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- TAG Heuer launches four new 40 mm Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph watches
- The launch includes two steel references and two titanium references (one grade 2 and one grade 5)
- The Aquaracers feature updated aesthetics and ergonomics, including a fluted case shape and sculpted bezel
- The watches are powered by the TH50-00 Solargraph movement, offering 10 months of power when fully charged
TAG Heuer’s Aquaracer family of watches doesn’t always enjoy the attention it deserves. While the maison’s chronograph offerings (particularly the Carrera and Monaco varieties) have seen a considerable resurgence in recent years, the Aquaracer has had to content itself with quietly paddling in the background.
Now, with four new 40 mm Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph references, TAG Heuer is bringing its dive watches back into the spotlight with a pair of steel models (AUD$4,650), one grade 2 titanium model (AUD$5,350), and one grade 5 titanium model (AUD$5,750). Each is powered by light via the TH50-00 Solargraph movement and boasts subtle yet significant aesthetic upgrades, making them well-positioned to return the Swiss maison’s water-bound watch to the conversation.
For my money, the Aquaracer’s more angular take on the classic dive watch design means it deserves to stand out in a sea of very similar-looking timepieces, and this quartet of releases is a timely reminder of that. Let’s take a closer look.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph 40 mm Key Specifications
- Brand: TAG Heuer
- Reference: WBP1117.BA0047
- Movement: Solar Quartz TH50-00
- Case Material: Fine-brushed/polished steel
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Crown: Screw-down steel
- Dial: Sunray-brushed blue
- Water resistance: 200 metres
- Bracelet: Fine-brushed/polished steel
- Buckle: Folding clasp push-buttons
- Brand: TAG Heuer
- Reference: WBP1118.BA0047
- Movement: Solar Quartz TH50-00
- Case Material: Fine-brushed/polished steel
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Crown: Screw-down steel
- Dial: Sunray-brushed green
- Water resistance: 200 metres
- Bracelet: Fine-brushed/polished steel
- Buckle: Folding clasp push-buttons
- Brand: TAG Heuer
- Reference: WBP1184.BF0008
- Movement: Solar Quartz TH50-00
- Case Material: Sand-blasted grade 2 titanium
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Crown: Screw-down grade 2 titanium
- Dial: Sunray-brushed black
- Water resistance: 200 metres
- Bracelet: Sand-blasted grade 2 titanium
- Buckle: Folding clasp push-buttons
- Brand: TAG Heuer
- Reference: WBP1184.BF0008
- Movement: Solar Quartz TH50-00
- Case Material: Sand-blasted grade 5 titanium
- Diameter: 40 mm
- Crown: Screw-down grade 5 titanium
- Dial: Sunray-brushed grey
- Water resistance: 200 metres
- Bracelet: Sand-blasted grade 5 titanium
- Buckle: Folding clasp push-buttons
Design and Materials
With its new generation of Aquaracers, TAG Heuer has seized the opportunity to refine much of what gives these dive watches their unique identity, enhancing visuals and ergonomics in the process.
It starts with the newly sculpted bezel, which places elevated panels at the odd-hour positions, making it a more tactile experience than TAG’s previous incarnation. The hour and minute hands have also undergone a redesign, appearing to create space for additional Super-LumiNova, which increases legibility. This is mirrored in the dial’s indices as well. The case has also been enhanced, now featuring a fluted shape at 9 o’clock, while an interchangeable bracelet system adds versatility and wearability.
There’s some nice variety variety within the releases, with the new steel references sporting the kind of blue and green sunray brushed dials that befit a seafaring timepiece. In constrast, the grade 2 titanium incarnation deploys black, and the grade 5 titanium opts for grey, both of which align with their more technical choice of materials. This also creates a more luxurious, refined look, echoed by the polar-blue highlights in place on the former and the rose-gold accents of the latter.
Movement
As mentioned at the outset, these new watches are powered by the TH50-00 Solargraph movement, which converts light (both natural and artificial) into energy. It’s impressively efficient at doing so, requiring just 10 minutes of light to generate 40 hours of power and offering up to 10 months of power when fully charged, which, by my math, takes about 30 hours.
The quartz foundation of the Solargraph means the second hand ticks rather than sweeps, but the rechargeable nature of the watch means you won’t have to replace the battery anywhere near as frequently as you do with a standard quartz watch.
Price and Availability
TAG Heuer’s new Aquaracers start from AUD$4,650 for the steel models, while the titanium models will set you back AUD$5,350 for the grade 2 titanium model and AUD$5,750 if you opt for grade 5 titanium.
If you’d like to explore the range further, you can find them now at your local TAG Heuer boutique or retail partner, or discover more from the TAG Heuer website via the link below.
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