TAG Heuer’s latest collaboration combines their motorsports heritage with legendary streetwear label Fragment Design. TAG Heuer has given the founder of Fragment Design, Hiroshi Fujiwara, free reign to utilize his own creative vision and apply it on the iconic Swiss watches. Fujiwara reinterprets TAG Heuer’s classic racing-inspired C-Case models from the 1960’s and 1970’s. The resulting combination is the ‘TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Chronograph’—a limited run of just 500 timepieces.
The idea was to redesign a vintage-inspired sports watch in an ultra-modern way. I was especially attentive to details such as the bracelet links and the red sapphire case back, which is one of my favorite features. I aimed to infuse the essence of historical watch design into this contemporary piece. I call it modern vintage. — Hiroshi Fujiwara
The ‘TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Chronograph’ comes in a sizable 44m, with a ceramic tachymeter bezel on a fine-brushed steel case covering an opaline black dial with bold red accents on the indices, hour and minute hands. Only the hour and minute hands glow green in the dark, making for a subtle but clear reading in these settings. The dial itself features TAG Heuer’s iconic branding with Fragment Design’s own iconic thunderbolts on top of this in white. The contrasting notes of red and white against the jet black backdrop make for a sleek and sultry presentation. The watch also features a 100m water resistance rating. Completing the watch is a matching brushed 5-row steel bracelet with butterfly clasp. This steel clasp was polished to catch light and shine at every angle the wrist turns, adding another layer to the watch’s striking looks which is sure to turn heads.
The polished steel case back features a partially visible in-house Heuer 02 movement with vertical clutch. This column-wheel movement is both extremely precise beating at 28,800 vph and robust with its 80-hour power reserve. It is covered by a luminous red sapphire crystal window which is the standout feature of the watch. Fujiwara went for this color design because it “reflects one of the brand’s logo colors and also gives it a completely new and evolved character.” TAG Heuer’s signature red and “Swiss Made Since 1860” text fill the case back. Fragment Design’s thunderbolts also once again adorn the case back for good measure making for a contemporary and unique TAG Heuer timepiece.