VIDEO: The new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 brings back the legendary Night Diver
Thor SvaboeFor many people, a TAG Heuer is their first good mechanical Swiss watch. While some swear allegiance to the classic Carrera, personally I love the motor-racing vibes of their vintage-inspired references and, yes, I do feel a bit more like Steve McQueen when I wear the Monaco. But one thing TAG Heuer does best, is simply A GOOD SPORTS WATCH in capital letters, and this year at Watches and Wonders, I was knocked out by the new Aquaracer Professional 300 series.
This month, TAG Heuer just cranked up the coolness volume with the two strongest colours on cool rubber straps, alongside the return of a legend. On the new rubber strap, this trio in the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 collection are a perfect mid-size 43mm. I know, I enjoy smaller watches, but in the comfortable broad-shouldered case of this 300m depth-rated diver’s tool, the intricate finish of the bright blue and monochrome tough black dial just feels right for 43mm, and it’s packed with sharp detail.
There is a particular angular cool in the brand new style of a 12-sided, polished and grippable bezel. The angular elegance is repeated in the new octagonal lumed indexes, and the dial design is as strong as it is balanced, brightened up by pops of orange. For the date window doubters out there, just have a closer look. The charmingly circular cyclops at 6 sits smoothly underneath the crystal, and makes the date window a proper feature instead of timidly trying to camouflage it. It effortlessly balances out the graphics of the dial, while ever so tangy orange on the text and seconds tip completes a picture of summer cool.
But wait, the main news here, despite my newfound love for date windows and the strong sword hands of the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 series, is the strap. While the angular-toolery of the three-link bracelet is superb, these references come on the soft comfort of a rubber strap, tapered towards the brilliance of TAG Heuer’s new and smoothly adjustable folding clasp.
Light and comfortable for a 43mm steel tough guy, this brings on the return of a legend. The arctic fresh look of an off-white dial sits in the dark DLC case of the Night Diver. While emanating an almost menacing vibe as the sports watch of an Imperial Storm Trooper, this is legibility brought to a new level. The striated dial is fully lumed with green Super-Luminova to light up your descent to the ocean depths. An intense play of colours will ensue, as the quadrant indexes are filled with a matching green lume, while the life-saving dive time function of the ceramic bezel has an intense blue flash matching with the broad sword hands.
Daytime cool monochrome paired with night-time colours makes for one of the coolest releases this year from TAG Heuer, and like the blue and black dial references, the show is backed by the bullet-proof in-house Caliber 5 automatic movement, beating at 28,800 beats per hour with a 38 hour power reserve. And while I do love the deep black dial of monochrome with touches of orange, and the intense blue with its matching rubber comfort, this time I might just bet all my chips on black. And between those octagonal indexes, I could have sworn I saw the date window wink at me.
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300, price and availability:
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 with a blue or black dial is $3950 AUD on a rubber strap
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver is $3950 AUD on a rubber strap
For more details, visit TAG Heuer right here.
Made in partnership with TAG Heuer. However, the opinions expressed in this article are our own in accordance with our Editorial Policy.