FIRST IMPRESSIONS: TAG Heuer Aquaracer 'Solargraph' Quartz Watch

 
WBP1114.BA0000

Want a modern 40mm Aquaracer, but you don't want a Calibre 5 inside? Worried your watch snob friends will laugh at you if you buy a conventional battery powered quartz watch? Then the Aquaracer 'Solargraph' could be the answer to your dreams. Initially launched at last year's Watches & Wonders in a carbon case and then added in titanium this January, the Solargraph is now finally available in a conventional stainless steel case. 

And... again, despite this being a 'First Impressions' post this is a watch that I have already seen first hand in the TAG Heuer boutique on Oxford Street (back in June), so I struggle to understand why it is yet to make it onto the official TAG Heuer website. Especially as it is on all the main authorised dealer websites (Watches of Switzerland, Beaverbrooks, Chisolm Hunter, Banks Llyon, etc). Very odd that!

Thoughts? Well... it was a bit underwhelming to be honest. If only because putting it in a steel case has made the watch feel kinda 'regular' and that seems a little disappointing. When it was in carbon and titanium that made it feel extra special, but here honestly it feels a little ho-hum. I actually felt kinda bad because the guys in the boutique brought it out from the back to show me and it just didn't stir anything in me to be honest. It's cheaper for sure, which may be a big plus for a lot of people, but personally I think I would stump up the extra £750 for something which will always be more interesting and collectible. 

Of course this model has the same advantages as the other Solargraph Aquaracers, needing only 3 nano-seconds of light to power it for 100 years* and a fifteen year battery life; not to be sneezed at - especially when you consider how difficult changing batteries in the new quartz Aquaracers is (just in case you fancy trying you have to take the bezel off to get the back off).

*May not be 100% true, but you get the idea.

Of course, it also has the polished centre link bracelet, and (if I remember correctly) the partly polished clasp of the Calibre 5 models. I'm not 100% sure on that though, and I notice the ADs are listing the bracelet part number as BA0000, which means it isn't the BA0627 I expected. It could be because the case is thinner on this so the bracelet isn't quite the same.

I'm afraid I only took one photo of the watch and the internet only seems to have the same render over and over and over again... all very strange. I'm sure Frederic said they would be rolling out the Solargraph across the range earlier in the year, so I imagine we will see more variations of these in due course.

Okay, let's bring in the Council for their say.

7/10: "I’m a bit torn on this, it’s probably the perfect tool watch, if I only wanted one watch to do everything and didn’t own my WAF110, I’d probably buy this. But I still run quite indifferent on the new 40s, I just haven’t fallen in love yet."

5/10: "Middle of a the road."

8/10: "This is a strong 8. Finally a premium looking Solargraph in nicely finished steel."

8/10: "I would have scored this higher if I hadn’t just properly studied the black one at the AD earlier. The carbon and lume entwined bezel on the black is just oh so cool. Looks great with the carbon catching the light and looks even better once you light up that random green bezel lume. Shame they haven’t included that bezel here. I do still think this one is very cool and will make a big splash at the right price I reckon. That’s if people aren’t hung up on it ultimately being Quartz, just because of snobbery."

8/10: "There is no Aquaracer in my collection. But this one may very well become the first!"

6.5/10: "I prefer this to the titanium and black models."

7/10: "For an everyday no nonsense robust tool watch, I’d give it a 7/10."

7/10: "Seems solid. And a worthy follow up to the first edition Solargraph."

7/10: "Nice watch. I prefer the 2023 titanium Solargraph version (which was a 7/10 for me), but giving a 6/10 to this steel version would be a too low score, so it’s also a 7/10."

6/10: "Nothing exciting, competent?"

7/10: "As a complete package I like the titanium and all black versions better and would have preferred a different colour version of one of those."

5.5/10: "A forgotten middle child looking watch. The Titanium version looks very similar, but is cooler. The black dial Quartz version is also quite similar, but is cheaper."

4/10: "Not interesting or particularly fun like both the other Solargraph models are."

6/10: "I think TH need to lean into the ecological aspect of this line. (no battery waste)."

7/10: "I know I loved the Titanium version and this is essentially the same watch. However, I just loved that warm look of the titanium, it works so well with the look of this watch. Don't get me wrong, the steel is very nice but for me it just doesn't have the charm of its brother."

6/10: "Not many thoughts, to be honest. If I want a solar-powered watch, I can get that from the Japanese for a fraction of the price. So I kind of don't see the raison d'être of this model. Looks nice though."

5/10: "I couldn't agree more. My G-Shock MTG2000 shits all over this for functionality and price. For the price of this Aquaracer, I can have a G-Shock MRG which is hand-finished in Japan to standards that no TAG Heuer has ever been finished!"

7/10: "2 points are for the solargraph alone as I really like this idea, I know its been around for a while and can be found cheaper but I love that its now available on a TAG."