Editor’s Note: Need a quick watch fix? This preview of the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 is a GET TO THE POINT (GTTP) review with all the info you want / need to know QUICK. For our actual hands-on reviews, please head to the dedicated section here. Now let’s get to the point.
What Is It
The new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 continues the Aquaracer Professional Series’ phoenix moment that saw first developments last year with the rebirth of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 5 Professional 300 collection.
The brand offers something for everyone: two case sizes in 40mm and 30mm for the men and ladies, automatic and quartz movements for watch nerds and seekers of practicality, diver ready 200m water-resistance and desk diver time-measuring compatibility with a a uni-directional rotating bezel (with twelve facets), and the incorporation of in-trend fume dials.
With a sturdy bracelet and the brand’s heritage for it to stand tall on, the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 collection presents those with active lifestyles with reliable timepieces and a tasteful hint of elegance blended with the base of sturdy tool watch characteristics.
Basic Specifications of the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200
- The date versions ref. WBP2110.BA0627 in black and ref. WBP2111.BA0627 in blue with the Calibre 5 automatic movement and 40mm x 11mm finely brushed & polished steel case retailing for 4’000 AUD
- The date versions ref. WBP2410.BA0622 in black and ref. WBP2411.BA0622 in blue with Calibre 9 automatic movement and 30mm diameter retailing for 4’900 AUD
- The no-date versions ref. WBP1110.BA0627 in black and ref. WBP1111.BA0627 in silver with a quartz movement and 40mm x 11mm steel case retailing for 2’950 AUD
- 5 more quartz no-date ladies timepieces with various dial options, all 30mm in diameter
- 200m water-resistance
- Announced as part of the third edition of the LVMH Watch Week 2022 (January 24 – 28, 2022).
The Men’s Variant Movement
The new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 feature the same movement as that of last year’s Professional 300 collection, the TAG Heuer Calibre 5.
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 collection on launch retailed between 2’650 to 4’250 AUD (depending upon the model with the Night Diver retailing in Australia for 4’800 AUD). All these feature the same TAG Heuer Calibre 5 which is an automatic movement based on either the ETA 2824-2 or the Sellita SW200-1.
The 26mm diameter movement offers a low power reserve of only 38-hours, beats at the standard frequency of 4Hz, contains 25 or 26 jewels (depending on ETA or Sellita base), and should feature Côtes de Genève decoration on the rotor.
How Does The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional Do
In design, the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 for men pretty much follows the same codes as that of the 300 series, with only a few subtle differences.
Most remarkably, on the dial, the ‘cyclops’ style date has been changed to a standard date aperture at 6. The shape of the straight-edged, trapezoidal appliqué indices is also different from the octagonal hour markers. And the bezel is steel overall rather than featuring a ceramic insert.
But as a whole, from the dial’s horizontal engraved lines to the 12-sided bezel, from the sculpted, chamfered, shorter lugs with brushed and polished finishes to inclusion of a three-link bracelet, the aesthetic is thankfully very identifiably TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional.
And that’s a good thing; with the very identifiable Monaco and Carrera design languages, it is better for the brand to have an entry-level collection that’s immediately identifiable.
These are a solid offering from the brand, and the plethora of variations ensures there is something for everybody. These also retain the legacy of the 2004’s Aquaracer family’s six design codes: a uni-directional rotating bezel; a screw-down crown; water resistance to at least 200 metres; luminous markings; a sapphire crystal; and a double safety clasp.
“If you look at the Aquaracer Professional 200, you can see our intention to create an everyday watch that still has the tool watch look that TAG Heuer lovers came to expect from the icons of the past, such as the Reference 844, 1000 and 2000 Series models. It’s an evolution of all this history.”
Guy Bove, TAG Heuer’s Creative Director
I also like that for a generic movement, TAG Heuer didn’t go for a display case-back but rather opted for a closed back with an engraved compass that replaces the diving helmet (that has been featured on Aquaracer case backs (and its predecessors) since 2002).
The most enticing aspect is the 40mm diameter. Now given I haven’t handled these in person yet and don’t know the lug-to-lug spacing, it’s hard to say how these will fit my rather slim ~16cm wrists, but that daintier diameter is surely welcome.
The fume dials may not be for everyone but the blue one seems quite versatile. The inclusion of a somewhat matched date wheel is another feature I respect.
There is far too much text on the dial though, and the low 38-hour power reserve is kind of a drawback for me personally.
That’s All Folks!
Compared to a number of micro and smaller brands out there, especially when considering the movement used, it faces stiff competition. But to give credit where due, I can see the right mix of 80s/90s TAG vibes and modern deign cues. I also like how for a luxury Swiss watch under 5k it ticks a number of boxes.
The new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 is an excellent point of entry into the world of luxury watches in general and TAG Heuer in particular.
To find out more about the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 200 and other TAG Heuer watches, please head to their website here. All images unless otherwise specified are © TAG Heuer Brand of LVMH Swiss Manufactures SA – 2022.
