WE KNOW JEFF STEIN AS A LEADING COLLECTOR OF VINTAGE HEUER CHRONOGRAPHS , who occasionally dabbles in the newer TAG Heuer models . It caught our eye when , twelve hours after he received his Fragment Design Heuer 02 chronograph in July , Jeff posted on Instagram that this watch was his “ favorite TAG Heuer chronograph , ever . . . and even though you won ’ t see the name on the watch , the best looking Autavia-inspired chronograph , ever .”
We spoke with Jeff to understand his infatuation with this very interesting watch .
IW : Can you give us the “ elevator version ” of the Fragment Design Heuer 02 chronograph ?
JMS : The watch was designed by Hiroshi Fujiwara , a god in the world of streetwear and the creator of Fragment Design . Fujiwara has designed all sorts of interesting things such as guitars for Eric Clapton , sneakers for Nike and Converse , and headphones for Beats . In the watch world , he has designed watches for Rolex and Zenith , as well as a Carrera for TAG Heuer , in November 2018 .
On the Heuer 02 chronograph , Fujiwara incorporated the design language of a 1970s Heuer Autavia into a TAG Heuer Formula 1 chronograph case , with the watch powered by the Heuer 02 movement .
Why has the Fragment Design Formula 1 chronograph been controversial among the vintage Heuer enthusiasts ?
Much of the controversy probably arises from the fact that the watch was inspired by the 1970s Autavias , but resides in the modern case that TAG Heuer uses for its Formula 1 chronographs . There is no model name on the dial , neither “ Autavia ” nor “ Formula 1 ,” so some traditionalists might see the watch as something of a Franken , which may be lacking the pure pedigree of
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