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They say that blue is the warmest colour, but is the dial colour change enough to reignite interest in TAG Heuer’s Solar quartz collection? Let’s find out!

Luxury conglomerate LVMH has been on quite the tear as of late, exemplified by the massive leaps and bounds made by Swiss watch brand TAG Heuer. The La Chaux-de-Fonds company has gone through their fair share of privileges and inconveniences throughout the years, but ever since Frédéric Arnault briefly took the helm in the 2020s, they have since gone back to their winning ways. Even now, with Frédéric’s departure and subsequent promotion, TAG Heuer has spent the last few years in the limelight they had been so desperately chasing for so long. From the Carrera Glassbox to the Monaco Split-Seconds; From the KITH x Formula One to becoming (for the second time!) the official timing partner of Formula One itself; The green and red of the TAG Heuer logo has become omnipresent throughout the watch industry.

However, the brand is obviously not content with simply chasing waterfalls. In between the spectacle of these new releases, TAG Heuer has worked tirelessly to shore up their other collections. For 2024, the focus landed on the Aquaracer collection which, in comparison to the rest of their collections, was in dire need of a facelift. This, of course, resulted in two things: The COSC-Certified Aquaracer Professional 300 – which perhaps sent competitor brands like Tudor scrambling back to the boardroom – and a new quadruplet of Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph pieces, with stainless steel and two-tone offerings. 

RELATED READING: Hands On With The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT

Of the two, the former was championed the most, but the latter was certainly most welcome. Prior to these four references, the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph lineup was only two strong – one in titanium, the other in carbon and black steel. Neither of which were particularly accessible at the lower end of the market, so the addition of four steel and two-tone renditions helped to diversify the range. 

With that end fixed, however, there came a need for a brand-new titanium reference. The Aquaracer ‘Sundowner’ collaboration released late last year helped ease the strain for a time, but the demand was growing for more optionality in the titanium range. Fortunately, TAG Heuer have elected to silently release this new version of the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph in titanium, growing the collection by just one more watch.

First Impressions

I had never really considered the prospect of a titanium watch. Being a younger guy, titanium to me was simply another mythical nonsense term – like Adamantium in X-Men, or Mithril in Runescape. I hadn’t really considered the possibility of me encountering anything made of titanium in my life, and especially not in watches. 

The first TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph was one of my first encounters with both titanium and watches. To me, it kind of just looked like any other timepiece – it kept time, and ticked from inside a glass box. The moment I held it, however, I was confused: I had been told it was worth thousands of dollars, but why did it feel like I wasn’t holding anything at all? My being an inexperienced watch noob aside, I think I felt more nervous with that watch compared to the solid gold pieces I tried afterwards. 

The density of materials like gold and platinum commands respect through their weight, but titanium is different. Its weightlessness almost felt reassuring, in a way; If, for example, you dropped a gold watch on the ground, you’d know you were in trouble. Titanium, on the other hand, would simply dust itself off and carry on. It’s a material that feels comfortable, compatible, and ready for anything. That’s why, when Chamath handed me this new reference, I knew I was dealing with a serious piece. I didn’t let the lightness fool me this time, and I wore it with absolute glee. Well, not too much glee – I wasn’t about to give it back to TAG Heuer in a million pieces, after all!

The Design

If you’re familiar with the current lineup of TAG Heuer Solargraph watches, everything sans the dial colour should be the same – no surprises here! However, if you’re new to the Solargraph line or watches in general, here’s the lowdown: The new Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph is the second reference in the range to come in a Grade 2 titanium package.

“Wait a minute,” you might be asking yourself. “What’s Grade 2 titanium?” That’s a good question! Allow me to explain for a moment: Like stainless steel, titanium has a wide range of classifications that speak to the available properties of the material, classified into ‘Grades.’ In the watch world, you’ll hear the most about Grade 2 and Grade 5 titanium, but I know what you’re thinking – Higher Grade does not denote higher purity! In fact, it’s the opposite: Grade 2, like in this watch, consists of 99% titanium, while Grade 5 is considered more of an alloy, paired with aluminium and vanadium. This gives it a shinier quality as opposed to its darker counterpart. 

