TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver Watch Review
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver perpetuates the Swiss marque’s penchant for sub-aquatic timepieces. With a depth rating of 1000m and a helium valve, this watch is capable of extreme underwater use. However, its blend of peerless legibility, robust case construction and COSC-certified precision are equally valid on dry land. Angus Davies gets hands-on with this über-masculine, Swiss divers’ watch.
The allure of an over-engineered product
Back in 1994, I recall my company car was due for replacement. I had my heart set on a brand-new Mercedes-Benz 190E. One of the more affordable cars to carry the three-pointed star on the tip of its bonnet, the 190E was wonderfully engineered.
The steering wheel was large, imposing and felt luxurious to the touch. Every switch delivered a tactility second to none and the rotary heating controls exuded a charming simplicity. Every element of the car felt hewn from granite. It may have been over-engineered, but the 190E promised years of reliable service. Alas, I couldn’t make my budget stretch to the 190E, hence I had to settle for a BMW 3-series instead. The Bavarian Express wasn’t too shabby, but it wasn’t a match for the thoroughbred from Untertürkheim.
A few weeks ago, I received an example of the recently released TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver. Within moments of affixing this subaquatic behemoth to my wrist, I fell in love again. The TAG’s über-masculine styling called to me and immediately my thoughts turned to the 190E.
This watch is endowed with a torso capable of withstanding the colossal pressures associated with life 1000 metres below the ocean’s surface. As someone more accustomed to paddling in shallow waters, this new divers’ watch is, on paper, over-engineered for my modest subaquatic requirements. Nevertheless, eager to serve the needs of my readers, I recently road-tested the Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver, albeit with my feet firmly on terra firma.
The Aquaracer period
Forget Picasso’s Blue Period, any self-respecting horophile should know about TAG Heuer’s Aquaracer period. In the late 1970s, Jack Heuer sought to create a ‘Rolex-style’ divers’ watch featuring a quartz movement. As a result, the Swiss avant-garde brand launched its first divers’ watch in 1979, the ‘1000 Series’. Five years later (1984), TAG Heuer released the Super Professional 1000M, a model that soon became iconic and much-loved by professional divers.
In 2004, the luxury marque unveiled its Aquaracer line of watches. Over the years, the firm has released new variants with ever-greater depth ratings. However, in my opinion, the brand’s finest divers’ watches arrived in 2021 with the release of the Aquaracer Professional 300 collection.
Guy Bove, the Creative Director of TAG Heuer, along with his talented team of designers, painstakingly dissected earlier Aquaracer models, appraising every component in forensic detail. Once the many observations were distilled, a new Aquaracer was unveiled. It looks more refined with its case 43mm case encompassing both brushed and polished surfaces. Each dial element is the subject of protracted thought, culminating in superior legibility, improved quality and even greater eye-appeal. Likewise, the bracelet has been improved, conferring a more comfortable wrist fit. Even the bezel turns with an improved smile-inducing click.
Additional versions of the Aquaracer Professional 300 collection have since been released. Furthermore, earlier this year, the Aquaracer Professional 200 collection was unveiled. It is still practical but less hard-core and slightly more dressy, making it unquestionably suited to the ‘desk diver’.
More recently, at Watches & Wonders 2022, TAG Heuer unveiled the Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver, a new full-fat, caffeine-rich option. I recently affixed the model to my wrist and road tested it for a few days.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver – black sunray brushed dial
A divers’ watch, especially one with ‘professional’ ambitions, must remain legible at all times, especially when deep underwater where light is limited. Bold hands, unambiguous indexes and minimal branding are essential for sub-aquatic success.
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver features a black sunray brushed dial, enriched with a series of grooves running east to west. The sunray brush is very subtle, likewise, the aforementioned grooves are softly spoken, only signalling their presence in certain light conditions. These understated stylistic elements demonstrate the brand’s considered approach to design, making sure nothing inhibits readability.
The gradely-sized hour hand, with its pointed tip, is outlined in silver tones and can be readily seen. The minute hand chooses to wear a different outfit, framed in a radiant shade of orange and lined with a liberal application of luminescent material, it sings different notes, but performs in harmony with its bigger brother. Meanwhile, a satsuma-toned central sweep seconds hand reinforces the diving theme and includes a luminescent, trapezoidal lollipop, heightening visibility both on terra firma and beneath the waves.
The date is shown at the base of the dial. The black numerals sit atop a white disc, imparting meaning efficiently. While I suspect this function may be of little interest to its wearer when 50m underwater, it does have relevance on dry land where, let’s face it, the Superdiver will spend most of its time. Finally, a white minute track encircles the dial and stands out from the neighbouring black dialscape. It is the use of contrasting hues which augments lucidity, a reoccurring strength of this dial.
