![]() On the wrist, this watch wears extremely well. The COSC-certified movement beats at 28,800vph and offers a power reserve of 70 hours. They also provide movements to Norquain and certain Breitling models, so it gives the watch a slightly more upmarket feel when compared to the Sellita-based movements of the other Aquaracer watches. It’s the first time the brand has used a movement from Kenissi, which was founded in 2016 and is partially owned by Tudor and Chanel. It’s the calibre TH30-00, an automatic movement produced for TAG Heuer by Swiss manufacturer Kenissi. The movement running this watch is another point of interest, and sets it apart from the rest of the Aquaracer line. ![]() A nice feature that really should be in every bracelet by now. The Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver comes on an Oyster-style bracelet, also made of grade 5 titanium, and featuring a wetsuit extension, and a push-button micro adjustment for making small changes on the fly. The watch is pressure rated to 1,000 metres, far deeper than your human body is rated for, and the ISO 6425:2018 certification means that it has been tested to 125% of that 1000m mark, so unless you’re a real-life Aquaman, TAG has you covered on depth. The caseback is made of steel and engraved with the old-fashioned diving bell helmet that adorns the rest of the Aquaracer line. TAG has redesigned this HEV from the standard circular valve, and it is now a black rectangle, helpfully marked with the letters “He”. I generally fall on the side of “Why not include it, just in case I need to do some impromptu saturation diving?”, as long as it’s of the passive variety that doesn’t protrude from the side of the watch. The other side of the case features a helium escape valve, that bit of questionable utility that has become ubiquitous on deep divers these days. The crown also features an orange ring next to the seal, which offers a visual confirmation that the crown is securely screwed down. The crown is protected by a full steel crown guard, theoretically preventing damage to the crown in case of impact, a helpful feature if you happen to be deep in the belly of a dark shipwreck, which are usually fairly cramped quarters. The sides of the case utilise a few new features that set this watch apart from the rest of the Aquaracers. The contrast between these two help the user quickly differentiate the minute hand for a quick timing check whilst diving. The hour hand is a large white arrow and the minute hand is a thin orange sword. Well, almost matching as they are technically octagons, but close enough. The indices on the dial are of the applied variety, in thematically matching geometric shapes. The dial is a sunray brushed glossy black, featuring the same recessed, Venetian blind-esqe horizontal lines that adorn the rest of the Aquaracer line, presumably for an increase in contrast to help legibility, along with adding a little bit of pizzazz. The bezel insert is black ceramic, with the first 15-minute indices being rendered in orange. The case shape falls in line with the rest of the modern Aquaracer collection, taking a loosely dodecahedral shape, matched by the 12 sides on the titanium bezel. This is a 45mm tool watch, made of grade 5 titanium to keep the weight as low as possible. This one fits squarely in the latter category. First, the talk…Īs I see it, there are currently two main categories of modern dive watches the nostalgia-inducing, vintage-leaning smaller pieces, and the chunky, modern, high-tech pieces. We are going to take their flagship diver, the Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver, on a few dives and see if it can walk the walk, as well as it talks the talk. They have also been revamping their dive watch offerings, releasing a few hearty tool watches under the Aquaracer line in the last 24 months. Certainly, some of you will see those as hits and others as misses but watch enthusiasts across the board appreciate when brands at least try new things, so hats off to TAG Heuer for that. ![]() I daresay no one could have predicted that anomaly. From investing in new, cutting-edge tech like lab-grown plasma diamonds, to a solid smartwatch lineup, to truly bonkers things like that F1 and Mario Kart-themed tourbillon chronograph. Over the last few years, under the guidance of new CEO Frédéric Arnault, TAG Heuer has set out to change all that. I think it’s safe to say, though, that the recent collections aren’t getting the same kind of enthusiasm as the vintage watches, at least from the hardcore watch community. Are they the makers of classic and timeless pieces like the Monaco and Carrera collections? Or are they a rather familiar mainstream brand acting in slightly too many areas? Depends on who you ask. Modern TAG Heuer can be a tricky brand to categorise. ![]()
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