You hear TAG Heuer you likely think of one of two watches: the tachymeter-equipped archetypal race watch that is the Carrera or the equally automotive – and Steve McQueen endorsed – Monaco. They’re both iconic, particularly the square-shaped co-star of Le Mans, and both tap into that specific, golden age of high-octane racing. They both have histories stretching back to the mid-20th century and both have more than their fair share of collectible references across that time.
On the surface, it would seem like the Aquaracer doesn’t really have any of that. After all, the collection only came into existence a scant 20 years ago in 2004. In watchmaking terms, especially when it comes to brands with as much history as TAG Heuer, that’s yesterday. Or it would be, if that were actually the case. What would eventually become the Aquaracer actually started its life much, much earlier, in the late 1970s.
Tag Heuer adverts from the 1970s
Heuer had as early as the ‘50s dabbled with nautical timekeeping. Although the Solunar and Mareograph of 1949 and 1950 respectively were not diving watches and definitely not water resistant, the tide tracking pieces were designed for the same guys that would later be wearing Doxas, Fifty Fathoms and, more pertinently, Submariners.
That last point is particularly important to note because, despite not having quite the same ubiquitous presence it now has, back in the golden age of underwater exploration, Rolex Submariners were comparatively expensive. That continued right through to the ‘70s, to the point where professional divers were complaining that they didn’t have many options for good, solid and affordable tool watches.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer ref. 844 (1978)
Jack Heuer, never one to miss an opportunity, saw this as an opening to be capitalised on. He decided to design his own dive watch, working with French manufacturer Monnin to offer an affordable alternative to the Submariner. He was essentially doing what many microbrands do these days: taking the design cues and specs of a famous model and making them accessible. The result was 1978’s Ref 844.
If you look at the Ref 844 today, its influences are obvious. Jack Heuer never hid those influences of course, he was open about his Submariner inspirations, but it is clear from the Mercedes hands and crown guard what he was doing. The thing is, he did it well and the Ref. 844 was as little as a fifth of the price. The watchmaker also embraced quartz (that version of the 844 was dubbed the 8440), recognising the practicality of an accurate, battery-powered movement in a tool watch. Sure, there were automatic options for purists, but the vast majority of the collection was quartz and professionals were on board.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer 1000 Series ‘Deep Dive’
Over the next decades, the Diver Professional collection expanded exponentially. They became the watch of the ‘80s and ‘90s, on the wrists of everyone from Timothy Dalton wearing an original (and recently revived) Night Dive in the Living Daylights to Bo Derek wearing a ref. 756 for a shoot in Penthouse. There was the 1000 Series ‘Deep Dive’ with its 1,000m water resistance, the Super Professional and its insane starfish bezel and monobloc case and other weird and wacky takes on the dive watch, enough that trying to touch on them all is a fool’s errand.
What it was lacking however was a chronograph, something that Heuer and designer Eddy Schopfer (who also created the progenitor of the Link, the S/ EI) addressed with the Series 2000 in 1982. This series could be considered the progenitor of today’s desk divers, a collection of style-forward watches with 200m water resistance in a dizzying array of different styles and materials, including Dubois Depraz-based chronographs. If the number of Series 1000 pieces was a lot, the Series 2000 kicked it into overdrive.
Tag Heuer Series 2000 Aquaracer
In 1985, Heuer transitioned into TAG Heuer, but the Series 2000 barely noticed. ‘Quartz’ was dropped from most dials in place of ‘Professional’, a sly bit of sleight of hand by the marketing team, but otherwise it continued unabated. The next important change wasn’t until 1995 and the second generation of the Series 2000. This subtly altered evolution ushered in a mix of brushed and polished finishing across the case, a redesigned crown guard and a new 12-sided bezel. This is pretty much where the modern Aquaracer comes from.
Of course, it was a few years yet before the name came to match the style. In 1998, TAG Heuer created the third generation of the Series 2000, which was split into Classic, Exclusive and Sport. Classic was relatively unchanged from a few years previous, while Sport lived for just two years. It was the Series 2000 Exclusive that, in 2004 would become the Series 2000 Aquaracer, finally dropping the 2000 in 2005 for just ‘Aquaracer’.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300, influenced by the original 1978 ref. 844 (2021)
If you look at that Ref 844 from so long ago, it feels like a completely different watch. Even when TAG Heuer produced a revival piece in 2021, it looks markedly different to the original, with its faceted bezel and more distinctive look replacing those early Submariner influences. But if we zoom out for a second and see the steps in-between, it’s a pretty clear journey from one to the other and indeed, the Aquaracer as a model has evolved more than many of its competitors, all while still offering what Jack Heuer set out to accomplish in 1978: a well-made, high-end but accessible professional dive watch.
Granted, there are more accessible, higher-spec divers available now (what Oceaneva are doing for example boggles my mind) but compared to what you now need to shell out for a modern Submariner, the ratio is still pretty similar. Plus, there’s something to be said for name recognition – and perhaps more importantly, the Aquaracer collection’s still evolving in 2024.
TAG Heuer calibre TH31-00
Again, TAG Heuer haven’t blown up the paradigm here. Instead, they’ve improved on what came before in a more subtle way. Cases have been downsized from 43mm down to the same 42mm as early TAG Heuer diving watches. The cases are also 0.5mm thicker, which can be put down to the new movement more than anything, the TH31-00 (or TH31-03 for the GMT) with its impressive 80-hour power reserve.
In terms of usability, the crown has been redesigned to make it easier to operate, while an updated minute track and hour hand make the whole thing more readable than previously. The biggest change though is from a gorgeous wavy dial that’s a lot subtler and more natural than the almost rigid waves of the Seamaster 300m Professional.
Tag Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date
Indeed, the comparison with Omega might be more apt than just the dial. The way TAG Heuer have approached the new Aquaracer collection reminds me of when Omega did the same with their legendary Seamaster Professional 300m back in the mid-2010s and here I think it works just as well. It breathes fresh life into the collection while addressing a few elements people genuinely want from their dive watches.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date GMT
The new collection is currently being showcased in a small capsule of pieces. There are three colours of date model in black, blue and green with matching bezels, and are available on either a three-link bracelet or a chunky, dial-matched rubber strap. My personal highlight however are the GMTs, which add a bright second time zone hand and swap the classic diving bezel for a two-tone day-night 24-hour version. These are essentially the heir to those earlier Series 2000 desk divers and I love them, even if only green and blue are currently available – with the green only on a bracelet. Sure, tool watch puritans will likely disagree, but as someone more likely to paddle than scuba, I like what I like.
I don’t believe the Aquaracer will ever become more coveted than TAG Heuer’s other iconic watches, but when those pieces include the Carrera and the Monaco, what do you expect? I do think however that these changes make the Aquaracer even more of a tempting proposition than it was in the past, a fine balance between style and practicality, price and prestige. Here’s hoping these starting references are just that – the start.
More details at Tag Heuer.
