Just two years after its last major overhaul, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 is getting another facelift. In 2022, TAG Heuer gave its flagship diver an overhaul, with new dials, movements, and case and bracelet designs. Some changes were small, some were big, but the changes put it on a surer footing against many of its peers, behind which it had fallen far. Now, it’s time for another refresh, with reduced case sizes, upgraded movements, and pretty dials for the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date and the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT.
The new TAG Heuer Aquaracers build off the previous Aquaracer 300 Date and Aquaracer 300 GMT, both of which were introduced in 2022. While the upgrades in the new watches primarily involve the dial and movement, the cases have been slimmed down from 43mm to 42mm, with the Date measuring 12mm thick and the GMT measuring 13.45mm, both exceptionally reasonable for their 300m depth ratings. The watches continue to sport the 12-sided dive and GMT bezels (the latter being bidirectional) with lumed ceramic inserts which are color-matched to the dials. Of course, every model gets a sapphire crystal and the caseback is solid with a diving helmet design, because why not?
The new Aquaracers will be offered on both fitted rubber and a bracelet, with both options featuring clasps with the brand’s built-in fine adjustment system. Sadly, there’s still no quick-release mechanism, so you’ll have to revert to primitive methods to swap straps. It should be noted that while the black and blue divers and the blue GMT will be offered with the option of the rubber strap, neither of the green models will. If that bothers you, I’ll remind you that Rolex upcharges you $550 just to get a green bezel, so missing out on a green rubber strap when you should always buy a watch on the bracelet anyway doesn’t seem so bad.
Let’s get to this dial, where plenty of updates have been implemented. The first and most evident is the new dial pattern. Gone is the basic garage door embossing, in favor of the intricate wave pattern already seen on the 36mm Aquaracer 300s. This pattern is perhaps more divisive than the Omega wave, but it’s also certainly more exciting. The dive models are offered in green, black, and blue, while the GMTs are offered in blue and green. Following the reduction in case size, the dial diameter has been reduced, meaning the date sits more neatly at 6 o’clock without an awkward little lume pip. All the lume on the dials (and the bezel triangle) is Super-LumiNova, and the date cyclops remains on the underside of the crystal.
The final change made to the dial is in the handset. While not a big change, the hour hand is beefier and has a line through it that echoes the brand’s logo. The minute hand has been extended so that it reaches just to the edge of the chapter ring and is filled with contrasting blue lume along with the seconds hand lume segment and the bezel triangle. On the GMT, the handset is the same, but the minute hand has matching lume and the contrast is given to the GMT triangle and the bezel triangle. All in all, legibility shouldn’t be an issue, and the new pattern will likely bring a bit more dynamic light play on the wrist.
Instead of the previous ETA-based Calibre 5 and Calibre 7, for the new Aquaracer Date and GMT models, TAG Heuer has used the automatic manufacture Calibre TH31-00 (date) and Calibre TH31-03 (GMT). The TH31-00 was introduced last year in the solid gold Aquaracer 200s, and unlike the TH30-00 which was based on a Kenissi movement, is the result of collaboration with Sellita’s AMT customization. AMT lets brands take full advantage of Sellita’s movement manufacturing and tailor calibers to their needs. Recently, we’ve seen brands like Carl F. Bucherer, Hanhart, and Baume & Mercier take advantage of this division to offer exclusive manufacture calibers. In this case, the TH31s come with an impressive 80-hour power reserve, COSC-certified chronometer accuracy of -4/+6 seconds per day, and a 5-year warranty from TAG Heuer.
This update, while unexpected, is more than welcome. As a staunch defender of the severely underrated Aquaracer, this gives me plenty more ammunition for defense. With an engaging dial, improved date execution, and vastly superior movement, the Aquaracer should be in the running for anyone buying a luxury dive watch. The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional GMT Date is priced at $3,600 USD on a rubber strap and $3,800 USD on a bracelet. The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT is priced at $4,000 USD on a rubber strap and $4,200 USD on a bracelet. Comparable divers (steel, date, 300m, bracelet, chronometer) from Breitling, Omega, and Rolex start at $5,400, $5,900, and $10,250, respectively, making the Aquaracer not only a good-looking watch with superb specs but a great relative value relative. For more information, please visit the TAG Heuer website.
