WBP2111.BA0627 WBP2110.BA0627 WBP1111.BA0627 WBP1110.BA0627
As you are no doubt aware, last year saw the release of the new, upgraded Aquaracer and rather unusually TAG Heuer took the decision to release it first in 43mm and 36mm variants (with the smaller of the two marketed as a women's watch and indeed featuring the 'wave' dial pattern previously only found on women's watches). Predictably this caused some grumbling on the Calibre 11 forum (surely not!) about the fact that the men's option was simply too big for many people to feel comfortable wearing it.
But with the previous generation of 41mm Aquaracers an absolute stalwart of the jewellers' window it would have been crazy for TAG Heuer to leave this gap in their range indefinitely and so it was inevitable that sooner or later a 'midsize' (if we can call 40mm 'midsize') model would be made available for the more conservative, or smaller wristed buyer.
And here it is. Albeit rather than a carbon copy of the larger model that you might have expected, here we have something quite aesthetically different. The obvious first point of contrast is of course the steel bezel (rather than ceramic found on the 300 Pro) and, on the automatic models at least, a rather nifty fumé dial.
And while we are on the subject of dials, the quartz Aquaracer now gets a slatted dial, something always previously reserved for the automatic models. Presumably now that we have the stylish dégradé dial for the Calibre 5 models that is enough of a point of difference to pass down the plain slats to the quartz pieces; something that I very much approve of incidentally as I always wanted a white dial WBD1111 quartz Aquaracer but was put off by the plain dial.
So what else sets the new 200 Professional apart from the 300 Professional? Well, the first clue is in the name with the newer model having a reduced water resistance rating of 200M instead of 300M. While this may offend some Aquaracer devotees, to be completely honest with you this does not bother me one jot as I never even get mine wet, and even with 200M of water resistance you can swim without fear of leaks as anything over 100M is quite sufficient for regular swimming. As a result of this though TAG Heuer have removed the dive helmet from the back of the watch and replaced it with a compass motif, repositioning this as a kind of 'water-cum-adventure' timepiece instead of the dedicated 'dive watch' it has always previously been.
Both the quartz and the automatic models share the same three link bracelet and having seen the black dial quartz model in a window a couple of days ago, the thing that really stood out about the watch to me was the bracelet... and more to the point the very large and VERY shiny centre link. I think, really, for a tool watch some people might find that a bit of a sticking point, because leaving aside the watches' tool credentials, even if you just wear this to your office job the 'desk-rash' to that central link is going to be irritating.
It remains to be seen whether we will see 43mm steel dial and 40mm ceramic dial models in the future, but for now I quite like that there are two fairly distinct models available in the Aquaracer range. The new steel bezel definitely has shades of the old 3000 Series about it (a model that I am enormously fond of) though thankfully they haven't brought back the black steel ball bearings around the edge. I mean, I like them on my 3000s, but they are a bit too 1980s to cut the mustard here in 2022 I think...
So if we ignore the bracelet and it's polished centre link (which in truth is not the first time we've seen this on an Aquaracer), how does the 200 Professional stack up against it's larger sibling? Well, in all honesty... not that well. Yes a lot of people will prefer the smaller size, and yes some people will prefer the steel bezel over the ceramic (at least until it starts to pick up scratches)... but when you look at what you get on the larger model that you don't get on the smaller version, it's kinda hard to justify the price difference.
For a start, you are giving up 100M of water resistance, which okay probably isn't a great hardship... but you are also giving up the ceramic bezel and indeed the lume on that bezel (the steel one has none - which I believe also means it can't be truly considered a dive watch as I'm pretty sure that is a requirement). On top of that you are also losing the cyclops (yes, I am sure many people will not miss that, but still) and finally for some utterly bizarre reason you also miss out on the new 'glide' clasp that you get on both the 43mm and 36mm versions. This final cut baffles me since surely that is a great selling point...? And when you consider that the automatic 200 Professional retails for £2300 versus £2500 for the 300 Professional, well, I just can't see that as being good value for money in comparison.
But what you do get, at least for now (who knows if the fumé dial will eventually make an appearance on the 43mm pieces), is that eye catching dial, and maybe that will convince some potential purchasers it's worth the sacrifice?
With the quartz pieces now coming in at £1700, albeit without a date complication (which I find a little odd... surely no dates on automatics make more sense?), I think they will sell well. Though personally I am still a little wary of buying a quartz watch that requires the removal of the bezel (and further disassembly) to change the battery. I guess it's only once every 2-3 years, but do I really want to pay someone else £80+ to carry out this simple task? I would much rather they had retained the screw on backplate of old for the quartz models to be completely honest. It may not seem a big deal now, but in 10-15 years when the watch is worth a lot less and the battery runs out every 2 years it will start to seem like a bit of an inconvenience I'm sure...
Well it certainly won't be too long until these are flooding the stores and we can get them on our wrists, but in the meantime let's find out what the Council of Considered Opinion make of these new pieces...
