TAG Heuer’s new Aquaracer Professional 300.
TAG Heuer’s new Aquaracer Professional 300.
Image: Supplied

Whether you prefer sporting something the size of a mantel clock or a timepiece with a more petite dial, it is entirely your prerogative what you wear on your wrist. It is refreshing though to see that brands are slowly dropping traditional gender classifications of new releases, but it would appear that 2021 is the year for women, with smaller, vintage sizing becoming prevalent among the luxury novelties.

TAG Heuer’s new Aquaracer Professional 300 is a case in point with its sporty design features making even the 36mm model masculine enough for a smaller male wrist. There are of course larger 43mm references if you’d prefer to make a bolder statement. The growing secondary market has no doubt prompted the release of vintage-inspired collections, and this year is no exception with the ’60s and ’70s being a particular focus. Instantly recognisable, this evolution of the Aquaracer takes many of its design cues from the “Ref 844”, Heuer’s first diver’s watch introduced in 1978. 

All models feature a new uni-directional rotating bezel with polished ceramic insert, a thinner case, screw-down crown, and new bracelet. Carried over from its predecessor, the reliable, Cosc-certified Calibre 5 automatic movement has a power reserve of around 38 hours. The date window shifts from its previous position at 3 o’clock to 6 o’clock on new watches, and features an integrated magnifier in the sapphire glass.

The 12-facetted bezel has an updated silhouette, which informed other design elements such as the octagonal hour markers and the 12-sided crown. Crown guards are slimmer but more pronounced. While these all-terrain luxury sports watches are more elegant, they are made even more robust for everyday use. Ready for any adventure, they are water-resistant to 300m.

An Aquaracer will look good with any attire in the urban jungle or on the wildest of our coastlines. Each of the references features a new integrated metal-bracelet design with a fine-adjustment system that can extend or reduce the bracelet length by up to 15mm. This means it can be adjusted to be worn over a wetsuit without taking the watch off.

Apart from sizing, a distinguishing feature of the three 36mm-stainless-steel models is the wave-pattern engraving on their dials — hinting at intended purpose and pursuits. Options include a white dial with black bezel, a black-on-black, and a blue-on-blue model with eight diamond hour markers and polished central bracelet links.

For more information, visit tagheuer.com or call TAG Heuer Boutique on 021 421 8539, 011 784 7422, 031 566 4452

 From the August edition of Wanted, 2021.

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