Find the perfect timepiece at TAG Heuer’s new stores

Congratulations to the local TAG Heuer team on their boutiques in Joburg and Cape Town, which re-opened recently revealing spanking new state-of-the-art interiors befitting the sports-focused watch brand. At its new location in the Sandton Mall, the African flagship store, with its Italian-designed fittings and furnishings in soft grey tones and accents of TAG red, is one of the largest in the world. Pop in for a complimentary tumbler of whisky or a coffee in the lounge while they tempt you with the “Christmas spread”, including the exclusive Monaco customisation by Bamford, London.  

Their space in the V&A Mall in Cape Town opened in the charming company of Blitzboks captain Philip Snyman 48 hours before the HSBC World Sevens kickoff. Fast, furious and tons of fun, the weekend, alas, was over quicker than the team could limp off the field.

Die-hard supporters will, however, still be clamouring to acquire one of the remaining dozen 41mm TAG Heuer Aquaracer “Springbok”, limited to an edition of only 100 pieces worldwide. Its bold and robust steel-on-steel diver aesthetic is elegantly updated through a Springbok-green unidirectional bezel, black dial and gold-edged indices and hands. Featuring the highly reliable TAG quartz movement, it is also water resistant to 300m.

You’d be cutting an even finer figure with the stealth Carbon Aquaracer as you hit the surf this season. Black is the new gold, with hi-tech ceramic, carbon fibre and rubber not only lighter and more durable but offering a slightly more discrete aesthetic. This one is carbon-coloured in finish only, though, featuring a lightweight, sandblasted titanium-black, PVD-coated case and bezel and a black printed-carbon pattern dial with rose-gold edged luminescent indexes and tinted date window.

The Carbon Aquaracer, with its black nylon strap, is extremely comfortable on the wrist but all the black-on-black might not be for traditional divers who demand excellent visibility – especially in the deep end of the pond. Powered by an automatic Caliber 5 movement (based on the ETA 2824-2) it is, however, a perfectly hard-wearing, on-trend tool watch to accompany your suitably active modern lifestyle, whether in Brioni or board shorts. Also available with yellow or blue accents and matching topstitched nylon straps.

Johannesburg: TAG Heuer Sandton City, Shop U11, Upper Level, 011-784-7422. Cape Town: TAG Heuer V&A Waterfront, Shop U6247, Upper Level, 021-421-8539.