Matt Clymo 
After a hiatus, the iconic TAG Heuer Beads-Of-Rice bracelet is back on the Carrera Chronograph, adding some more vintage charm to the 1960s inspired piece.
It was born in the 60s, just like the Carrera. The Beads-of-Rice bracelet brought a more sophisticated look to sports watches, and TAG Heuer was no exception to this, adding it to the Carrera all those years ago. Vintage TAG Heuer Carrera’s with the beads-of-rice bracelet on them are a collector favourite, and this year for Watches & Wonders 2025, TAG Heuer has brought it back to the Carrera Chronograph.
The new beads-of-rice bracelet see a modern interpretation of the classic bracelet. Done in a 7-link style bracelet with the curved and polished inner links, it keeps the same design language as the original, but updated with a more modern style and greater comfort than those of the past. Due to the 7-link construction, it allows the watch to conform more to the wrist thanks to the greater flexibility overall.
For this release, TAG Heuer has chosen to design this reinvention of a classic for the TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph, specifically those launched in 2023 and 2024 in the Glassbox range. So we will see the beads-of-rice bracelet on the black and blue Carrera Chronograph from 2023, as well as the teal Dato from that year. In addition, the silver Panda released at last years’s Watches & Wonders will also sport the new style beads-of-rice.
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The one key difference to the 2025 version is it features only a single beads-of-rice inner link design, where as the version from the 1960s featured a double link design. Now some purists will say that a single link takes away from the beads-of-rice design, however, this new update means it has a more modern feel to the classic design, which in 2025 could feel a little dated. Personally, one or two link design aside, I feel this modern interpretation looks quite good on the Carrera Chronograph, and I would even go as far as saying it suits the watch more than the steel bracelet found on last years Panda Carrera Chronograph release.
Initial Thoughts
Ok, so this isn’t a watch release, but in essence, this new bracelet does give the current TAG Heuer Carrera Chronograph a new look. The 39mm Glassbox range has all those great vintage inspired design cues, and now the new bracelet adds to this even more. As I just alluded to, I felt the steel bracelet on last years Silver Panda felt a little too modern for the watch’s style. The larger links felt a little ‘off’ in my opinion. This release however rectifies this, and now gives owners the choice of the leather strap that makes the Carrera’s classic look and feel what it is, and now augments this with a steel version that is more fitting of the Carrera.
