During the Baselworld 2009 show, TAG Heuer presented its new offering for those seeking a sporty, waterproof timekeeper. The Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5 arrived in a mid-sized 43 mm case and allows for impressive water resistance of 500 meters (1640 ft.) Combine these features with the elegant exterior styling and you get yourself a solid choice not only for recreational diving but also for more formal events.
Although TAG Heuer is best known for its gorgeous Carrera, F1 and Monaco series of racing cars-inspired watches, the Aquaracer range of *ahem* professional diving tools is also gaining in popularity among enthusiasts.
Available both with automatic and quartz movements, these timepieces are starting at ridiculously low prices well South of the €1000 mark.
The Aquaracer Quartz range is your back door to the exciting world of luxury watches. It will not force you to sell your car or mortgage your house to put on your wrist a thing of sheer beauty and superb build quality.
While the previous iterations of the Aquaracers were more than just “inspired” by the evergreen Rolex Sea-Dweller and Submariner families, with the new model the Swiss brand takes a step away from the beaten road and offers a new concept, which is written in its unique design language.
This Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5 gets some of its styling cues directly from the recently unveiled TAG Heuer SLR limited edition.
At least, both feature brutal-looking dials with a “vertical streak effect”.
The Aquaracer 500 goes even further than the SLR, featuring “radial streaks” on its unidirectional rotating bezel, which is available either in 18k gold or in black or blue rubber with its color matching that of the dial.
In both cases, the bezel is also decorated with prominent-looking numerals made of some brushed metal.
As always, the Aquaracer 500 is available with either pretty standard ETA 2836-2 automatic caliber (a rather old mechanism, which is the same good old ETA 2824 with a day/date indicator -here, the day of week wheel has been stripped- and a Novodiac anti-shock system) or a Swiss quartz movement neatly packed in a not so large 43 mm case made of brushed steel.
The automatic-powered model starts at a modest price of €1850 with the version with a gold bezel adding around half that much to the total.
See also: Eterna KonTiki Date
Photos: TAG Heuer
TAG Heuer Aquaracer 500M Calibre 5 specification
Price range: €1850 (MSRP) for the Automatic model
Movement: ETA 2836-2 automatic caliber or a Swiss quartz
Functions: Hours, minutes, central seconds, date
Power reserve: 42 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