The TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Heuer 02 chronograph is a collector’s piece limited to only 500 units which sports a red sapphire case back and is fitted with the manufacture Heuer 02 movement, which boasts an power reserve of 80 hours.
Building on the success of its first creation with the Japanese designer and his Fragment Design label in 2018, the latest collaboration has resulted in a pure reflection of TAG Heuer’s motor-racing with high-end finishes, a ceramic bezel and a fiery red sapphire case back.
A globally influential designer, musician and watch lover
Hiroshi Fujiwara is the founder of Fragment Design, a multidisciplinary label created in 2003. He has since collaborated with some of the biggest and most renowned names in fashion, design and art. Fujiwara is a legendary figure who is celebrated in his homeland of Japan and around the world for his unique take on hip-hop streetwear. Beyond his legacy in contemporary fashion, Fujiwara is also known for his impact on mainstream culture, music and covetable design.
Fragment Design makes its mark on the TAG Heuer chronograph
The latest collaboration between the two brands has created a reinterpretation of TAG Heuer’s signature motor-racing-inspired C-case models from the 1960s and 1970s, a case shape also found in TAG Heuer’s present-day collections.
“Redesigning this TAG Heuer chronograph timepiece gave me the opportunity to use an existing legacy to create a new one,” explained Hiroshi Fujiwara. “I gave the design a modern and exceptional flair with the red case back, which reflects one of the brand’s logo colours and also gives it a completely new and evolved character.”
“Hiroshi Fujiwara’s reinterpretation of TAG Heuer’s C-case chronograph is an ideal mix of celebrated legacy and avant-garde design,” added Franck Touzeau, TAG Heuer Vice President Creation & Product. “The TAG Heuer x Fragment Design Heuer 02 chronograph is everything that today’s watch aficionado desires in a timepiece: pure and innovative technology, eye-catching and stylish appearance and remarkable heritage.”
Minimalistic style that focuses on the timepiece’s essentials
Fujiwara strips the watch’s architecture down to its bare essentials, emphasising the iconic tachymeter scale on the bezel and clearing the dial of all extraneous embellishment. The black opaline dial has two black embossed subcounters at 3 and 9 o’clock. The black contrasts with white lettering and logos – including “FRAGMENT” between 4 and 5 o’clock – and a simple date window at 6 o’clock. The only counterpoints to the high-contrast composition are the red indexes and the red lacquered central hand, which give the dial an extra pop. The result is a bold and elegantly sparse 44 mm timepiece that is effortlessly easy to read at top speeds.
On the case back, the two-counter architecture of the in-house Heuer 02 movement is partially obscured thanks to a circular red sapphire crystal window. The automatic column-wheel chronograph movement is a worthy centrepiece; exceptionally precise and boasting an 80-hour power reserve, it demonstrates TAG Heuer’s continued mastery of watchmaking design and engineering. The red sapphire case back features the unmistakable logo of Fragment Design, and each piece is engraved with a unique limited-edition number from 1 to 500.
The Fujiwara design also includes an new feature: a five-row steel bracelet with a butterfly folding clasp. It is finely polished and brushed to catch the light with every movement of the wrist.
The watch will be available to pre-order from www.tagheuer.com and in select TAG Heuer boutiques before going on sale on July 27th, 2020. A testament to Hiroshi Fujiwara’s sense of design and TAG Heuer’s disruptive motor-sport legacy, it is a collector’s timepiece.
