TAG Unveils a New Aquaracer GMT in With an Impressive Blue Dial

Stainless steel sports watches, you might have heard, are having a bit of a moment. Every brand, at every price point, seems to be pumping out sporty slabs of shiny steel at a record clip to meet demand. If this is a trend, it’s been going on for a long time and shows no sign of slowing down, at least based on new product announcements that we see coming in from brands both large and small. Exhibit A (though definitely not actually the first): the new TAG Heuer Aquaracer GMT. This checks not only the stainless steel sports box, but also hits the mark on what’s currently the most sought after mechanical complication, and it does so in a colorway that is itself in extremely high demand.

TAG Heuer Aquaracer GMT 

• Case Material: Stainless steel
• Dial: Blue
• Dimensions: 43mm 
• Crystal: Sapphire     
• Water Resistance: 300 meters 
• Crown: Screw down               
• Movement: Calibre 7 Automatic GMT
• Strap/bracelet: Stainless steel bracelet
• Price: $3,050
• Reference Number: WAY201T.BA0927
• Expected Release: Available now 

It seems silly not to mention it, so we’ll spare the dancing around the subject of what this watch resembles, at least on the surface. The Rolex GMT Master II with a ceramic bezel in black and blue has become a modern classic in near record time, selling out all over the world, first on an Oyster bracelet, and now on a Jubilee (and an updated movement). Now, Rolex doesn’t own the blue and black look, known to many as the “Batman” color scheme, but if you consume even a little bit of watch media on a regular basis, TAG knows that you’re going to think of the GMT when you see their new Aquaracer with such a similar configuration. 

The Aquaracer GMT, however, is no homage. This is TAG’s entry level sports watch, and it offers a clean and modern look with a solid movement at a fair price in the world of Swiss made sports watches. It’s also not the kind of thing that you’ll need to jump on a years long waiting list to procure. 

While black and blue bezel might be the initial draw for some, it’s the dial that ties the Aquaracer GMT together and gives the watch its own unique personality. It’s a brilliant shade of blue with a very subtle gradient effect, and fine ridges running across the dial horizontally. There’s a lot of color and texture here, something that can’t be said of the Batman. 

The case is also very much its own thing. At 43mm, this is not a small watch by any means, but the Aquaracer has some fairly dramatic curves and narrows quite a bit from the midcase to the lugs, making it look sleeker than watches normally do at this size. Powering the Aquaracer GMT is the Calibre 7 Automatic GMT movement, with a power reserve of 46 hours and an independently set GMT hand.

Priced at $3,050, the Aquaracer GMT is priced well below many of the most sought after stainless steel sports watches on the market right now, but this doesn’t need to be thought of a substitute or placeholder. While modern TAG designs don’t often get a ton of love from watch heads, the Aquaracer has a certain humble charm to it that I think is really appealing, and the dial work here punches well above its weight class. TAG Heuer