TAG Heuer Fortifies the AQUARACER 300M with a Ceramic Bezel (specs & price)

In watches, Rado made Ceramic useful, Chanel made Ceramic fashionable, and now Tag Heuer employs Ceramic in its AQUARACER 300M to make the material indomitable. Given the active lifestyle of many watch owners, a dive watch might hit, bang, scrape, bump or slam against almost anything. A ceramic bezel insures a long-lasting pristine appearance, thanks not only to the visual quality of ceramic, but also its surpassing durability. Since 2004, when Tag Heuer introduced the AQUARACER 300, its popularity has grown to becoming a recommendation for an affordable watch for new collectors. We recommend either the 41mm automatic or the 43mm chronograph, which come in a standard version (steel case), an all-black version (sandblasted black titanium carbide coated case), or a numbered, limited edition Black Phantom version (sandblasted black titanium carbide case). There are no poor choices.

The AQUARACER 300M standard version gives you alternatives. The notched ceramic bezels can be black or blue, and each unidirectional bezel has engraved silver lacquered numerals and a Super-Luminova dot at 12 o’clock. Cases alternate fine-brushed or polished steel. Dials come in either black or sunray blue. The watch has a stainless steel bracelet with diving extension or a black nylon strap with coloured stitching and lining. There is the automatic three-hander with a calibre 5 movement (a Sellita SW200), or the chronograph three-counter calibre 16 movement (basically a Sellita SW500). For those who paid attention in math class when probabilities were taught, have at it with the permutations. The green and blue lume, date window magnifying lens, and engraved caseback all add up to a go-anywhere, do-anything watch.

Let’s dim the lights, put on some nice music and get acquainted with the Chronograph Black Version of the AQUARACER 300M. There is just a tease of color on the second hand tip, the 300M designation on the dial, the nylon strap’s contrast stitching and the jazzy green and blue lume, but the rest is steel and black. The dial has a horizontal streak effect, something common to all the models. The TAG Heuer AQUARACER 300M Chronograph comes on either a metallic bracelet with the same brushed finish as the case or a nylon strap.

When the lights go out, the Black Phantom version of the TAG Heuer Aquaracer comes alive, ninja style. The baton indexes, hour/minute hands, and counter hands are rendered in a black gold, which is the designation of the plating bath and subsequent shade; no precious metal is used. This limited edition of 2,500 watches has banished all color and lies in shadow. From the grey lume, to the grey stitching, to the grey engraved, lacquered bezel numerals, there are many shades of grey. This stealth rendition ensures that what happens in the dark, stays in the dark.

Tag Heuer’s incorporation of a ceramic bezel into its AQUARACER 300M improves the line’s aesthetic beauty and its corporeal toughness. They also provide a dizzying array of choices, which ensures the watch’s appeal to a broad spectrum of clientele. For the budding collector to the hard charging adventurer to the urbane sophisticate, the possibilities are limitless. More details on TagHeuer.com.

Prices:

• Standard Auto nylon strap: 2.150 Euros
• Standard Auto steel bracelet: 2.300 Euros
• Standard Chrono nylon strap: 3.150 Euros
• Standard Chrono steel bracelet: 3.250 Euros
• Black Phantom Chrono nylon strap (limited edition): 3.650 Euros

More details at www.tagheuer.com.