Like I was saying, the watch is mostly composed of this 99% Grade 2 titanium, which has been sand-blasted to produce a militaristic and rugged look for the watch. The dullness of the titanium draws the eye to the dial. While the 2023 model comes with a primarily black colourway, this 2025 model is slightly less inclined towards such a Spartan aesthetic. The dial here is a pale blue, which has been finished with sunray brushing and a horizontal herringbone design. The colour’s not my jam, personally, and it may not be yours – but you can’t say that it works effectively here, especially on the full black fit that I decided to wear on the day of the shoot! 

One thing I wish they had switched around, however, is the polar blue secondary colour, evident on the second hand and minute track. The contrast worked quite well on the black model, but having two shades of blue on the same watch seems fairly counterintuitive to keeping the watch legible. I found myself, at times, having to actively seek out the second hand to tell the time. That’s something you’re probably not going to like, especially if you wear this in a profession where every second counts!

The rest of the watch, as previously mentioned, is finished to the exact same specifications as the 2023 model. An almost complete absence of curved surfaces, replaced with geometric lines, effectively conveys the purpose-built nature of the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph. The trapezoidal indexes are large, lumed, and uncomplicated; The simplistic bracelet, held together by a classic folding clasp; The ridged dodecagonal turning bezel, complete with clear printed black Arabic numerals; And the fat screw-down crown makes it clear to all that this isn’t simply a watch built for boardrooms and tuxedos, but for anything else you could throw at it. From a hike to a bike, a drive to a dive – you can guarantee that the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph is ready for anything!

How It Wears

The newest Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph from TAG Heuer measures out to the exact same dimensions as its older brother, with a case diameter of 40mm, 46.5mm length, and an exact 10mm thickness. This makes it just 1mm thinner than the Solargraph’s automatic counterparts in stainless steel. But, in the watch world, that 1mm makes all the difference. On my 6.3in/16cm wrist, it wears extremely well – to the point where I would recommend it for wrists slightly smaller than mine, or even for women looking to wear larger timepieces!

Unsurprisingly, though, the real contributing factor to wearability is the weight of the watch. Similar to the black dial version, the blue dial Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph weighs in at the same 82g (give or take) on the scale. The Grade 2 titanium construction makes it an absolute dream to wear on the wrist, and if it weren’t for the contrasting nature of the blue-on-matte grey, I would probably forget I’m even wearing the watch in the first place.

Now, if you’re a steel watch wearer till the day you die, this may be pretty disconcerting for you: Titanium, while stronger, doesn’t provide the weightiness or presence that a steel watch usually does. For some, this can often cheapen the feel of the timepiece, and while I understand the concern, I urge you to give it a try at least once! The wearing experience is unlike any other, and if you’ve gotten so used to getting forearm workouts from, say, a Tudor Black Bay GMT, the shift is as jarring as it is thrilling. 

If you’ve read my article on the Zenith Chronomaster Revival Shadow, then my praise of titanium in wristwatches is not exactly new and riveting stuff. What I will note, however, is that TAG Heuer’s bracelet and clasp does not share the same issues faced by their LVMH sister brand. Unlike the Shadow, which possesses a sharp friction-lock clasp, the Aquaracer collection all come with a folding clasp operated by twin security buttons. This allows for a much easier deal of getting the watch on and off, and has been smartly paired with a half-link extension and three holes of micro-adjustment. I know, on-the-fly adjustments are all the rage these days, but if you’re not averse to a bit of pin-pushing here and there, this system will work just fine.

That being said, I wouldn’t oppose a strap change in the future! The aforementioned ‘Sundowner’ put this into motion by including a fabric ‘NATO’ strap for the first time in the Solargraph’s history, meaning that the floodgates are now open for all sorts of customisation options should the need arise. Because of the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph’s 20mm lug width, it shouldn’t be a problem finding a good strap to match – but the real challenge is getting something that will match the blue dial!

The Movement

The beating heart of this new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph is the TH50-00 solar quartz movement. Because it’s a quartz, you’d be wise to think that I don’t have much to talk about here, but if you’re new to this kind of thing there’s certainly a bit to digest. Unlike most quartz movements, the TH50-00 is what TAG Heuer refers to as ‘solar quartz.’ While solar quartz isn’t exactly an uncommon term in the watch world – at least not anymore – it’s actually a misnomer on TAG Heuer’s part.

