Introducing TAG Heuer Refreshes The Aquaracer Professional 300

TAG Heuer has just unveiled the latest generation of the brand's popular Aquaracer Professional 300 diver. These new models offer the option of either a date or a GMT complication, and both function sets are now housed in a newly downsized 42mm steel case.

With the continued growth of the Aquaracer, including the 40mm Solargraph 200 and the 45mm Professional 1000, the 300 has long represented the conventional core of the modern Aquaracer line and this refresh does little to disturb the status quo as the 2024 Aquaracer Professional 300 will be offered in three dial colors (black, blue, and green) and buyers have their choice of either a date-equipped version or one with a date and a GMT function. 

As mentioned above, for any of the options, this latest gen is 42mm wide, down from 43mm in the previous generation. The thickness for the date-equipped model is just 12mm, while the GMT is a bit thicker at 13.45mm. Lug to lug for any of the models is 48mm, leading to what should be a largely wearable watch with standard proportions for a 42mm case width. 

Regardless of the spec, the Aquaracer Pro 300 uses a version of TAG Heuer's TH31 automatic movement, which has a five-year warranty. The movement offers 80 hours of power reserve, ticks at 4 Hz, and is COSC-certified for timekeeping. For the date models, the movement is the TH31-00, and for the GMT, it's the TH31-03. Given the novelty of the release, I don't have any hands-on experience with the TH31-03. I asked TAG Heuer if the movement functions as a flyer or a caller (local jumping vs independent 24-hour hand) but have not heard back before the time of publishing. While I will update this paragraph once I have additional clarity, previous generations of the Aquaracer GMT used caller-style movements like the Caliber 7 GMT, which was based on the ETA 2892 architecture.

Pricing starts at $3,600 for the black or the blue date model on a rubber strap. A date model on a bracelet will set you back $3,800. For the GMT, pricing starts at $4,000 on the rubber or $4,200 on a bracelet. 

Way back in 2011, I was the proud owner of a then-current-gen Aquaracer 300, a WAN2110. With a black dial and bezel and a nicely tapered bracelet, it was a great dive watch with a 41.5mm case that was 12mm thick. In many ways, it would seem that this 2024 release is the closest that TAG Heuer has come to replicating that model, albeit with a higher level of refinement, a better movement, and a more considerable price tag. 

Apart from the sizing – which feels like a smart move to me – I still really like the 12-sided bezel (in ceramic rather than the aluminum of my older model), and the dial is also quite nicely done with a texture that replicates the surface of rippling water without being overly gimmicky. Water resistance holds at, predictably, 300 meters, and the watch is finished with a solid case back.

So, in some ways, a lot has changed since 2011, and not much has changed since 2011. One element that has absolutely changed is that the MSRP of my WAN2110 was about $2,400 back in 2010. Fourteen years later, we have an Aquaracer Pro 300 that starts at $3,600. For the difference, you're getting a bracelet with tool-less micro adjust, a ceramic bezel, a much more complicated dial design, and a COSC-certified movement. 

All that accounted for, TAG Heuer still has its work cut out for it at the $3,500-$4,500 space as the Aquaracer will need to compete with the likes of Tudor's Black Bay line, the continued popularity of the Longines Spirit Line, and models from enthusiast favs such as Sinn, Oris, and Grand Seiko. 

While I would still put my own cash towards the titanium version of the Solargraph 200, I dig these latest Aquaracers from TAG Heuer and appreciate that they have downsized the case while maintaining much of what makes the 300 Professional the core of the Aquaracer lineup. 

Brand: TAG Heuer
Model: Aquaracer Professional 300 Date, Aquaracer Professional 300 GMT
Reference Number:
WBP5110.FT6257 (date, black dial, strap)
WBP5111.FT6259 (date, blue dial, strap)
WBP5110.BA0013 (date, black dial, bracelet)
WBP5111.BA0013 (date, blue dial, bracelet)
WBP5116.BA0013 (date, green dial, bracelet).

WBP5114.FT6259 (GMT, blue/black, rubber)
WBP5114.BA0013 (GMT, blue/black, bracelet)
WBP5115.BA0013 (GMT, green, bracelet)

Diameter: 42mm
Thickness: 12mm (date), 13.45mm (GMT)
Lug-to-lug: 48mm
Case Material: Steel
Dial Color: Various (see above)
Indexes: Applied
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Water Resistance: 300 meters
Strap/Bracelet: Rubber strap or steel bracelet

Caliber: TH31-00 (date), TH31-03 (GMT)
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date (plus GMT for GMT-equipped models)
Power Reserve: 80 hours
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 28,800 VPH (4 Hz)
Chronometer Certified: Yes, COSC

Price: $3,600 (Date, rubber), $3,800 (Date, bracelet), $4,000 (GMT, rubber), $4,200 (GMT, bracelet)
Availability: June 2024