TAG Heuer Releases A Refined Take On An Everyday Diver With The Aquaracer Professional 200

TAG Heuer returned to dive watch relevancy last year, relaunching the Aquaracer 300 in a modernized 43mm case and upgraded materials, as well as a newly designed dial. The lineup of dive watches from TAG Heuer may not speak as strongly as other brands with a deeper rooted dive watch heritage, but as a one time  Aquaracer owner about a decade ago, I personally can say there was something significant about owning a legitimate tool watch from a brand with a pedigree like TAG’s, and at an attainable price point. Regrettably, my Aquaracer is no longer a part of the collection, but when news of the Aquaracer’s relaunch broke last April, I was pleasantly surprised and intrigued by the release. Today, TAG Heuer looks to build on that momentum during LVMH watch week with the announcement of their 40mm Aquaracer Professional 200, keeping all of the modern upgrades packaged into a refined and compact watch that will most certainly appeal to the masses.

The Aquaracer Professional 200 looks fairly straight forward at a glance, but the subtle (and not so subtle) differences from the Aquaracer 300 stray away from the traditional diver layout and make for a watch that is understated and elevated. First off, the Aquaracer 200 sports a 12-sided steel bezel insert sans the hash marks, visually balancing out the bezel. The multi-faceted bezel allows for an easier rotation and the combination of the bezel’s engraved markers, brushed finishing and polished edge are handsomely executed.

TAG Heuer has found the sweet spot when it comes to case sizing with the Aquaracer Professional 200. The case is a welcomed 40mm wide and 11mm thick. The shorter lugs, combined with the reduction in case size and a slimmer steel bracelet with a 7mm micro-adjust should make for a comfortable feeling on wrist and will most certainly speak to a wider audience. The addition of the 40mm Aquaracer Professional 200 fits in perfectly within the current catalog of Aquaracers, which now provides a variety of size options throughout their current range which include the Aquaracer 300 at 43mm and 36mm.

The dial has its own refinements. The Aquaracer 200 still has the distinct shutter dial and SuperLuminova lumed hands and markers, but the hands have slimmed down to a baton handset and TAG Heuer has opted to remove the date magnifier at six o’clock, another welcomed design touch in my opinion. Gone are the octagonal hour plots and traditional diver layout, and replaced with an arrangement of trapezoidal markers with polished surrounds encircling the dial.

The new 40mm Aquaracer 200 comes in four different dial colors in total, split across two movement types. Equipped with the Calibre 5 Automatic (ETA 2824-2) movement, the Aquaracer 200 comes in black or blue with a fumé dial. The other pair of 40mm Aquaracer 200s use a quartz movement and come in a solid black or silver dial. It’s worth noting that the quartz versions lose the date entirely, further paring the Aquaracer down to a no-nonsense time only diver.

From the new case size to the restrained touches, the Aquaracer 200 balances nicely between old and new, and is very reminiscent of the Aquaracer I used to own. Although it may take away from the refined look TAG Heuer is going for, I feel that a fully brushed stainless steel bracelet with some lume on the bezel in this current iteration would check all of the boxes for me. Regardless, TAG Heuer is headed in the right direction, and this release adds to the list of everyday dive watches that offer a strong value proposition.

The TAG Heuer 40mm Aquaracer Professional 200 Automatic retails for $2,500 and the 40mm Aquaracer Professional 200 Quartz for $1,850. The entire TAG Heuer Aquaracer 200 collection (including new references in a 30mm case size with a range of dial colors) is currently available. For more information, head on over to their website. TAG Heuer