Well into its seventh decade, the TAG Heuer Carrera has been reinvented numerous times to splendid effect. From Jack Heuer’s initial 36mm hand-wound tool watch to the chunky automatic versions of the 1970s, and the slimmed-down 2010s reissues to the modern Glassbox, the watch continues to attract legions of new fans who favor its legibility, good looks and automotive heritage.
It also provides an excellent platform for collaborations and limited editions, as evidenced by a rad new watch made in partnership with Japanese sartorial legend and entrepreneur Hiroshi Fujiwara.
Often referred to as “the godfather of streetwear,” Fujiwara founded his label Fragment Design (also styled as FRGMT) in the late 1990s as a platform for collaborations with other labels and makers. After working with Louis Vuitton, Polaroid, Nike and countless other brands, he turned his sights on watches, launching a limited-edition take on the TAG Heuer Carrera in 2018. Back then, the brand was still using the 1960s-era Carrera as the basis for its reissues, and the pair’s watch looked not unlike one that might’ve been found on the wrist of a young Mario Andretti.
The new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Fragment Limited Edition, however, co-opts the newer Glassbox design, cleverly turning it into a stripped-back tool that calls back (perhaps unintentionally) to first-gen watches such as the reference 2447N. Given Fujiwara’s penchant for subtlety — “My role with this new release was to listen to its structure and make decisions that protect its balance. Every detail has to earn its place. Nothing is added unless it has a reason to exist,” he said — the resulting timepiece is one that should appeal both to fans of FRGMT as well as diehard vintage Carrera lovers. And for everyone else? Well, this is simply a really cool watch.
12 Vintage Heuer Chronographs Every Collector Should Know
A deep dive into the catalog of one of the world’s greatest watchmakersFans of the Glassbox — the retooled Carrera launched in 2023 that serves as the basis of the model’s modern production — will already be familiar with the watch’s general spec: Measuring 39mm in polished and brushed stainless steel, it features downward-sloping lugs that hug the wrist; mushroom-style chronograph pushers; a prominent, signed crown; and a gently domed “Glassbox” sapphire crystal that frames the pièce de résistance, its thoughtfully designed dial.
On the Fragment Limited Edition, this consists of a white outer flange with a silver tachymeter scale sloping downward toward the case. Within this ring, a secondary black inner flange features a white 60-second/minute track that slopes in the opposite direction toward the dial. This clever curvature prevents dial crowding and ensures that both tracks are always visible despite the lack of an external bezel.
In a nod to Fujiwara’s signature aesthetic, the lighter tones of the outer tachymeter scale contrast with a matte-black dial with matching chronograph totalizers, rhodium-plated chronograph hands, a luminous main sword handset, and grey printing throughout — including on the “FRAGMENT” wordmark, which features subtly just below the “SWISS” at 6 o’clock.
At 12 o’clock, the watch’s date window features the FRGMT lightning bolt logo at numerals 1 and 11, while the TAG Heuer cal. TH20-00 powering it — an automatic movement with a column wheel and vertical clutch, plus an impressive 80 hours of power reserve — boasts a winding rotor customized by Fujiwara. One final design tweak adds to the unique character of the package: The central links on the stainless steel, seven-link “beads-of-rice” bracelet, which was updated and reintroduced this year, have been given a black PVD coating.
Shipping with a double-signed black leather pouch, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Fragment Limited Edition lists for $9,050 and is limited to 500 pieces. Though more expensive than the average Carrera Chronograph by nearly $2,000, it’s an ideal piece for someone who wishes they could get their hands on a watch with 1960s Carrera aesthetics and modern Glassbox ergonomics. If that’s you, then your ideal watch has arrived!
Well, almost arrived. Presale for the watch opens on Wednesday, December 3 at 6 a.m. ET. Head here to learn more.
TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Fragment Limited Edition
Diameter: 39mm
Movement: TAG Heuer TH20-00 automatic
Water Resistance: 100m
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