The Low-Down

Launched at Watches and Wonders in Geneva in April this year, TAG Heuer’s line-up of Aquaracer Professional 300 has just been refreshed with three new models.

The headline watches are the all-black, Aquaracer Professional 300 Tribute to Ref. 844 and the lume-dialled Nightdiver. The name “Nightdiver” was first introduced in the mid-1980s and it quickly became one of the most celebrated sports watches of its era.

But before you get too excited, the design brief for this year’s new models is ‘faithful updates’. No unnecessary reinvention, nothing highly irregular, the focus is on the enhancement of signature details such as the familiar 12-sided bezel and the dial’s horizontal engraved lines.

With the addition of these new iterations there are now 11 references in the Aquaracer 300 Professional range. The three new models (not including the Tribute to Ref 844), are non-limited and feature a 43 mm stainless steel case, ceramic bezel and a rubber strap equipped with TAG Heuer’s adjustable folding clasp.

Let’s take a closer look at the new range.

Aquaracer Professional 300 Nightdiver

Part of the non-limited series, this model conforms to the classic features that have made the range so popular including the 12-sided unidirectional rotating bezel, a screw-down crown, water resistance to 300 metres, luminous markings, a scratch-resistant crystal and a double safety clasp.

The 43mm Nightdiver features a white superluminova® opalin dial, black gold plated applied indexes with white superluminova® or black lacquer. The hour and minute hands are also black gold plated with white superluminova®. The watch comes on a black rubber strap.

Aquaracer Professional 300 Tribute to Ref. 844

With a brushed titanium case, the bezel is made from matt black diamond-like carbon, or DLC for short. It’s a hard-wearing finish designed to take the knocks. The bezel is made from black scratch-resistant ceramic.

As the name suggests, this model takes its inspiration from the original much vaunted Ref. 844 divers’ watch first introduced in 1978. For this edition 844 examples of the Aquaracer Professional 300 Tribute to Ref. 844 will be made.

Like all of the models the watch runs on a Calibre 5 Automatic movement, based on the ever reliable ETA 2824-2 or Sellita SW200-1 with a 38 hour power reserve. Water resistant to 300 meters, there’s a date window at 6 o’ clock with Rhodium plated hour and minute hands with old radium superluminova®. Turn the watch over and there’s a steel screwed case back with a special engraving “ONE OF 844”. The watch comes on a 70s style perforated black rubber strap.

Aquaracer Professional 300 Calibre 5 Automatic

In your choice of a black or blue sunray brushed dial, these two 43mm Aquaracers come in stainless steel with ceramic bezels.

IMHO

Upgraded to 43mm in 2016, the Aquaracer is one of TAG Heuer’s most important and popular lines, so it’s vital to keep refreshing it to keep it interesting, even if the key features have remained the same for some considerable time. The Tribute to Ref 844 and the lume-dialled Nightdiver should provide plenty of appeal for collectors for what is already acknowledged as a dependable tool watch. Keen followers of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer range will notice they have now placed the brand name ‘Aquaracer’ above the logo on the dial whereas in previous editions it was placed below. Is there more to this than meets the eye?

Tech Specs

Aquaracer Professional 300 Nightdiver

Case & Dial: 43mm Black DLC steel sandblasted case Ceramic black 60 minute scale unidirectional turning bezel; White superluminova® opalin
Movement: Calibre 5 Automatic, Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date; water resistant up to 300m
Strap: Black rubber
Price: CHF3,250

Aquaracer Professional 300 Tribute to Ref. 844

Case & Dial: 43mm Titanium grade 5 polished, fine brushed case Ceramic black 60 minute scale unidirectional turning bezel; Black opalin dial with red numerals
Movement: Calibre 5 Automatic, Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date; water resistant up to 300m
Strap: Black perforated rubber
Limited edition: 844 pieces
Price: CHF4,250

Aquaracer Professional 300 Calibre 5 Automatic

Case & Dial: 43mm brushed stainless steel; Blue or Black sunray brushed
Movement: Calibre 5 Automatic, Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date
Water Resistance: 300m
Strap: Black or blue rubber
Price: CHF2,650