For this new collaboration, she teams up once again with George Bamford, whose work customizing and reinterpreting iconic watches is now recognized worldwide. Together, they have created a Carrera that goes well beyond a simple styling exercise.

A Carrera inspired by a historic Heuer instrument

Unlike many special editions that draw their inspiration from a car or a driver, this Carrera pays tribute to an emblematic timing instrument from the brand: the Heuer Roadmaster.

Used during the golden age of motorsport, this timer stood out for its excellent legibility, its bold graphics and its absolute efficiency both in the pits and on the track.

Mai Ikuzawa and George Bamford chose to revive this graphic DNA and transpose it onto a contemporary Carrera Glassbox. The proportions, the contrasts and the touches of color immediately recall those measuring instruments that accompanied the great eras of motorsport.

The result offers a particularly modern reading of a historical heritage rarely explored with such subtlety.

An immediately recognizable visual identity

The personality of this limited edition rests above all on its dial.

Its white Clous de Paris textured finish adds depth while evoking Team Ikuzawa’s emblematic colors. Unlike the classic Carrera models, the applied hour markers disappear in favor of printed markers, deliberately accentuating the “cockpit instrument” spirit.

Red, Team Ikuzawa’s signature color, animates the entire composition. The hour and minute hands receive a lacquered red finish, as does the large central chronograph hand. Even the date disc adopts this visual identity, with red numerals perfectly integrated into the overall design.

At six o’clock, the Team Ikuzawa signature occupies a prime spot on the dial. A layout made possible by the manufacture caliber TH20-10, which does away with the permanent small seconds. This aesthetic choice directly echoes the Heuer chronographs of the 1960s and 1970s, where a portion of the dial was often reserved for racing teams or sponsors.

A Carrera Glassbox true to the spirit of Jack Heuer

This special edition uses the 39mm Carrera Glassbox case, which has in a few short years become one of the standout references in the TAG Heuer catalog.

Its domed sapphire crystal without a visible bezel offers a panoramic view of the dial and recalls the historic chronographs designed by Jack Heuer, whose absolute priority was to ensure instant readability of information in the heat of a race.

The steel case alternates polished and satin finishes, while the crown features a discreet red ring echoing the dial’s colored accents. The cylindrical pushers, meanwhile, retain the aesthetic purity that has made the Carrera’s success for more than sixty years.

The TH20-10 caliber powering the chronograph

Beating inside is the manufacture movement TH20-10, specially selected for this edition.

This automatic chronograph allows for a cleaner architecture by removing the permanent small seconds display, freeing up valuable space on the dial.

The screwed sapphire caseback reveals the movement while displaying specific Team Ikuzawa and Bamford Watch Department engravings, as well as the individual number of each piece out of the 150 produced.

An elegant way to underline the extremely exclusive nature of this collaboration.

An experience thought through down to the smallest details

TAG Heuer did not stop at the watch itself.

Each piece is delivered with two additional straps: an elegant perforated white leather strap with red stitching inspired by driving gloves, as well as a red and white textile strap directly referencing Team Ikuzawa’s historic colors.

The whole set is presented in an exclusive case evoking the toolboxes found in racing workshops. It also contains a travel pouch as well as a series of exclusive keyrings and charms designed by Team Ikuzawa.

So many details that enhance the collector’s experience and evoke the world of paddocks and pit lanes.

A limited edition celebrating a shared passion

Produced in just 150 pieces worldwide, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa appeals equally to fine watchmaking enthusiasts and motorsport culture aficionados.

Above all, it demonstrates that TAG Heuer continues to explore its heritage with intelligence, without giving in to the easy path of a simple commemorative edition. Here, every detail carries genuine historical or aesthetic justification.

By combining Heuer’s motorsport timing heritage, Mai Ikuzawa’s creative vision and George Bamford’s expertise, this Carrera offers a resolutely contemporary reading of one of the richest stories in motorsport.

A rare, coherent and highly desirable piece, which once again confirms that the Carrera remains one of the most inspiring chronographs in contemporary watchmaking.

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