Not that it’s a dealbreaker, though, as the real term is much harder to pronounce: ‘photovoltaic’, denoting the production of electricity upon light exposure. Unlike ‘solar’ in the traditional context of sunlight exposure, the TH50-00’s photovoltaic movement can be powered by any sort of light exposure! That’s right – whether you’re venturing out into the scorching Queensland sun, or shining an LED light inside your office space, the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph is always able to charge. Mind you, an LED isn’t nearly as efficient at charging the movement!

According to TAG Heuer, it takes only one minute in the sun for the TH50-00 to charge up 24 hours’ worth of power. Impressive tech, even when you don’t factor in the nine to ten-month power reserve and the 15-year average battery life! TAG Heuer recommends you service the watch once a decade, but that basically means the minimum wear time with just one service can last you a quarter of a century.

Despite TAG Heuer’s complementary 5-year servicing on the TH50-00 – a service only reserved for in-house movements like the TH20-00 – the movement was made in a collaborative effort with Swiss movement manufacturer La Joux-Perret. A venerable dark horse of the watch manufacturing world, La Joux-Perret have made themselves known extensively throughout the industry. They’ve worked with a who’s who of the watch industry, including respected names like Frédérique Constant and Arnold & Son; microbrands like anOrdain and Furlan Marri; and even the watch division of Ralph Lauren’s eponymous brand.

Related Reading: Beyond The Runway – Why ‘Fashion Watches’ Matter (And Always Have!)

Perhaps TAG Heuer’s rationale in collaborating with La Joux-Perret is due to the latter’s affiliation to Japanese horological powerhouse Citizen. While you may be familiar with the name, don’t let their meek visage fool you – they have been a leader in the solar quartz field for nearly five decades. Most famously, Citizen rocked the watch world with their famous Eco Drive movement, with the capability to mount solar cells to the underside of the dial. It’s this disruptive and innovative reputation that would have drawn a brand like TAG Heuer – ever the disruptors themselves – to La Joux-Perret. To learn from the pioneers of such a revolutionary piece of technology would have been a dream come true, and I’m sure the development of the TH50-00 was all the better for it. With an added Swiss twist, of course!

Final Thoughts

There’s always a hard stigma towards the idea of quartz watches, though it’s not hard to understand why. For decades, quartz was considered to be the enemy – an abominable invention that threatened to drain the life and culture from the watch industry. I understand if the more vocal minority of the Internet Watch Community is still tentative about accepting quartz watches within the horological wing, but please, hear me out.

For as much bad as quartz watches did, they simultaneously elevated the industry in ways we couldn’t have possibly imagined. We got Royal Oaks, Nautiluses, 222s, and a pantheon of other iconic mechanical watches during the Quartz Crisis. In a funny roundabout way, they elevated themselves: we got the Synchronar 2100, the G-SHOCK, the Eco-Drive, and eventually also the Spring Drive in the wake of mechanical popularity. In the end, both sides of the industry met up in the middle, and now one cannot survive without the other.

To the watch snob, a brand as esteemed as TAG Heuer adopting the very same technology that nearly killed them could be considered treasonous. To me, however, it signals acceptance – not acceptance of defeat, but that TAG Heuer is willing to evolve alongside quartz technology rather than against it. The Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph was an absolute joy to wear, not just because of its resilient titanium frame and its ‘set-and-forget’ solar quartz movement, but also just as a little glimpse of how far horology has progressed. In that, TAG Heuer has once again settled the differences of the past, and the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph unites their innovative spirit and class-leading technologies to once again compete with the industry’s biggest rival: Time.

Related Reading: With Nicholas Biebuyck – Global Heritage Director for TAG Heuer, on TAG Heuer’s Past, Present & Future

Reference: WBP1182.BF0000

Specifications

• Case: 40mm case diameter x 46.5mm lug-to-lug x 10mm thickness
• Case Material: Sand-blasted Grade 2 titanium
• Dial: Ice blue sunray brushed dial, rhodium plated indexes and polar blue touches on the seconds hand
• Water Resistance: 200m (20 Bar)
• Movement: Solar quartz TH50-00
• Power Reserve: 9–10 months, depending on light exposure
• Battery Life: 10–15 years, depending on servicing
• Bracelet: Titanium bracelet with folding clasp

Australian RRP: AU$4,800

Availability: Available now, at TAGHeuer.com and all authorised retailers.