TAG Heuer in collaboration with our friends over at Time+Tide has released a new Australian Limited Edition Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph, nicknamed the “Sundowner” and it’s a sure-fire hit!
If there is one thing that Australia is not short of, it is sun. We average about 250-300 sunny days a year (depending on where you are that is, sorry Melbourne!) So it’s no surprise that when TAG Heuer and Time+Tide decided to team up for an Australian edition, the Aquaracer Solargraph was chosen. When TAG Heuer released the Solargraph at Watches & Wonders 2022, it was a hit as it was the brand’s first solar-powered watch, plus it looked great in an Aquaracer Professional 200 40mm black DLC steel sandblasted case and a bezel insert made from a blend of carbon and green Super-LumiNova. Then last year, they took it up a notch, with TAG Heuer releasing the Aquaracer Professional Solargraph in a grade 2 Titanium. The titanium gives the Solargraph an instant tool watch look and combined with the ability to be powered by any light source, it really is a tool watch that will keep ticking away as long as there is light.
RELATED READING: TAG Heuer’s New Aquaracer Professional 200 Solagraph in Titanium
With this new release, TAG Heuer has teamed up with Time+Tide to deliver a 250-piece limited edition Solargraph, named the “Sundowner”, and the vibe of the watch lives up to the name!
With a 40mm grade 2 titanium case, the Solargraph “Sundowner” evokes warm hues thanks to the use of 18K 5N rose gold plated applied indexes, as well as the hands, TAG Heuer logo and Time+Tide logo. These, paired with the sunray brushed anthracite dial adds to this look, and was a nice choice as opposed to a black dial. To keep this effect going, the markets on the rotating bezel are also 5N gold-plated.
“This TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph Sundowner, inspired by Australia’s Kimberley region,
Van Mulryan, TAG Heuer Australia CEO
naturally celebrates the incredible partnership between TAG Heuer and Time+Tide, showcasing a unique
fusion of our design with their signature style. I am pleased to offer this exclusive timepiece to our Australian
and New Zealand clients and have no doubt the new launch will resonate deeply with the market.”
The grade 2 titanium sandblasted case gives the watch a more robust look, perfect for a watch that is designed to get out and about, and this is matched by the 200m water resistance and screwed-down crown, meaning the Solargraph “Sundowner” is ready for anything you or life can throw at it. Rather than a bracelet, the watch has been paired with a green textile NATO strap that is combined with a 15K 5N rose gold plated, titanium grade 2 pin buckle. The green and rose gold add to the overall utilitarian look of the watch, similar to that of bronze and green, and yes, the use of green and gold colours for an Australian edition is not lost on us, albeit rose gold.
The TAG Heuer x Time+Tide Solargraph “Sundowner” has been down as a limited edition of 250 pieces, symoblised on the caseback of the watch, and will be sold exclusively in TAG Heuer boutiques in Australia and New Zealand plus their online store, and also through Time+Tide’s Watch Discovery Studio in Melbourne and London. Based on what we’ve seen online already, the collector community has embraced this piece whole heartedly with quite a few going out the door already!
Inside the Solargraph “Sundowner” beats the Calibre TH50-00, produced by La Joux-Perret exclusively for TAG Heuer. The light powered TH50-00 will give you up to a full day’s worth of power with just 2 minutes’ worth of sunlight, and when fully charged, around 40 hours in the sun, the watch can run for ten months in total darkness before needing to see the light again. Once stopped, it takes a mere 10 seconds of sun to get it going again, and if you so wish, you can place it into power-save mode, and the watch will remain charged for up to 4 years if fully charged prior. Not bad!
Initial Thoughts
The Solargraph is a cool watch, no questions about it. The way TAG Heuer has been able to take their Aquaracer Professional 200 model, and create a solar power version of it was a great move in 2022, and with different variants in steel and titanium, also sizes, they have catered for a wide market. This new version, the “Sundowner” is an example of taking an already existing product and making it relevant for the region with the design cues TAG Heuer and Time+Tide have used.
You can see how the Kimberly region has been brought to life with the use of the 5N rose gold on the bezel, indices, hands and logos, and when paired with the sandblasted titanium, generates that overall warmer feel, epitomising the “Sundowner” name. Giving this piece a NATO strap just enhances the utility of this piece, and changes its look a lot compared to the bracelet variants and seems a good move here. From feedback, this piece seems to be a hit, and with many pieces already being pre-sold and in the hands of TAG Heuer collectors here, I’d say, if you want one, get in quick.
Reference: WBP1181.FN8024
Specifications:
- Case Dimensions: 40mm, 47mm lug-to-lug, and 11mm thick
- Case Material: Sandblasted grade 2 titanium with uni-directional rotation bezel with 5N gold plated markers
- Dial: Anthracite sunray brushed dial with 18K 5N rose gold plated applied indexes, hands, TAG Heuer logo and Time+Tide logo
- Crystal: Flat sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Water resistance: 200 meters
- Movement: Calibre TH50-00 Solargraph movement
- Power reserve: 10 months on full charge (40hrs of sun), 4-year power save mode
- Strap: Textile NATO strap with 15K 5N rose gold plated, titanium grade 2 pin buckle
