TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date & GMT Watch Review
TAG Heuer has just unveiled updated versions of the Aquaracer Professional 300 Date & GMT. These revisions include subtle changes to the dial, a new smaller 42 mm case and the inclusion of a far superior COSC-certified movement. Angus Davies takes a deep dive into the latest subaquatic models.
TAG Heuer watch
If you thumb through the pages of several management books, you will inevitably discover paragraphs referring to ‘continuous improvement’, ‘kaizen’ and ‘product improvement strategies’. In the competitive world of watchmaking, no brand can afford to stay still for fear of being left behind. Indeed, in an age where information is just a few keyboard clicks away, consumers have never been better informed about new timepieces arriving on the watch scene.
Clearly, the creative team at TAG Heuer’s HQ is very aware of the current era of heightened consumer knowledge and has repeatedly revisited popular models, making small changes in order to heighten allure and stay ahead of the pack.
However, new product development has to be carefully managed. Having gained the buyer’s trust and tempted them to part with a sizeable chunk of money, a watch company must ensure that future new models don’t render a once aspirational product as passé. Indeed, a successful product improvement strategy should augment desirability without disenfranchising existing clients.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date (2021 edition)
In 2021, the Swiss avant-garde brand released an updated Aquaracer Professional 300 Date. Housed in a 43 mm case, it was an evolution of what had gone before, retaining some of the facial features of its forebears.
At the time, I interviewed the brand’s then Creative Director, Guy Bove and chatted about the design considerations underpinning the 2021 release. It soon became apparent that even the tiniest of details were the product of protracted consideration. For a brief moment, I saw the world through Guy’s eyes and realised that every constituent part was designed to deliver sensory delight. In fact, I remember watching him rotate the unidirectional bezel and hearing it deliver an updated soundtrack of precise, smile-inducing clicks. One year later (2022), TAG Heuer unveiled the Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT, a model that shared much in common with the 2021 release.
TAG Heuer continuous improvement
To be honest, I assumed the 2021/2022 models would remain untouched for several years; however, I was mistaken. The brand headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds has just released updated versions of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date & GMT.
On seeing images of the new models (I’ve not yet got ‘hands-on’ ), I scratched my head looking for the changes. This is not a criticism. On the contrary, it is a good thing, as it demonstrates that the 2021/2022 designs continue to deliver eye-appeal. Indeed, these latest updates have not significantly diminished the allure of 2021/2022 models. It is only when you look more closely that you begin to spot the subtle differences that I detail hereafter.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date & GMT – new dial details
The dials eschew the straight horizontal lines of the 2021 release in favour of a poetic wave pattern. It reminds me of the dial fitted to the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Naomi Osaka Limited Edition (unveiled in 2022), a model I still think looks superb.
Other changes include the hour hand which now sports a line of gleaming brightwork bisecting the luminescent fill, along with the centre seconds hand which is now executed in new vibrant shades. Moreover, the word ‘Chronometer’ on the dial is now presented in the same colour as said centre seconds hand.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date & GMT – new 42 mm case
Without having a tape measure to hand, it is unlikely that you will notice that the case is a smidgen smaller, 1 mm to be precise. I suspect that this minuscule reduction in size was driven by the overall trend towards smaller case sizes. To be honest, I always found the former model conferred superb wearer comfort; however, I suspect this modest reduction in size will make the watch better suited to smaller wrists.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date & GMT – Calibre TH31
Both the new Aquaracer Professional 300 Date and GMT feature new COSC-certified Manufacture movements. This represents an uplift on the previous Calibre 5 and Calibre 7 movements which were based on ETA/Sellita powertrains. The Calibre TH31 comes in two forms, the TH31-00 for the Aquaracer Professional 300 Date and the TH31-03 for the GMT option.
These new movements run autonomously for 80 hours, representing a huge improvement on the former Calibre 5 (38-hour power reserve) and Calibre 7 (50-hour power reserve). Moreover, the new Manufacture movements come with the additional assurance of COSC-certification and a 5-year warranty.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date & GMT – closing remarks
While these latest models brim with newness, they have still retained some of the lovable features of the 2021/2022 releases. The octagonal indexes, the faceted case, the stylised diver’s helmet on the caseback and the same fade-free/scratch-resistant ceramic bezel insert are all alive and well.
Based on first impressions, it seems TAG Heuer has delivered advancement while respecting existing Aquaracer clients. I think a ‘hands-on’ review beckons…….
Further reading
https://www.tagheuer.com/gb/en/
Technical specifications
- Model: Aquaracer Professional 300 Date
- Reference: WBP5110.FT6257 (black dial – rubber strap with steel folding clasp, double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment)
- Reference: WBP5111.FT6259 (blue dial – rubber strap with steel folding clasp, double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment)
- Reference: WBP5110.BA0013 (black dial – 3-rows steel bracelet with folding clasp, double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment)
- Reference: WBP5111.BA0013 (blue dial – 3-rows steel bracelet with folding clasp, double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment)
- Reference: WBP5116.BA0013 (green dial – 3-rows steel bracelet with folding clasp, double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment)
- Case: steel, diameter 42 mm, water resistance 30 ATM (300 metres); sapphire crystal to the front and solid caseback
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Movement: Calibre TH31-00, automatic, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), power reserve 80 hours
- Bracelet: colour-coordinated rubber strap with steel folding clasp with double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment system
- Price – strap version – £3,150 (RRP as of 4.6.2024)
- Price – bracelet version – £3,300 (RRP as of 4.6.2024)
- Model: Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT
- Reference: WBP5114.FT6259 (blue dial – rubber strap with steel folding clasp, double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment)
- Reference: WBP5114.BA0013 (blue dial – 3-rows steel bracelet with folding clasp, double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment)
- Reference: WBP5115.BA0013 (green dial – 3-rows steel bracelet with folding clasp, double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment)
- Case: steel, diameter 42 mm, water resistance 30 ATM (300 metres); sapphire crystal to the front and solid caseback
- Functions: hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT
- Movement: Calibre TH31-00, automatic, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), power reserve 80 hours
- Bracelet: colour-coordinated rubber strap with steel folding clasp with double safety pushbuttons and fine adjustment system
- Price – strap version – £3,500 (RRP as of 4.6.2024)
- Price – braclet version – £3,650 (RRP as of 4.6.2024)