WBP2110.BA0627 (Grey Dial Calibre 5) - 6.9/10
WBP2111.BA0627 (Blue Dial Calibre 5) - 7.1/10
WBP1110.BA0627 (Black Dial Quartz) - 6.4/10
WBP1111.BA0627 (Silver Dial Quartz) - 6.4/10
"I think its nice and fresh take on the Aquaracer series. I don't mind the water resistance rating going down to 200 either. But I'm gonna wait for more interesting colours in the near future."
"Design-wise, I like the fume dials of the grey and blue. I'd say 6 or the grey. 6.5 for the blue. The other two are too conservative and don't stand-out for me. But maybe that'll be the appeal for some buyers. Being quartz, they'll likely be more dependable than the Cal 5 models. 5.5 for those two."
"These are a big step up from the 43mm, the quartz no-date is my firm favourite (who needs a date anyway?), I still don't love the grip teeth on the outside of the bezel but otherwise it's the best so far. I'm not fully convinced about the fume dials on the automatics, score will be adjusted when I've seen one in the metal."
"2/10 for the lot. A very disappointing rehash in my humble opinion."
"I like these- am worried about how scratchable that brushed bezel could be, but other than that it's a winner. Would be an extra point if these ere 39mm instead of 40mm (bit greedy: great to have a 40mm rather than the usual 42/ 43))
Blue and Grey auto: 8.5
Quartz: 7.5
(because I'm a sucker for the degradee dials and the additional line of text on the automatic dial is more balanced)."
"I think these are very nice, best update to a standard model line in years. Provides a good mix of modern & retro, the steel bezel is a throwback to the 3000 series.
Grey Automatic - 8.5
Blue Automatic - 8.0
Black Quartz - 7.5
Silver Quartz - 7.5
*Note, color is a very subjective thing. I've ranked them in order of my own color preference. I rank the Black Quartz higher than the Silver because an all Silver watch is rather bland to me. However, I've scored them equally because they share the same aesthetic attributes."
"I like them all. Very classic look."
"Best of the new Aquaracers so far, but still let down for me personally (and I accept this is personal taste) by a couple of styling elements, and the Calibre 5 movement. Would also have liked to see a ceramic bezel option."
"I agree that these are the best of the Aquaracers currently, even if I like some elements of the 43mm ones. I can see the quartz selling well to newcomers to the brand and watches in general. However the polished centre link and no 'on the fly' adjustment on the bracelets are a downer as is the meagre 38hrs power reserve for its RRP."
"Well designed, very good proportions. I still don’t like the crown but I can live with that. I can see myself picking one of these up as a guilty pleasure.
Grey Automatic: 7,5/10
Blue Automatic: 7/10
Black quartz: 6,5/10
Silver quartz: 6,5/10
Blue is nice but a little obvious. Still no match for the gorgeous blue of my 2000. the grey one is definitely the most interesting. A bit biased as I tend to like grey dials when designed properly.
These are personal scores. From a business perspective I’d probably score them all 8/10, maybe a tad higher for the quartz. I’ll check in with my AD in a little while to check consumer response, but I expect it will be good.
43mm clasp would have added 0,5 but it’s not a deal breaker."
"I think Quartz model need date. But the size is good."
"They get 1 point more than the 43mm because this design is much more coherent and of-a-piece. These look like the proper fun entry-level watches we want in the Aquaracer line-up."
"Grey Dial Auto: I would give this a 8 out of 10. Very nice sunburst effect dial but not sure about the bezel in steel. Blue Dial Auto: I would rate this also 8 out of 10. Again, love the sunburst dial and the blue really pops and looks lovely. Sadly again I just feel the bezel needs something, although not so prominent with this dial I feel. Black Dial Quartz: This I would rate a 7 out of 10. Its a nice watch but just a bit plain. Still a very decent watch. Silver Dial Quartz: I would rate this at 8 out of 10. I like the silver dial, it's nothing special but it is nice. Again though, I can't help but feel the bezel just needs a different colour or finish. That said it does work better with the silver dial in my opinion."
"40mm is a good size. Not too small, not too big. I like the fume dial effect also. Quartz availability is also good. 7 for the blue and black fumes. 6 for the black and whites ones. I just hope the prices aren’t that high. 2300 GBP vs 2500 GBP for the 43mm ceramic bezel / steel 200 GBP difference? It just means TH is implying you get a better deal if you go BIG & CERAMIC (but at least TH gives you options for a smaller one)."
"6/10, price, fiddly bracelet adjustment, and reserve range mark it down, looked at couple of Seiko models today in a lower and similar price range, really felt nicer."
"I have thought a lot about what I think of these new releases. Now I have figured out that these are not dive watches, they are adventure watches filling a former gap in TAG Heuer's catalogue. I like the look a lot and I look forward to see future additions and colours in this line-up. Here are my scores: Blue automatic 9, Black automatic 7, Black quartz 7, Silver quartz 9."
"Too many colours overpowering each other to make a rainbow swirly mishmash. Not a fan at all. Feels like a rehash of the past. where is the creative Avant garde approach ?? Both a 3.5/10 for me."
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