TAG Heuer unveiled the Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver ref. WBP5A8A.BF0619, its more extreme diver's watch. Price €6,300.
The latest addition to the Aquaracer line, revamped by TAG Heuer last year (you can read about it here), represents a milestone not only for its remarkable performances and compelling look but also because it is the first timepiece from the brand housing the calibre TH30-00, produced exclusively for TAG Heuer by Kenissi Manufacture SA, a highly regarded Swiss movement manufacturer.
Water resistant up to a pressure of 100 ATM (1,000 metres / 3,330 feet), the 45 mm x 15.75 mm case is crafted from Grade 5 titanium with an alternation of brushed and polished surfaces that well highlight its bold design, strongly characterised by the new steel crown protector at 3 o’clock.
The orange seal around the crown tube is a detail that not only recalls the orange running throughout the watch design, but also provides an important visual indicator that the screw-down crown is properly fixed. The orange stands out clearly thanks to the black DLC coating of the crown.
The eye-catching unidirectional turning bezel features a black ceramic and orange hybrid ceramic insert with 60 minutes scale. The first quarter is orange to bring out the portion most often used for timing decompression stops.
At 9 o'clock we find the steel black DLC Helium escape valve. This enables the gas - that would otherwise increase the internal pressure of the watch causing damages - to escape. Engraved with the letters “He”, which stand for helium in the periodic table, the rectangular valve has a black DLC finish that well harmonises with the crown.
The black sunray brushed dial features the typical engraved horizontal lines, a distinctive element of the Aquaracer Professional 300 collection. In this model, the lines are set further apart, thus improving visibility.
The hour hand is shaped like an arrow and larger than usual. The minute and second hands, the most useful for diving purposes, stand out for their bright orange colour. Orange is a proper colour for a diver's watch considering that it is the colour of maritime safety, just the opposite of the blue of the ocean on the colour wheel.
To improve visibility, especially important at such depths, the Superdiver 1000 uses the highest grade of Super-LumiNova, SLN Grade X1, for both the hands and the hour markers.
Compared to the new Aquaracer 300 Professional models, the date cyclops has been removed for technical reasons, as the technology for mounting under the sapphire crystal has become difficult to maintain at such depths.
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver has received ISO 6425:2018 certification for saturation divers’ watches. ISO 6425:2018 has two levels of certification: a certification for dive watches, which few watches on the market can match, and a certification for saturation diving, which is even more difficult to obtain and is also extremely rare among dive watches. Different criteria are verified, such as resistance to magnetism, shocks, and corrosion and photoluminescence. A magnetic shielding of the movement has also been achieved, which has a true positive impact for the wearer. Thanks to this innovation, the watch accuracy has the power to better withstand magnetic fields that are present in electronic devices, such as cellular phones.
Certified as a chronometer by COSC (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres), the TH30-00 calibre beats at a frequency of 4 Hz (28,800 vibrations per hour) and offers a practical 70-hours power reserve.
Made of steel, the caseback of the watch is engraved with the iconic diving helmet motif, an enduring marker of the Aquaracer line for almost 20 years.
The Grade 5 titanium 3-link bracelet is equipped with a double safety clasp with fine adjustment system.
Delivered in a custom protective case, which is as resistant as the watch and includes a rescue dive torch, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 1000 Superdiver ref. WBP5A8A.BF0619 benefits from an extended international warranty up to five years and has a price of CHF 6,500 / Euro 6,300 / US$ 6,650. tagheuer.com
Suggested reading:
COMMENTS