TAG Heuer Aquaracer: history, references and buying guide

The Aquaracer is TAG Heuer's dive and sports watch: robust, legible and water resistant, at home in the sea or in the office. It grew out of a long line of TAG Heuer sports watches and is today one of the brand's core collections alongside the Carrera.

Predecessors: the 2000 Series and Kirium

In the 1980s and 1990s TAG Heuer's sports watches included the 2000 Series and, from 1997, the Kirium, designed by Jörg Hysek, with its flowing case and integrated lines. The Kirium was produced until 2008. Kirium watches, such as the Kirium Professional WL1316 with blue dial, are an accessible way into TAG Heuer's sports watches of the period.

The Aquaracer arrives

TAG Heuer introduced the Aquaracer name in 2004, evolving from the 2000 Series, and the whole 2000 line took the Aquaracer name in 2005. Aquaracers have been made with quartz, automatic and chronograph movements, typically with a unidirectional rotating bezel, screw-down crown and water resistance of 300 metres on most models.

The Professional 300 and the Solargraph

In 2021 TAG Heuer redesigned the Aquaracer as the Professional 300, with a sharper twelve-sided bezel, redesigned case and improved bracelet. In 2022 it added the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph, TAG Heuer's first solar-powered watch, with the calibre TH50-00. TAG Heuer states that two minutes of direct sunlight provide a day of running. The Aquaracer Professional 200 Solargraph, ref. WBP1112 is a recent example.

Who it suits

The Aquaracer suits anyone who wants a capable sports watch for every day. Quartz and solar models are low-maintenance; automatic models such as those with the Calibre 5 offer a mechanical movement.

What to check when buying pre-owned

• Bezel. Should rotate in one direction with clean clicks and align correctly.
• Crown and seals. The crown should screw down smoothly. Water resistance should be tested after any case opening.
• Bracelet. Check clasp function and link wear.
• Movement. Quartz: battery and seals. Automatic: service history. Solargraph: charging and running.
• Reference. The reference should match dial, case and movement.

See our pre-owned watch checklist and mechanical watch care guide.

Quartz, automatic or solar?

Quartz Aquaracers are accurate and simple to own; have the battery and seals checked together. Automatic models, many with the Calibre 5, need a service at intervals but no battery. The Solargraph needs light: wear it, or leave it in daylight, and it charges itself. Choose by how often you wear the watch and how much maintenance you want.

Dials and sizes

Aquaracers have been made in a range of sizes for men and women, with blue, black, white, silver and other dials, and with and without date. Horizontal dial lines are a recurring feature on many models. Sizes have generally grown over time, with recent models more compact than some of the larger watches of the 2010s.

Buying checklist

• Does the bezel turn cleanly in one direction and align?
• Is the crown screw-down threading in good order?
• Is the bracelet or strap correct for the model, with a working clasp?
• Has the battery or movement been checked or serviced?
• Has the water resistance been tested recently?

Related reading

See our TAG Heuer brand guide and Carrera guide. Browse TAG Heuer in our shop.