Racing enthusiasts' ears might perk up at the name Tetsu Ikuzawa, who's fighting spirit brought Japan center stage in professional racing throughout the '60s and '70s. Sixty years after he entered the Japanese Grand Prix for the first time, TAG Heuer, Team Ikuzawa, and Bamford have come together to develop a timepiece that honors Ikuzawa's trailblazing racing and style legacy.
The TAG Heuer x Team Ikuzawa x Bamford Carrera Chronograph collaboration centers around a red and white timepiece, paying homage to Team Ikuzawa's racing suit inspired by the Japanese flag. The simple color scheme continues on the dial with contrasting chronograph counters and polished hands, accented with neat TAG Heuer and Team Ikuzawa logos that certainly don't disrupt the design.
For those interested in making this watch your everyday driver, fans are welcome to swap out the steel three-row bracelet for a white fabric strap with a Velcro closure. The entire collaborative Carrera Chronograph is powered by Heuer's in-house 02 movement and wrapped in a 42mm steel-polished case topped with domed sapphire crystals. Additionally, the timepiece is water-resistant up to 100 meters.
There are only 100 watches made, with numbers one and 100 reserved just for Izukawa and his daughter, Mai. Each box also comes with a miniature Porsche, celebrating the racer's accomplishments with the car at the 1967 Japanese Grand Prix.
For the watch lovers wondering: the TAG Heuer x Team Izukawa x Bamford collaboration is exclusively available at TAG Heuer boutiques in Japan and on its Japanese e-commerce site.
Although racing is in his blood, Izukawa developed an artistic streak through his upbringing with his painter father — a creative gift he passed down to his daughter Mai, who has since taken Team Izukawa from the track to the runway. Armed with over two decades of creative direction experience, Mai keeps the wheels rolling with her father's brand after his retirement.
