Hit the slopes, traverse glaciers and scale icy mountain peaks with TAG Heuer’s new Aquaracer Professional 200, one of those newly reborn models belonging to the 2021 Aquaracer Pro Series.
When you hear the Aquaracer name; ice isn’t the first thing that comes to mind but it’s this frosty medium that this has been the proving grounds for the latest model from the series and it’s where TAG now wants us to picture it.
Last year, TAG Heuer breathed life into the Aquaracer series with the release of the Aquaracer Professional 300, the brand’s current flagship diver’s model.
For 2022, the Aquaracer Professional 200 will now be available with either a 40mm or 30mm Stainless steel case.
All models will be equipped with a unidirectional rotating bezel with twelve facets, water-resistant to 200 meters, and powered by either an automatic mechanical or quartz movement (ladies 30mm).
This newest model like any Aquaracer can trace its heritage back to 1978 when Jack Heuer introduced the Heuer Reference 844.
The Ref. 844 was created for men and women who enjoyed the outdoors life and adventures in wilds – be it on land or at sea.
TAG introduced the Aquaracer name in 2004 as modern continuation of that legacy with its six design codes:
a unidirectional rotating bezel;
a screw-down crown; water resistance to at least 200 meters; luminous markings; a sapphire crystal; and a double safety clasp.
The Aquaracer Professional 200 like its larger 43mm Aquaracer Professional 300 sibling too picks up on those design codes established more than forty years ago.
The larger of the two models is 40mm across and 11mm thick, offering a sleeker silhouette and a slenderer profile compared to the outgoing model it replaces, which was 41mm in diameter and 12mm thick.
The models are equipped with TAG’s recognizable and now upgraded bezel with twelve facets first introduced in 1995;
both feature a refined, repeating horizontal line dial decoration;
both have sculpted, chamfered, shorter lugs with brushed and polished finishes; both are fitted with a three-link bracelet, and both have a screw-down crown with twelve facets and protection.
If we take closer look at the new watches several more subtle differences can be found; all of which give the Aquaracer Professional 200 its unique character and versatility.
For example, the Aquaracer Professional 200 is noticeably more compact at 40mm (compared to 43mm), with the further option of a smaller 30mm case.
The bezel still features a diver’s scale, but now it has been engraved into a Stainless steel insert, rather than ceramic.
While the Aquaracer Professional 300 has octagonal hour markers, an oversized hour hand, and yellow detailing, the Aquaracer Professional 200 makes use of a more classic style with straight-edged, trapezoidal markers, sleeker sword-shaped hands, and white detailing.
Depending on the movement the watch’s layout changes slightly; the automatics can be distinguished by their fumé (smoke) gradient dials, date windows (but without a magnifier – to maintain the watch’s streamlined profile).
Super-LumiNova sweeping seconds hands, and more detailed minute tracks. The quartz models have no date and a pared-back look by comparison, while otherwise retaining the same aesthetic and technical characteristics.
One attribute shared by every new Aquaracer Professional 200 reference is the case-back design, now engraved with a compass, instead of the famous scaphander diving helmet that has featured on Aquaracer case-backs since 2002.
The backdrop to this remains with the repeating engraved hexagonal motif seen on the Aquaracer Professional 300.
The new Aquaracer Professional 200 carries some further, albeit not immediately obvious engineering refinements first seen in the Aquaracer Professional 300.
For example, the bezel improvements detailed in the Aquaracer Professional 300 are also present in its sister watch.
The bezel’s rotating mechanism is now more fluid in its movement, yet the reassuring click that we all love remains; in addition you’ll see that the new bezel itself is a beautifully engineered feature to boot.
Both watches feature a slimmed-down, more elegant bracelet that continues TAG Heuer’s long tradition of producing ergonomic bracelet designs that follow the natural curvature of every wearer’s wrist.
As well as being highly flexible and durable, the Aquaracer Professional 200’s bracelet comes with a comfort link with a 7mm extension that can be adjusted quickly using a push-down-and-pull release mechanism.
Thoughts? I think an outdoorsy Aquarcer would have worked better as a GMT. It’s good to see the cyclops is gone. Otherwise not much to get excited about; but what do you think?
Since its launch back in 2007, the Longines Legend Diver has garnered a fair amount attention outlasting contemporaries from IWC et al; enduring as the old school, Swiss compressor-style diver’s watch to own.
I can’t tell you how many times that I’ve almost pulled the trigger on one as it’s imho, one of the best looking dive watches that there are, taking its design cues directly from the OG model from 1959. Alas for me it was never quite big enough.
For 2022, the Longines Legend Diver’s bloodline continues with a further five new models which are offered in a selection of colors that include: ash gray, burgundy, sand beige and royal blue.
In addition to the lovely colors, their Stainless steel cases are based on two diameters (36mm or 42mm), further adding to the already large stable of Legend Diver models.
Here we have the 42mm collection with their sand beige, ash grey or royal blue color-gradient dials featuring luminous hands, hour markers interspersed with luminescent squares and Arabic numerals enhanced with Super-LumiNova® rectangles for optimum visibility in low light.
Just like it is on the OG model, the 42mm’s case-back has been decorated with an embossed emblem of an olden days spear diver.
In addition to the case-back which harks back to 1959, the crowns are decorated with cross-hatching.
Meanwhile a tone on-tone fabric strap in the popular NATO style is matched to the color of the dial. Or indeed an actual NATO is also offered along with the added option of a Milanese steel mesh bracelet.
The new 42mm models house a caliber L888.5 (ETA A31.L11) self-winding mechanical movement with a silicon balance-spring, 11½ lines, 21 jewels, 25'200 vibrations per hours, a power reserve of around 72 hours - along with a substantial 5-year warranty.
Thoughts? Three great new colors are offered here for the 42mm variant. In addition to the increased case size the 42mm models also get a higher performing movement.
I remember when this was first launched in plain black – which stayed like that for years and years. Today you can now choose from nearly 15 model variants and they are all lovely but black remains the classic choice.
