TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT Watch Review
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT builds on the success of the updated ‘regular’ Aquaracer, released in 2021. However, this model is also equipped with a dual-time function, a useful complication when on dry land. Mark McArthur-Christie, in his own unique style, examines this creation from the Swiss avant-garde brand.
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer – ‘ a belter of a watch’
Parties must be vexing for the Aquaracer brand manager.
“Hi – so what do you do?”
“I’m in watches. With TAG Heuer in Chaux-de-Fonds, actually.”
“No way! How cool is that? What do you work on? The Monaco? The Carrera? LOVE what you did with the Autavia flyback – amazing!”
“Ah. Yeah. Ta. They’re actually not mine – I look after the Aquaracer.”
SFX: tumbleweed
It’s so unfair. The Aquaracer is a belter of a watch. OK, so it doesn’t have the depth of Heuer history that the Monaco, Autavia and Carrera share but so what? The LC500 Lexus doesn’t have the heritage of a Ferrari 250GTO, but you’d be delighted to rag it to Marseilles and back, wouldn’t you?
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT – ticks all the boxes
The problem with the Aquaracer, if it really is one, is that it does everything well rather than being a dedicated diving watch/sailing watch/racing chronograph/aviation watch. Need something understated to wear every day without attracting the wrong sort of attention? Tick. Want to take a watch on holiday that’ll do everything? Tick. Want to double up your diving computer with a proper watch? Tick. You get the idea. And now you can add a tick for ‘travel wherever you like and know the time somewhere else’ with this new GMT.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT – the famous TAG Heuer Six Features
The new Aquaracer 300 also ticks the boxes for the famous TAG Heuer Six Features, established right back at the start to put clear blue water between the new and old incarnations of the firm:
- Sapphire crystal
- Water-resistant to 200m
- Unidirectional bezel
- Screw-in crown
- Luminous markings
- Double safety clasp
In fact, it improves on them.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT – water-resistant to 300 m
Now, the more enquiring Escapement reader (that’ll be you) will already be thinking, “So why’s this one called the ‘Professional 300’, then?” It’s because TAG Heuer is overdelivering; the new watch is quite happy down to 300 m, which is ten times deeper than most divers even venture. We like a bit of over-engineering. A watch that’ll survive 300m of water pressure needs to be built like a bathysphere. Practically, it means that no matter how deep you’re swimming or where you’re doing it, your watch will be just fine. It’ll be equally happy whatever you choose to do with it on dry land too.
That’s all down to the case and crystal. This one is 43 mm, brushed stainless steel with polished chamfers and a crown guard with shoulders that wouldn’t look out of place on a boxer. The crown screws down to take refuge behind those guards and the dial is protected with a thick sapphire crystal. The stainless steel bracelet (should you opt for it over the rather fetching blue rubber strap) is likewise brushed but with polished edges.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT – a caseback adorned with a helmet
The caseback features the now traditional scaphander suit helmet that’s been there since 2004, just in case the bezel didn’t give it away that this is a watch you can dive with. Neatly, the helmet always lines up now because of the clever caseback alignment system. TAG Heuer has always made solid casebacks and this one is no exception.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT – hexaphobic types, look away
While we’re on the subject, don’t get yourself a Professional 300 if you’re hexaphobic. That caseback has more hexagons than the ceiling in a 1970s home counties shopping centre. There are four on the caseback helmet alone – even the faceplate is a hexagon – and the whole thing sits on a background of hexagons.
Turning the watch over, and dodecaphobes look away now; the new bezel has twelve sides (as does the outer face of the crown, if you check closely). It’s all satisfyingly geometric.
A bi-directional rotating ceramic bezel
This really isn’t a watch you’ll need to worry about – the bezel is ceramic so unless you deliberately go out to give it a beasting you won’t scratch it and it won’t fade under UV and wear. The ceramic is cast in two colours – blue for night and white for day, starting at 6 pm and 6 am respectively, then the numerals are filled with a contrasting colour to their backgrounds. There’s a neat detail touch in the way the 18 and 6 numerals break in the middle with a contrasting colour in each half. It’s a bi-directional bezel rather than the usual unidirectional, but it’s got enough resistance that you won’t move it by accident.
Take a look at the dial. Find us a clearer, simpler-to-read dial on a do-anything watch. We’ll wait. There’s only white, blue and yellow to see. The blue background with horizontal lines picks up the blue of the bezel but look a bit closer and you’ll see it’s a sunray dial. The yellow on the GMT hand stands out without being either stark or too dull and matches with the tip of the centre seconds. But there’s still plenty of interest. Those hour markers? More hexagons, apart from the cardinal points of 12, 3, 6 and 9. The lume – unlike some earlier Aquaracers – is a uniform green apart from the bezel triangle at 12 that uses an electric blue.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT – Calibre 7 Automatic GMT
The movement for this new watch is the COSC-rated, self-winding Calibre 7, a splendid reminder that just because something is functional it doesn’t have to be ugly. If you’re familiar with the ETA 2892-A2 you may recognise its ancestry, but TAG Heuer certainly hasn’t spared the decoration with a combination of engine turning and snailing on the plates with Côtes de Genève on the rotor. The whole plot has a general air of solidity; a sort of Mercedes W124 of movements. Practically, it runs at a brisk 28,800 beats per hour (4 Hz) and will keep doing so for at least 42 hours. But this isn’t a watch you’ll take off often. It’s the sort that becomes a faithful companion that, after a while, gets you wondering when you last wore anything else.
Speaking as an owner
In terms of straps and bracelets, you have a choice. TAG Heuer has always done cracking good bracelets. On my wrist at the moment is a seriously well-used 1996 2000 Professional Series (part of this watch’s genetic fossil record) that’s been worn through stripping and rebuilding motorcycle engines (and falling off the resulting motorcycle), racket sports, running, diving and just being thoroughly mistreated. The bracelet is as tight and sound as it was the day it emerged, unsuspecting, from its box. The bracelet on the 300 is much more advanced (the safety push buttons and fine adjustment are certainly an improvement) but just as solid and likely to stay that way. The matching blue rubber strap looks equally well made and is able to cope with whatever you throw at it.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT – closing thoughts
In fact, going back to my old 2000, it shows just what a watch like this new Aquaracer is for; everything. It’s a watch you can wear no matter what you’re doing but, crucially, wear without worrying. It’s not ostentatious or flashy, it’s just well-designed, it’s simple to read at a glance and pleasing to look at. Not only is the case a proper, solid steel slab but the movement inside is robust, tested and reliable. And you can wear it with confidence to parties.
Further reading
Technical specifications
- Model: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT
- Reference: WBP2010.BA0632 (bracelet) / WBP2010.FT6198 (strap)
- Case: steel, diameter 43 mm, water resistance 30 ATM (300 metres), sapphire crystal to front; solid caseback.
- Functions: Hours, minutes, centre seconds, date, GMT
- Movement: Calibre 7, automatic movement, frequency 28,800 vph (4 Hz), power reserve 50 hours.
- Strap: Steel 3-rows bracelet or blue rubber strap. Steel folding clasp with double safety push-buttons and fine adjustment system or blue rubber strap
- Price: £3,400 for steel bracelet (RRP as of 21.10.2023)
- Price: £3,200 for steel bracelet (RRP as of 21.10.2023)