The TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5 features a mid-sized 43 mm case and an impressive water resistance rating of 500 meters (1640 ft.) Combine these features with the elegant exterior and you get yourself a solid choice not only for recreational diving but also for more formal events.
TAG Heuer Aquaracer: Brief Introduction
Enthusiasts best know TAG Heuer for its gorgeous Carrera, F1 and Monaco series. However, their relatively unpopular Aquaracer range of semi-professional diving tools is also gaining in momentum recently.
Tag Heuer’s marketing department carefully engineered the rise of interest to this collection by simultaneously offering it in two price niches.
Available both with automatic and quartz movements, these timepieces are starting at ridiculously low prices well South of the €1000 mark and going all the way to €2000 if you decide to get one with a mechanical movement.
They offer the Aquaracer Quartz range as a kind of a back door into the exciting world of luxury watches.
Yes, in the eye of a watch snob, it is still an “entry-luxury” model, but who cares really? It delivers a combination of great quality and a lot more reliable timekeeping than an average automatic. It will also not force you to sell your car or mortgage your house to put on your wrist a thing of sheer beauty.
And, who knows, maybe next time you’ll splurge for something more expensive from the same brand, right?
The Calibre 5
But we are not here to talk about the entry-level models. Honored guests, we are gathered here today to discuss the Aquaracers equipped with their new Calibre 5 automatic movement!
Well, that sounded a bit too pompous, didn’t it?
Unfortunately, the new mechanism is not an in-house model. It is just a slightly upgraded version of the wel-known ETA 2824-2 blank caliber.
An update from the future:
Several years ago, ETA limited the distribution of their calibers only to the brands currently owned by The Swatch Group. Owned since 1999 by a competing LVMH, Tag Heuer switched to ETA clones made by Sellita.
Of course, they take more time to check them for potential quality issues. They also use slightly better components that make them a bit better at keeping time than the versions that ETA sells to micro-brands like Deep Blue and Marcello C. Otherwise, the differences are limited to pure aesthetics.
This version of the movement features a bi-directional winding rotor with a nicely executed Geneva Stripes pattern and some engraved and gilded inscriptions on it. These are all the differences, but it doesn’t mean that it’s somehow bad.
The mechanism features about 38 to 40 hours of power reserve and has the ‘hacking seconds’ functionality. The latter makes the central seconds hand stop while you are adjusting the hour and minute hand making the display of time a tad more accurate.
The Aesthetics
Previous iterations of the Aquaracers were more than just “inspired” by the evergreen Rolex Sea-Dweller and Submariner families. With this new collection TAG Heuer takes a step away from the beaten path and offers a refreshingly new exterior that better matches their new design language.
Exhibit A: An Aquaracer from the early 2000s:
Unlike the model above, this one has its own unique appearance. It also has this aura of someone actually putting some serious effort into making something as simple as a diving tool look elegant. Like, this is the first Aquaracer that one could wear with a suit and not look cheesy.
The vertical pattern on the dial, the “radial streaks” on its unidirectional rotating bezel with the raised Arabic numerals. Even the finish of the case just scream luxury. This is also the first Aquaracer that doesn’t look like you are getting charged for the logo and the “Swiss Made” inscription on the dial.
The bezel, by the way, is available either in black or blue rubber with its color matching that of the dial, or, if you really want to go to town with this, in solid 18-karat gold.
The 43mm Case
The size of the case is more or less standard for a model rated for 50ATM of water resistance. Its diameter is big enough to host an easily readable dial. It’s tall enough to protect the mechanism behind a pair of thick sapphire glasses.
Its main selling point is, of course, the way it was sculpted from a single chunk of stainless steel. I mean, just observe for a moment how all the usual elements, like the crown guards and the lugs, complement each other! How effortlessly they form one of the nicest-looking bodies in the niche of the relatively affordable semi-pro divers!
I am trying to be unbiased here, but it doesn’t work that great for me, does it?
See also: Eterna KonTiki Date
Photos: TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5 specification
Price range: €1850 (MSRP at the day of publishing this review)
Movement: ETA 2824-2
Winding: Automatic
Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds, date
Power reserve: 38-40 hours
Case: Steel
Size: 43.00 mm
Dial: Black, Blue or Silver
Water resistance: 500 meters
Strap: 3-row fine-brushed steel bracelet with solid steel clasp, diving extension system and safety push buttons, Black rubber strap with solid steel clasp, diving extension system and safety push buttons
Crystal: Sapphire with a magnifying lens over the date window at 9 o’clock