Watches A Story of Design: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer, Chapter Two
5 min
Angus Davies Co-founder of Escapement Magazine
Missed chapter one? A Story of Design: The TAG Heuer Aquaracer, Chapitre One
The styling of the new Aquaracer Professional 300 draws heavily on the design of the outgoing model. The model’s appearance is also influenced by earlier Aquaracer models, the last TAG Heuer 2000 and, finally, the Heuer Reference 844.
TAG Heuer produced various examples of the Heuer 844 during the late 1970s and early 80s. When placed adjacent to the new Aquaracer Professional 300, there are clear links between the Heuer 844 and its modern-day descendant. Moreover, the Heuer 844 has inspired TAG Heuer to create a limited-edition model, the aptly named ‘Aquaracer Professional 300 Tribute to Ref. 844’.
This latter model differs from ‘regular’ versions of the new Aquaracer. The hour and minute hands are lined with old radium Super-LumiNova®. The black opaline dial is smooth, eschewing the ribbing found on the regular 43mm version of the Aquaracer. A red 24-hour scale is positioned adjacent indexes, a feature found on the original watch. The scale was originally intended as a quick conversation chart for professionals reporting events using a 24-hour clock.
WBP208C.FT6201
A fitting tribute
The case of the ‘Aquaracer Professional 300 Tribute to Ref. 844’ is made of high-end Grade 5 titanium. This material, widely used within the aerospace industry as well for medical applications, has many attributes. It is very strong, light, not liable to corrosion and hypoallergenic, albeit is more time consuming and complicated to mill than steel or gold. A further benefit of Grade 5 titanium is that it lends itself to polishing and can evince a similar elegant, gleaming appearance as steel but with a notable absence of mass.
Appraising this tribute model, it is clear the brand’s design department have expended much effort on the minutiae. For example, the black perforated rubber strap found on the original 844 has returned, but this time the openings on the strap are octagonal-shaped, repeating the modern-day Aquaracer’s use of six, eight and 12-sided forms.
The Aquaracer Professional 300 Tribute to Ref. 844 is limited to just 844 pieces.
WBP201A.BA0632 / WBP201B.BA0632 / WBP201C.BA0632
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 - 43mm
A cursory glance at the new Aquaracer Professional 300 43mm may lead some onlookers to assume it is little different from its predecessor. To some extent, this is intentional. The objective when updating a very successful model is to evolve and refine. Certainly, it would be foolhardy to embrace a revolutionary approach or pursue disruptive styling. Indeed, there are several watch brands that have revisited a successful model and essentially lost its former allure by clumsily changing elements that were hitherto unbroken.
WBP208B.BF0631
The 43mm model is currently offered in four variants (excluding the Tribute to Ref. 844), each with its own colourway, pairing the dial hue with the optimal bezel shade. The blue dial is juxtaposed with a blue bezel, while the black and silver dials are both paired with a black bezel. The three aforementioned models are housed in steel. A fourth variant features a Grade 2 titanium case and combines a green dial epidermis with a matching green bezel.
Each of the four dial options feature the dial ribbing seen on the outgoing model, however, the engraved lines are spaced differently, allowing more room to accommodate dial text as well as discreetly contributing to the watch’s ultra-refined look.
WBP231C.BA0626 / WBP231B.BA0618 / WBP231D.BA0626
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 - 36mm
The 36mm model is available in three variants: a black dial with a black bezel, a silver dial with a black bezel and a blue dial with a blue bezel. This latter reference also includes eight diamond-set indexes which supplant the luminescent octagonal indexes found on other models. The ribbing found on the 43mm models has evolved into a gentle wave-like motif. This latter detail exhibits a slightly softer character than the previously mentioned straight dial ribbing.
Some things are best left unchanged. The Calibre 5 is a tried and trusted automatic movement. Its composition is known to watchmakers around the globe, making it simple and affordable when it comes to routine servicing or repair.
This modern-day movement has a frequency of 28,800 vph (4Hz) delivering precise timekeeping. Assuming the watch is fully wound, it will run autonomously for 38 hours.
Loupe time
TAG Heuer has chosen to focus on ‘habillage’, all the components other than the movement which coalesce to make a watch. In the next chapter about the new Aquaracer Professional 300, I will look at each change Guy Bove and his team have made to this popular divers’ model.
Angus Davies Co-founder of Escapement Magazine
