ON THE WRIST: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 200 Professional Calibre 5 Watch

 

WBP2111.BA0627

TAG Heuer Boutique / Beaverbrooks, Milton Keynes, 5th March 2022

What with the release of the Swatch x Omega Moonswatch last week and also Watches & Wonders hitting us hard with all sorts of amazing new releases (who saw that left handed green and black Rolex GMT Master II coming?) it kind of feels like the 40mm 200 Professional Aquaracers are slightly old news already... but of course nothing stays 'new' very long; no doubt in a few weeks time something else will be the 'most talked about thing since the internet started'. Besides, a good watch is a good watch regardless of whether it's trending on Instagram or not, and in any case it certainly wouldn't colour my opinion much, so lets take a closer look...

I took this photo on my phone while I was in the boutique (something I don't enjoy doing much I have to say, but 'needs-must' I guess). I think the first thing to notice is that the blue fumé dial is a good bit darker than we were led to believe by the publicity shots. This seems to be something of a recurring them with recent TAG Heuer watches, beginning with the green dial Monaco released last year, which turned out to be more of a 'green tinted if you can get the light to hit it right' kinda deal.

This isn't as difficult to see as that, but I can imagine some people being slightly disappointed with how dark this dial is. Personally I think TAG Heuer probably have it about right; while it might initially provoke a twinge of disappointment, I can imagine a long term owner might appreciate a little more subtlety in the execution of the dial.

The polished centre link (or PLC as I've seen it referred to in the THF forum recently) is something else which will probably divide opinion. As it happens I already have an older model Aquaracer with a similar PLC so it didn't massively bother me, but I have to say that if I had a choice I think I would have preferred it to be brushed. With the polished centre link this does strike a little 'showy' which is slightly at odds with the Aquaracer's 'tool watch' aesthetic. But then again, perhaps we are kidding ourselves with the persistent idea that any nigh on £2000 watch is really a 'tool' in 2022?

Seeing this in the flesh certainly reinforced my preference for the hour markers on the 200 Professional over the slightly odd octagons featured on the larger model. This retains a more classic Aquaracer vibe to me, though it's slightly annoying that the two models are so disparate in their design. Maybe it's a cunning plot to make you buy both? 

Regardless it's a little bit frustrating that you have to make so many choices (some might even say sacrifices) when deciding between the two. Maybe in time TAG Heuer will diversify with ceramic bezel 40mm Aquaracers and maybe even steel bezel 43mm models. But while you might well prefer the smaller size and the more classic style hour markers (and the no cyclops date) achieving all that in one watch means sacrificing the new 'glide-lock' style clasp. Honestly though, I struggle to imagine the 43mm Aquaracer with this style of steel bezel. It appears so flat and... well, broad that in 43mm I really think it might be too much unbroken steel in one plane. 

Even on the 40mm I think it's the one element that turns me off this watch. When I first saw photos it kind of reminded me of the classic 3000 Series bezel, but the steel three handed 3000s were only 37mm, blown up and flattened out as this is (and sans the slightly comedic ball-bearing grippers) it just looks a little odd. And I can imagine ultimately there's money to be made selling replacement bezels because brushing or no brushing (and just like on the steel 3000 bezel) these will scratch and it will look horrible.

On the wrist the watch is a crowd pleasing size, perhaps a touch small for my tastes (for a new watch) but perhaps more amenable to many than the admittedly chunky 43mm versions. The bracelet seems nice enough, despite the polished centre link, but knowing that its big brother features a much better clasp remains a sticking point.

I know I am beginning to sound like a broken record, but the price delta between the 40 and 43mm models doesn't seem to reflect the relative merits. Granted a lot of people will prefer the smaller size, and the fumé dials will surely tempt some in through the jewellers door, but I can't help but feel that choosing either model is just that little bit too much of a compromise, which is not the ideal feeling when you are shelling out just under or just over £2000...