DRIVE TIME for CART: Heuer, Standing the Test of Time and Track
The author of bestselling automotive-horology book ‘Drive Time’ and our foremost authority on all things cars and watches-related, Aaron Sigmond, writes about the DRIVE TIME ICONS: horological luminaries that remain timeless and without comparison.
There were occasional revisions and a handful of spirited internal debates, but the dozen watches that ultimately earned icon status changed very little. The reason was straightforward. They were not simply exceptional chronographs or beautifully designed wristwatches. Each represented a defining moment in the long, intertwined history of automobiles, motorsport and mechanical timekeeping.
Together they formed a pantheon:
- Breitling for Bentley Chronograph (2003) — One of the longest-running and most successful collaborations between a watchmaker and an automobile manufacturer.
- Chopard Mille Miglia (1988) — Annual limited editions celebrating Italy's most beautiful road race for nearly four decades.
- Girard-Perregaux Scuderia Ferrari Chronograph à Rattrapante Foudroyante (2000) — A technical masterpiece from the Gino Macaluso Rra and one of Ferrari's finest horological partnerships.
- Heuer Autavia Chronograph (1962) — The first of the legendary Heuer "Big Three" racing-inspired chronographs.
- Heuer Carrera Chronograph (1963) — Perhaps the most elegant gentleman's racing chronograph ever produced.
- Heuer Monaco Chronograph (1969) — The square chronograph that became a motorsport and cinematic icon and the final of the “Big Three.”
- Hublot LaFerrari (2013) — A boldly engineered tribute inspired by Ferrari's hybrid hypercar.
- IWC Porsche Design Titanium Chronograph (1980) — F.A. Porsche's pioneering all-titanium wristwatch and an industrial design landmark.
- MB&F Horological Machine No. 5 "On the Road" (2012) — Inspired by the Lamborghini Miura and Lotus Esprit, Maximilian Büsser’s Horological Machine No. 5 remains one of modern independent watchmaking's most imaginative creations.
- Parmigiani Fleurier Bugatti Type 370 (2004) — The extraordinary transverse movement that reimagined the architecture of a mechanical wristwatch.
- Rolex Cosmograph Daytona (1963–64) — Quite simply, the world's most famous chronograph ever in the history of ever.
- Singer Reimagined Track1 (2017) — Marco Borraccino's brilliantly contemporary reinterpretation of the classic racing chronograph, powered by one of the most innovative movements of the modern era.
It should come as little surprise that Heuer—TAG or otherwise; the evolution of the brand name is a story unto itself, though hardly today's story—accounts for fully one quarter of the DRIVE TIME ICONS.
Frankly, the tally could have been higher.
The Heuer Camaro (1968), inspired by Chevrolet's pony car; the Heuer Daytona (1976), named—like its Rolex counterpart—for Daytona International Speedway rather than Ferrari's 365 GTB/4; and the Heuer Monza (1976), introduced by Jack Heuer to celebrate Scuderia Ferrari and Niki Lauda's 1975 Formula One World Championship, all made compelling cases. Ultimately, however, each fell just short of genuine icon status. Exceptional chronographs? Absolutely. Foundational? Not quite.
The relationship between Heuer—later TAG Heuer—and motorsport is so rich and so extensively documented that it has filled entire books. There is little point attempting to compress that history into a few paragraphs here. Suffice it to say, motor racing is not merely part of the brand's heritage; it is its DNA.
Which brings us to the most recent chapter in this enduring saga.
The limited-edition TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa, produced in just 150 examples, continues that lineage with considerable style. Finished in crimson red and white with oversized pump pushers, it successfully balances vintage motorsport cues with contemporary execution.
Presented in packaging inspired by the tool chests found in racing workshops and Formula One pit garages, the set includes two additional straps, a travel pouch and a selection of bespoke Team Ikuzawa charms.
More importantly, however, the watch understands what made the Carrera great in the first place.
Created at the intersection of racing heritage, contemporary design and genuine chronograph expertise, the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa is neither a nostalgic exercise nor merely another limited edition. Instead, it thoughtfully extends a story that began more than six decades ago—while simultaneously writing an entirely new chapter alongside one of Japan's most influential names in motorsport.
Watchmaker: TAG Heuer
Heuer Carrera Introduced: 1963
Team Ikuzawa founded: 1967
Affiliation/ Inspiration: Legendary Japanese motorsport team and lifestyle brand Team Ikuzawa
Carrera Models: Multiple
Model Featured: TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph x Team Ikuzawa
Calibre: Caliber TH20-10
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