SPOTLIGHT ON: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Regatta Calibre S

CAF7111.BA0803

My affection for the Calibre S movement is well documented on these pages, but (as I found out when I tried on the SLR lap-timer a little while ago) not all Calibre S movements are quite the same. And so it is with this 'Regatta' version, which features a countdown timer as part of the mechanism - should you ever feel the need to time an egg, or indeed start a yacht race!

Let's be honest, very few of us need a countdown Regatta timer, but it's a fun thing to have on your wrist and takes the fiddle-factor of the original Calibre S to the next level. I find these particular Aquaracer's to be quite nice looking, but when I've tried on the standard (non Regatta) versions I've found them to be very... I can't quite think of the words, they are a bit 'pebbley'.

What on Earth does that mean I hear you say?

Pebbley, smooth... the bezel slopes and somehow gives the watch a very ergonomic feel, which I can imagine some people finding appealing, but to me it leaves the watch a little characterless case wise. The watches are also quite thin, which again some people like, but I find they feel a little insubstantial on the wrist and I seem to remember being singularly unimpressed with the clasp, which really looks like it belongs on the most entry-level of Formula 1s, not a £3000+ Aquaracer.

The party trick of the Regatta Calibre S is that it gives you a ten minute countdown timer, which then starts the chronograph function to time your yacht race, I have posted a video showing this in the past and there's no denying that it's very cool. Pretty pointless for 99% of the people who are going to buy them, but then so are chronographs and everybody loves a chronograph!

This watch comes in anthracite, blue and also in a limited edition 'China Team' version with a quarter section of the bezel coloured red, which looks quite nice - these are still available in the outlets, I know Bicester Village has one (unless they've sold it very recently) but they aren't cheap by any means. Personally I think I'll stick with my yellow dial standard Calibre S, I much prefer the case style and it's relative chunkiness compared to this more svelte model.