RC Tritec and Super-LumiNova
TAG Heuer has clearly spent much time at RC Tritec’s Swiss HQ, perusing the various shades of Super-LumiNova that the specialist firm offers. In dim light conditions, the hour hand and indexes emit a vivid green hue. By way of contrast, the minute hand, the lollipop on the seconds hand and the count-up scale on the bezel bestow a punchy blue emission in restricted light. While this play with colour is very attractive, undoubtedly proffering bragging rights in the pub, it is also eminently sensible when visibility can be the difference between a safe dive and subaquatic peril.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver – Grade 5 titanium case
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver is no shrinking violet. Measuring 45 mm in diameter, it readily fills the wrist. This is no accident. The watch has to withstand huge underwater pressures, especially when it is at 1000m (its maximum depth rating). Quite simply, a regular case just wouldn’t cut it.
Rather than make the watch from stainless steel, the luxury marque has chosen Grade 5 titanium. This alloy is much lighter than steel, non-magnetic, not liable to corrosion and hypoallergenic.
Grade 2 titanium is a pure form of the metal. It’s cheaper than Grade 5 titanium and is less expensive to machine. However, Grade 5 is stronger and it can be polished like steel. The Superdiver juxtaposes fine brushed and polished surfaces throughout, wonderfully surpassing the functional divers’ watch remit and delivering a palpable note of luxury.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver – unidirectional bezel
Meeting the requirements of a professional divers’ watch, the bezel is unidirectional and marked with a count-up scale. However, the bezel on the Superdiver goes further by delivering a sumptuous tactile feel, rotating with a positive action which is accompanied by a pleasing clicking soundtrack.
The crown is dressed in black DLC purely for aesthetic reasons, but the resultant appearance looks fabulous. It sits within a sturdy crown guard that looks capable of post-apocalyptic survival. While wearing the watch, repeatedly flexing my wrist, I am pleased to report that I never suffered any skin abrasions or felt the crown guard inhibit free movement.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver – helium valve
A helium valve is positioned on the left flank of the case, adjacent to 9 o’clock. This feature is an essential requirement when saturation diving. It allows helium to safely leave the watch case on the ascent. On a regular dive watch, the build-up of helium could lead to the sapphire crystal popping off under pressure.
A perfect fit
Personally, I found the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver comfortable to wear. Certainly, the bracelet proved one of the main contributory factors to the watch’s pampering wrist-fit.
The three-rows bracelet readily flexes around the arm, while the folding clasp, again made of Grade 5 Titanium, is equipped with a fine adjustment system. Simply squeeze the two cylindrical projections, one positioned on either side of the clasp, and the bracelet can be altered to suit. Again, this feature proves particularly useful when diving underwater as the diameter of the wrist will alter as the depth of the water changes.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver – Calibre TH30-00
Despite equipping some models with its excellent in-house Calibre Heuer 02 movement, TAG Heuer has chosen to endow the Superdiver with a movement from Kenissi Manufacture SA. The specialist firm is based in Le Locle and was tasked with making the automatic calibre TH30-00 to ‘TAG Heuer’s exacting specifications’.
Firstly, the movement is COSC certified, providing independent assurance that the calibre TH30-00 will deliver a high degree of precision.
As divers’ watch convention dictates, the movement is hidden behind a solid caseback. Based on the brand’s images, the movement appears contemporary. The oscillating weight is partially openworked and its stylised appearance is inspired by the TAG Heuer logo. Furthermore, the movement eschews the traditional Côtes de Genève stripes widely employed throughout the watch industry. Instead, it is suffused with a contemporary sandblasted treatment.
Interestingly, TAG Heuer states ‘the arrival of the calibre TH30-00 within the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver is also the start of a long-term collaboration between TAG Heuer and Kenissi…’. Based on first impressions, I can see why the two firms have chosen to work together.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver – closing thoughts
In my opinion, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver is a fabulous watch. Its capacity to function at incredible depths is admirable, however, I suspect this will be rarely tested by most owners.
However, what I learnt from my time with the Superdiver is that many of the qualities it possesses for underwater use are equally valid on dry land. Indeed, legibility, robustness and precision are just three of the attributes that make this watch ideal for daily wear. The 5-year international warranty is also relevant whether you typically wear a wetsuit or a lounge suit.
So, returning to my introduction. Is the Superdiver over-engineered? Undoubtedly, and that’s why I love it. It’s the horological equivalent of the 190E – high praise indeed.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver
- Reference: WBP5A8A.BF0619
- Case: Grade 5 titanium; diameter 45 mm; water resistance 100 ATM (1000 metres); sapphire crystal to front; solid caseback.
- Functions: Hours; minutes; centre seconds; date
- Movement: Calibre TH30-00; automatic movement; frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz); power reserve 70 hours.
- Strap: Grade 5 titanium 3 rows bracelet with folding clasp with double safety push-buttons and fine adjustment system
- Price: £5,500 (RRP as of 27.9.2023)