TAG Heuer’s New Aquaracers Have Colorful Tortoiseshell Bezels

TAG Heuer has announced new divers in their Aquaracer line that are geared to summer, with colorful and modern designs. The Aquaracer is TAG’s entry level diver, and features their Caliber 5 movement, which is itself derived from the ETA 2824 and Sellita SW200 (it’s also sold with a quartz movement). While this is certainly not high horology, the Aquaracer has always had a certain aesthetic appeal, and these new watches are certainly style forward if nothing else.

TAG Heuer Aquaracer

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Black
• Dimensions: 43mm
• Crystal: Sapphire         
• Water Resistance: 300 meters                    
• Movement: Caliber 5
• Strap/bracelet: Rubber  
• Price: $2,600
• Reference Number: WAY201N.FT6177, WAY201P.FT6178
• Expected Release: August

The most prominent design element of these watches, and the thing that sets them apart, is the bezel, which is in either a reddish brown or blue tortoiseshell pattern. TAG tells us that this look is inspired by sunlight reflecting off of ocean waves, but as a nearsighted person who has worn glasses as long as he can remember, all I can think of is eyewear. That’s not a bad thing – I quite like tortoiseshell frames, but had never considered that the pattern might be used on a watch. And since this doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that’s likely to inspire a trend (or maybe it is?) I suppose we’re fortunate that these are now an option for anyone who might have never known that all along, all they really needed was a watch to match their Warby Parkers.

The dials on these watches are familiar terrain for recent Aquaracers, employing the same horizontal striping we saw in the blue Aquaracer GMT right here. These dials have a brushed sunray pattern that seems to fit with the casual, summery, and water influenced vibes they’re going for. The rubber strap with an alligator leather pattern also contributes to the general “I’m on a boat!” feeling, but in a way that protects your investment if you should happen to fall overboard. 

The Aquaracer case sits at 43mm in diameter, which is a hefty watch on paper, but should wear pretty light with the rubber strap. The case is also fairly contoured, which makes me think that the watch will remain wearable for most, even if it’s not super discreet. With a tortoiseshell bezel (made from a resin compound, a first for the brand) that doesn’t seem like the point, anyway. TAG Heuer