TAG Heuer, Team Ikuzawa and Bamford Watch Department have reunited for a second watch, but this is much more than a new colour for the 2023 collaboration. Launched on 30 July 2026, the new TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa uses the 39mm Carrera Glassbox case and takes its dial design from the Roadmaster stopwatches used in Japanese motorsport during the 1970s and 1980s.
The new reference CBS221M.EB0435 is limited to 150 individually numbered pieces worldwide. Its white-and-red design is easy to recognise, but the smaller case, textured dial, revised movement and unusual presentation set make this a distinctly different watch from its predecessor.
All images are courtesy of TAG Heuer.
A second chapter, not a reissue
Team Ikuzawa was founded by Tetsu Ikuzawa, one of the most important Japanese racing drivers of his generation. His career included the Japanese Grand Prix, Formula 3, Formula 2, Le Mans and work as a Porsche factory driver. The team became closely linked with a clean red-and-white identity that remains central to the brand today.
His daughter, Mai Ikuzawa, has carried that history into a wider creative business covering cars, fashion, photography and design. George Bamford and Bamford Watch Department complete the collaboration, helping translate the graphics of old racing equipment into a modern Carrera.
The three partners first worked together in 2023. That earlier Carrera measured 42mm, used the Heuer 02 movement and was limited to 100 pieces for Japan. The 2026 edition is smaller, uses the Glassbox design and is being offered worldwide, although the production run remains very small.
A dial inspired by a racing stopwatch
The white dial has a Clou de Paris pattern, giving it a fine textured surface rather than a plain printed finish. A black curved flange carries the 60-second scale and rises towards the edge of the domed crystal. The usual applied Carrera markers have been replaced by printed indexes, bringing the display closer to the look of a handheld stopwatch.
Red is used with care but appears almost everywhere that matters. The hour and minute hands, central chronograph hand, logos and parts of the two subdials use Team Ikuzawa’s signature colour. The 30-minute chronograph counter sits at 3 o’clock, while the 12-hour counter is positioned at 9 o’clock.
At 6 o’clock, the Team Ikuzawa name appears above an angled date window. Even the date numerals are printed in red. There is no running-seconds display and no tachymeter scale. Removing the small-seconds counter leaves the lower part of the dial open and gives the team logo enough room without making the design look crowded.
The 39mm Carrera Glassbox case
The stainless-steel case measures 39mm in diameter, 13.9mm thick and 46mm from lug to lug. Its brushed and polished surfaces keep the familiar Carrera shape, while the lack of a separate external bezel allows the dial to appear larger than the case dimensions suggest.
The defining part of the Glassbox design is its strongly domed sapphire crystal. It curves over the raised dial flange and receives anti-reflective treatment on both sides. This produces some of the visual character of an old acrylic racing chronograph while offering the scratch resistance expected from a modern sapphire crystal.
A red lacquered ring around the crown adds another small Team Ikuzawa detail. The sapphire caseback displays the movement and carries the collaboration markings and individual limited-edition number. Water resistance is 100 metres, which makes the watch practical for regular use rather than something that needs to be protected from every splash.
TH20-10 automatic chronograph movement
Inside is TAG Heuer’s manufacture Calibre TH20-10. This automatic chronograph uses a column wheel and vertical clutch, two features that help give the pushers a cleaner action and allow the chronograph seconds hand to start smoothly. The movement runs at 28,800 vibrations per hour and winds in both directions.
Its 80-hour power reserve is useful in daily life. The watch can be left off the wrist for most of a weekend and should still be running when it is picked up again. The TH20-10 has also been adapted for this dial layout, operating without a running-seconds display at 6 o’clock while retaining the central chronograph seconds, 30-minute counter, 12-hour counter and date.
Bracelet, two extra straps and a toolbox
TAG Heuer supplies the watch on a seven-row stainless-steel bracelet with a folding clasp. The mix of small polished and brushed links suits the vintage shape of the Glassbox case without turning it into a direct copy of an old bracelet.
Two additional straps are included. The first is perforated white leather with red stitching and a red lining, clearly inspired by classic driving gloves. The second is white textile with red stripes based on Team Ikuzawa’s historic racing colours. Together, the bracelet and two straps give owners three very different ways to wear the same watch.
The packaging is part of the attraction. Instead of an ordinary watch box, the set arrives in a red metal case made to resemble a mechanic’s toolbox. A travel pouch and a set of Team Ikuzawa charms are also included. It is playful, easy to connect with the racing theme and far more memorable than another large lacquered presentation box.
Price, availability and conclusion
The TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa is available from late July 2026 through selected TAG Heuer boutiques and authorised retailers. Official regional prices are $10,500 in the United States, €10,450 in Europe, £8,850 in the United Kingdom and CHF 9,900 in Switzerland.
That is a considerable premium over the standard Carrera Glassbox, so the value depends heavily on how much the collaboration, the extra straps and the limited production matter to the buyer. However, this does not feel like a quick logo change. The Roadmaster-style indexes, Clou de Paris dial, missing running seconds, red date numerals and toolbox presentation all contribute to the idea.
For me, the strongest decision is the move to the 39mm Glassbox case. It gives the watch a cleaner, more traditional Carrera shape and lets the stopwatch-inspired dial take centre stage. With only 150 pieces available, it is also genuinely limited and will probably disappear quickly among Carrera collectors and followers of Japanese racing history.
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