TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Caliber 16 automatic diver (ref. CAJ2110.BA0872)
The Swiss watch making brand will soon start selling its new TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Caliber 16 (Ref. CAJ2110.BA0872) automatic diving watch.
It took TAG Heuer more than a year to introduce a chronograph version of their highly successful Aquaracer 500M Caliber 5 diving watch. Equipped with a slightly decorated version of the ubiquitous ETA 7750 automatic movement, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Caliber 16 may become a good contender for the title of the most useless diving watch ever produced by the Swiss brand.
Really, what can be more useless than a diving watch powered by an automatic chronograph movement? You can’t use the chrono underwater, since you will most likely ruin the watch. Its tiny screen is too, err, tiny for a normal human being to see the chronograph’s readings when under water. To begin with, you don’t really need to use the chrono underwater, since the watch has a rotating bezel, which is more than adequate to measure periods of time of up to 60 minutes.
Well, at least you can use the chronograph on the surface, since, unlike most divers rated for depths up to 500 meters, this model doesn’t look on your wrist like a hungry headcrab (although it would take real guts to wear this model with a business attire.) To be frank, I can’t really imagine myself wearing this watch even with jeans and a t-shirt, too, since its dial and bezel decoration seem just too dressy for this kind of casual dress.
To my taste, the extra sub-dials greatly detract from the watch’s “light-weight” design greatly diminishing the “vertical streak effect” of the original Aquaracer 500M Caliber 5 that the brand’s PR department used to brag about.
The effect was finally destroyed with transferring the small date window to its standard position at 3 o’clock (in the Caliber 5 version the window was located at 9 o’clock balancing the Aquaracer’s oversized winding crown) and moving the trademark “shield” from 12 o’clock to a position between the date window and the central axis.
Together with heavy chronograph push-pieces at 2 and 4 o’clock, the watch gets even more unbalanced, looking like it is going to topple to its right side if left on a table. Frankly speaking, I don’t understand why TAG Heuer didn’t opt for the bi-compax layout that is once again becoming a trend among the watch makers.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I have nothing personal against this particular model. It is just that I liked the original best.
The company plans to start selling the Aquaracer 500M Caliber 16 in October, 2010. Price is still to be revealed, but expect something close to €5000.
Photos: TAG Heuer
Aquaracer 500M Caliber 16 automatic chronograph watch specification:
Price range: €5000
Movement: Caliber 16, based on ETA Valjoux 7750, automatic, 25 jewels, 28,800 vph, 30 mm diameter, 7.9 mm height
Complications: Chronograph, date
Power reserve: 48 hours
Case material: Stainless steel
Bezel material: Stainless steel
Bezel shape: Round
Case size: 44 mm
Case height: N/A
Dial: Black
Numerals: Arabic
Hands: Steel
Water resistance: 500 m
Strap: Stainless steel bracelet
Crystal: Sapphire
Case back: Sapphire
Evgueni Matoussevitch in Swiss WatchesTags: 44 mm, 500 m, Aquaracer, Automatic, Caliber 16, Chronograph, date, Ref. CAJ2110.BA0872, Tag Heuer, Valjoux 7750
November 21st, 2011 at 8:36 am
I just bought this watch and I think this watch is perfectly balanced. The position of the date at three o clock is perfect when I glance at the watch to check the time or date. I have left dominant eye if that really matters. Moving the Logo shield, It’s because That’s the only space available for a three ringed chronograph. The only thing I didn’t like the first time I wear it on my wrist is the size. It looks too big for me but when I look at it on the mirror, it actually look more manly. another comment is that the they should put the 500M engraving on the the steel bracelet like the one on the rubber strap version. this watch can blend both ways as a dress watch and as a sports watch. It’s a chronograph and a 500M diver’s watch.
November 21st, 2011 at 10:54 am
Thanks for the comment JunO!