ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Calibre 16 Chronograph

CAY211A.FC6361

TAG Heuer Boutique / Bicester Village, 19th April 2021

Our Swedish friend (and occasional contributor) Jim Dollares said something to me the other day that hit a nerve... 'Time is running out for us to buy a WAY/CAY Aquaracer'. Now you might think that was rather a dramatic statement, after all it's not like the existing WAY/CAY Aquaracers are going to disappear off the face of the Earth just because they've been discontinued... but what Jim really meant by that was 'No way am I ever going to buy a pre-owned WAY/CAY Aquaracer when we know the fakes are almost impossible to spot'.... and I absolutely 100% agree.

Modern fake watches are getting ridiculously hard to spot, it's not even a case of needing an original side by side with the watch you are appraising to compare, now it's more like you need to dismantle the watch and measure every single component and the WAY/CAY Aquaracers seem to be the fakers' favourite. Gone are the days of judging by a movement photo, these days the fakers are buying the same movements as the Swiss companies are buying, so no, I'm damned sure I won't be buying a pre-owned WAY/CAY Aquaracer either because I don't know who to trust to verify that it's real. How closely do companies like Watchfinder really look at the watches in this price range? I just don't know...

So yes, time is genuinely running out and with the WAY/CAY Aquaracers already having left the retail stores if you want to get yourself a nice piece (with absolute peace of mind) the best place to look is one of the outlet stores like Bicester Village or Cheshire Oaks here in the UK. On my recent visit to Bicester I spied at least four WAY/CAY Aquaracers; this steel Calibre 16, the black PVD version of the same, the black PVD Calibre 5 and a 41mm, steel/white dial Calibre 5 model (and actually there was a bunch of two tone models as well now I think about it...). There may have been more and they may get more in, but in general Aquaracers sell very quickly when they hit the outlets so you'd be advised to call before making a long journey.

Normally I would have gravitated towards the black PVD version of this one, but because I knew I had already tried that one on and written about it previously I thought maybe it would be fun to try the steel version for a change. I guess they both have their strengths and weaknesses, obviously the steel version is a little heavier and the case can be polished if you scratch it, but for me the black case gives a more complete look with the black bezel and black textile strap.

This one is nice enough though, as long as you have a wrist capable of coping with a 43mm diameter (luckily I do) and the steel finish certainly gives this one a completely different aesthetic. The yellow detailing is always a nice feature, but again for my money it doesn't seem to have quite the same impact here as it does on the full black version. Needless to say the lume on those big, wide hands is impressive and there's certainly no question marks when it comes to legibility with this one.

The caseback carries the classic diver's helmet (I do not like what they've done to that with the new Aquaracer I'm afraid) and the yellow backing on the strap is a cool touch. When they launched these Aquaracers I wasn't really convinced by these textile straps, but having owned one for almost two years now I have to say I am a convert. They look pretty cool, certainly a cut above a rubber strap (although I do love me a rubber strap) but if the one on my WAY208C is anything to go by they are not cheap to replace, so you'd better look after it! These straps come with a double push-button deployment clasp with the TAG Heuer logo engraved deeply into the steel buckle which also enhances the quality feeling of this entire piece.

Even if we leave aside the issue of high quality fakes for a moment, with these models now discontinued TAG Heuer no longer have an automatic chronograph diver in their range and I don't believe they are going to have one any time soon. Perhaps they may re-introduce a Calibre 16 Aquaracer at some point, but it doesn't seem to me that there are any plans to launch a Heuer 02 model. In fact it seems very much like the Aquaracer is being firmly repositioned as more of a pure dive watch with three hands. Yes, for the moment they are still showing a couple of quartz chronographs on the website (including the super sexy CAY1110), but I do wonder how much longer these will be available.

So again, if this is your bag, maybe now is the time to take the plunge... this one is currently in stock at Bicester Village priced at £1750 reduced from £2895 and now that the store is open again you can contact them seven days a week on (01869) 249008 to check stock or arrange a UK wide delivery.