BY HARLAN CHAPMAN-GREEN
Last year TAG Heuer introduced the Aquaracer Professional 300, it looked and sounded a little too much like Omega’s Seamaster Professional Diver 300m, but it nevertheless proved to be a watch worthy of the TAG Heuer name. The newest addition to the collection is the Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver, and it looks like it’s come straight out of a Jason Statham movie.
It features a 43mm stainless steel case with a stainless steel crown, clasp and caseback too. All of these have been DLC coated in matte black to make this watch a stealth watch. The matte black stops it from reflecting light so well, this concept is used on stealth planes like the B2 Spirit. In fact, the Night Diver is probably so stealthy it doesn’t show up on any radar, sonar or any other gadget (this has not been tested). The bezel insert is made of ceramic, but the 12-sided bezel itself is made of stainless steel and DLC coated. SuperLumiNova has been added into the markings for superior readability in the dark.
Speaking of readability, this watch’s defining characteristic is the lume coated dial. It still features the same horizontal lines and textures, but the entire dial plate (except the writing and TAG Heuer logo) is lumed for maximum visibility. The hands are also lumed. However, the markers and date window are not (let’s face it, they don’t need it). TAG Heuer has also added a magnifier over the date window. I can’t wait to see what you lot will write about that in our Discus comments section.
Inside the watch is the Calibre 5, which is based on an ETA 2824-2 movement or, in some cases, a Sellita SW-200, depending on what’s to hand. It has a 4Hz beat rate and a power reserve of 42-hours. It’s also automatically wound for easy useability.
This watch looks modern and cool for a watch based on a model from a piece found in a TAG Heuer catalogue in the 1980s (the Night Diver was a very popular model back then). It’s also a proper diving watch with a 300m water resistance, a very readable dial, and a rubber strap. The price is $3350.
Visit TAG Heuer here.
