TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa by Bamford

The Choice of Racing Enthusiasts… This is the motto behind Team Ikuzawa, named after Tetsu Ikuzawa (born 1941), a former racing driver, team executive, and businessman from Tokyo with an impressive racing pedigree. Tetsu entered his first motorcycle race at 15, and while he finished last, he was given the “Fighting Spirit Award” for his perseverance, a fitting way to commence his career. In 1963 he switched from two wheels to four wheels, entering the first Japanese Grand Prix for sports cars at Suzuka with Prince Motor Company and in 1964, he was competing again with the team in a race that would launch the legendary Skyline GT. In 1967, he stopped his contract with Nissan and leased a Porsche 906 from the Japanese importer, and this marked the start of a series of important wins. In the late 1960s, Tetsu competed in Europe, racing in the British Formula Three Championship in 1966, then meeting Stirling Moss and Frank Williams. He then joined Porsche as a works driver, becoming a pioneering Japanese racer at Le Mans and in Formula 2. Once he’d finished racing, he founded Team Ikuzawa, recognised by its iconic red and white livery (a tribute to Japan).

Tetsu Ikuzawa’s daughter, Mai Ikuzawa, chose a different industry but manages to weave her heritage and passion for the automotive industry with the sensibilities of fashion and culture.  During her studies, Mai worked with Hiroshi Fujiwara, who also collaborated with TAG in the past on the two Fragment editions. Last but not least, we have to add George Bamford into the equation, the well-known British watch customiser, motorsport and watchmaking enthusiast and friend of Mai… The result is presented today with the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa by Bamford.

Technically speaking, this new Team Ikuzawa by Bamford Carrera isn’t much different from a classic Carrera Chronograph 42mm, sharing most of its components with this watch – case, bracelet and movement are identical. This means the signature design with faceted lugs, a smooth polished bezel and respectable dimensions of 42mm x 14.3mm with a length of 48.6mm. The 100m water-resistant case features classic crown and pump-style pushers and sapphire crystals on both sides.

What matters for this new limited edition for Team Ikuzawa is the dial. As you can see, the chosen colour code is pretty obvious… White and red, a tribute to both Japan and Ikuzawa’s livery. The white opaline dial is home to various red accents, with a red-toned 12-hour counter at 9 o’clock, red-filled hours and minutes hands, a red lacquered seconds hand, and all tracks, numerals and logos also rendered in that bright colour. Apart from the obvious logo at 6 o’clock, an important detail compared to the standard Carrera Chronograph 42mm is the removal of the small seconds counter, which normally tops the date window.

Inside the case is the in-house calibre Heuer 02, an integrated chronograph movement with column wheel and vertical clutch, running at a 4Hz frequency and boasting a comfortable power reserve of 80 hours. This Carrera Chronograph Team Ikuzawa is worn on a 3-link stainless steel bracelet with a folding clasp and an additional white fabric strap featuring the distinctive “Team Ikuzawa” marking and a Velcro closure.

Availability & Price

The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa by Bamford is a limited edition of 100 pieces, with numbers one and 100 reserved for Tetsu and Mai Ikuzawa, respectively. The box also includes a Porsche 906 miniature, driven by Tetsu in the 1967 Japanese Grand Prix. Now available, it is priced at CHF 6,250. For more details, please visit www.tagheuer.com.