TAG Heuer’s new Aquaracer now punches above its weight with an in-house movement, COSC certification, and on-the-fly micro-adjust to name a few improvements!
It seems TAG Heuer is going from strength to strength. The release of their latest Aquaracer is proof that the brand is focusing on the little things that matter to the average wearer and the broader watch community. The changes to the Aquaracer should tick a lot of boxes for both audiences who want a more refined, smaller piece without losing the essence and the DNA that makes the Aquaracer collection, well, the Aquaracer. We had the privilege of going hands-on with these at Watches & Wonders in April as a bit of a preview of what was to come, and all of us at Watch Advice were quietly impressed.
So, what has TAG Heuer done with these new models? To start, they’ve slimmed them a little. Now coming in at 42mm, the 300m divers are just that little more svelt on the wrist, and measuring just under 12mm thick, they’re well proportioned and balanced. The shorter lug-to-lug helps as well – being 48mm makes these wear slightly smaller than the specs suggest.
The crown on the new Aquaracer collection has also been refined, making it easier to grip and adjust the time, thanks to the larger knurling. On the top, the iconic TAG Heuer shield logo.
In addition to the ergonomics of the case, TAG Heuer has added an on-the-fly micro-adjust mechanism to the clasp. For those who have wrists that fluctuate with warmer or more humid weather (common in Australia) then this is something of a godsend. TAG Heuer has chosen to incorporate this via a push button slider, so as your wrist expands, you can easily push the buttons whilst on the wrist and extend the clasp out up to about 1cm. These models also come with a dial colour-matched rubber strap, and thankfully, TAG Heuer has added this push button folding clasp with the extension system to this as well, so you have a choice of style without compromising comfort.
On the dial, TAG Heuer has added more refinements, from both a design and aesthetics perspective, not to mention functionality. The new dial wave pattern is the first thing that catches the eye, and according to TAG Heuer, have been chose to reflect the ocean and world within. The new range comes in a vibrant blue, deep black and an emerald green – all hues that are a tribute to the ocean. On the blue dial, you’ll see the contrasting orange accents – symbolising safety. On the black, the light blue accents which represent the last visible color underwater.
Around the dial, the minute track has subtly been refined to be easier to read, eliminating the half-second marks, now with more visible second intervals, and the hour hand has been made slightly larger for better visibility not to mention the inclusion of the TAG Heuer shield at the end.
The dial is perhaps the star of the show on these new models, especially the blue dial. TAG Heuer says these have been crafted to capture the essence of aquatic exploration and this is very evident when looking at these close up. But from a little distance, and when the light hits, it creates a beautiful 3D effect. The blue is more prominent, the black a lot more subtle, until you look at it from the right angle!
Aside from all visual and tactile improvements, TAG Heuer has done away with the Calibre 5, and instead, given the new Aquaracer a new, “in-house” movement developed by AMT for TAG Heuer – the TH31-00. The Calibre TH31 is also COSC certified, so accuracy is key here and another area that TAG Heuer is concentrating on, which was a key message TAG Heuer’s Movement Director, Carole Kasapi-Forestier impressed upon us whilst in Geneva in April. Adding to this, the new Calibre TH31 has an 80-hour power reserve, meaning it’s weekend-proof. Not that you’d want to take these off over the weekend!
On the case back, is the old-school divers helmet in positive relief, with the window a familiar shape – the 12-sided shape of the bezel, which TAG Heuer took inspiration from for the Aquaracer collection. Even though there is a new movement inside, and a sapphire caseback would be a nice to have, the fact that TAG Heuer has done a screw-down solid caseback for a 300m diver is a good thing from both a water resistance perspective not to mention helping keeping the case thickness to as minimal as can be.
Final Thoughts
Here is where I’d normally give you my initial impressions of the watches, however, having spent considerable time with them I can give you a little more of my and the collective Watch Advice team’s thoughts. I think the subheading of the article sums it up nicely; The new TAG Heuer Aquaracers are watches that are now punching above their weight. The subtle improvements to them – both design and construction show that TAG Heuer is back and meaning business.
These are good-looking watches and while they retain the heart of the Aquaracer DNA, they have been given a more modern makeover for a 2024 watch world. The colours work extremely well. The blue is versatile enough to wear everywhere but comes alive with any decent light. The black is classic and the light blue second’s hand and accents pop, giving it some character the green is fun on the wrist! Whilst we didn’t have the time only here – we’ll be doing the review on the green GMT in a few weeks so stay tuned for that.
The price point on these are also highly competitive, and it’s clear that TAG Heuer are aiming their sites on Tudor here. At A$5,500 on the bracelet or A$5,200 on the rubber strap, these are now great value for money. There are very few other COSC certified dive watches with a solid case construction, ceramic bezel, on-the-fly micro extension on steel AND rubber that look as good as these.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date
References:
- Black: WBP5110.BA0013 – Steel on steel / WBP5110.FT6257 – Steel on rubber
- Blue: WBP5111.BA0013 – Steel on steel / WBP5111.FT6259 – Steel on rubber
- Green: WBP5115.BA0013 – Steel on steel (rubber variant not available)
Specification:
- Size: 42mm, 12mm thick and 48mm lug-to-lug
- Case: Steel fine brushed, polished case with ceramic 60-minute scale unidirectional, dodecagonal turning bezel
- Movement: Automatic mechanical in-house Calibre TH31-00, beating at 4Hz / 28,800 VpH
- Power reserve: 80hrs
- Water resistance: 30 bar (300 meters)
- Crystal: Flat sapphire crystal with double anti-reflective treatment
- Case back: Steel screwed caseback with diver helmet relief
- Bracelet/Strap: Fine polished 3-link steel bracelet or black rubber strap. Both with steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons with fine adjustment system. Green variant on steel only.
