I can’t be the only luxury watch groupie out there with a relentless desire to disturb all those around me peacefully watching TV with the names of the watches seen on screen. “Movie watches” in particular have always been a favourite for collectors, especially those worn by action-heroes like Ethan Hunt, Jason Bourne and of course, James Bond. One of the few unidentified timepieces worn by the latter is a diver’s watch, one spotted in the 1987 movie The Living Daylights. Out of all the prospects, many agree that the model is that of the TAG Heuer Night Diver ref. 980.031L, a watch which today inspires TAG Heuer’s new Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver…
As part of their Watches and Wonders 2021 releases, TAG Heuer revealed an overhauled selection of TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 watches. The collection commemorated the original ref 844 watch launched back in 1978 and the Heuer 2000, introduced in 1982 with a compelling vintage-inspired makeover inclusive of shorter lugs, a quieter rotating bezel, wider hands and a multitude of dial, bezel and strap colourways. Now, alongside the core collection and the limited edition tribute, the Swiss watch manufacturer has launched a design inspired by their Night Diver ref. 980.031L characterised by its unmissable all-black case and fully luminous dial. The new TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver delivers exactly that alongside all the modern attire associated with the 2021 Professional 300 series.
The only place to start on a watch like this is the dial. Its unique fully luminous backdrop means the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver watch has two personalities, one for the daytime and another for night. During the day, the horizontal grooved dial is almost pure white with a slight creamy hue detailed with black octagonal hour markers, black-gold coated hands and a magnified date window at 6 o’clock. When the lights go down, the dial completely transforms instantly catching the eye with a fully luminous finish. The hour and minute hands, tip of the seconds hands, indexes and bezel marker also glow in the dark thanks to a helping of Superluminova.
The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver watch continues to differ from its comrades with a matte-finished black DLC coated stainless steel case but retains the same 43 millimetre diameter, slender lugs, dodecagon-shaped bezel and screw down crown at 3 o’clock. The bezel is also blacked-out with a black ceramic insert, also matte-finished, and engraved with a 60 minute scale. Sapphire crystal glass treated with anti-reflective coating protects the dial while the crown and screw down case back ensure a comfortable 300 metre water resistant rating.
Beneath the case back lies the TAG Heuer Calibre 5 movement, an automatic winding mechanism based on the trusted Sellita SW200-1. It provides central hands for the hours, minutes and seconds, a date complication at 6 o’clock and a decent power reserve of 38 hours. It also delivers 26 jewels and a frequency of 28,800vph.
Securing the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver watch to the wrist is a black rubber strap matching the aesthetics of the rubber straps already seen on previous Professional 300 watches. The black band features a texture that mimics the grooves on the dial and is fastened by a black DLC coated folding buckle to match the case. The buckle has double safety push buttons and a clever fine adjustment system so you can easily adapt the fit of the strap around your wrist.
Surprisingly, the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver watch isn’t part of any limited edition run but is instead a permanent addition to the core collection. It will retail at £2,750 and can be ordered on the Jura Watches website here.
Specifications: TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Night Diver (WBP201D.FT6197)
- Case Size: 43mm
- Case Material: Black DLC coated stainless steel
- Bezel: Unidirectional, black ceramic insert with 60 minute scale
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective treatment
- Crown: Screw down
- Case Back: Screwed
- Water Resistance: 300 metres
- Movement: Calibre 5 (Sellita SW200-1 base), automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Power Reserve: 38 hours
- Jewels: 26
- Frequency: 28,800vph
- Dial: White coated with Superluminova
- Strap: Black rubber
- Buckle: Folding
- Limited Edition: No
- RRP: £2,750
