TAG Heuer: let there be light

The new solar-powered watch from TAG Heuer, the Aquaracer Professional 200 Solagraph, can recharge with artificial light too – perfect for grey days

Watches & Jewellery 25 Nov 2022

TAG Heuer has reimagined the Aquaracer collection, aimed at the individual with a passion for sports and adventure in the great outdoors on land or in water. The Aquaracer family is dependable in extreme conditions, making for robust but stylish wristwear that laughs in the face of the elements. The versatile watches have a uni-directional bezel, screw-down crown, are water-resistant to at least 200 metres and come with luminous markings and a double safety clasp. One of the stars of the range has to be the Professional 200 Solargraph, the brand’s first ever solar-powered watch.

You don’t have to be a nature lover to be in awe of the sun, as provider of warmth and light – and the power to run a watch. It also illuminates the Super-LumiNova on the dial, bezel and hands. This means the watch is highly legible, even in the dark, which is useful for evening sports and also gives the watch generally a bright appearance, while the 40mm steel case with black DLC coating and bezel inserts made of a mix of carbon and green Super-LumiNova heighten the contrast with the luminosity. The dial is partially transparent, so the movement below can be charged by sun rays, and the bezel has a distinctive blue/green shade that references the outdoors. It’s completed by a black rubber strap.

So with the sun as energy source, there’s no need for batteries that need changing regularly, and it can recharge with artificial light, too. In fact, the movement only requires two minutes in full sunlight to keep the watch going for a whole day. With less than 20 hours in the sun the watch is fully charged and can run for six months. And just a 10-second exposure to light will make the watch start again after it’s stopped. By pulling the crown to activate the Power Save mode, the watch can last up to three and a half years without recharging. To create this impressive performance, TAG Heuer partnered with the Manufacture of La Joux-Perret to produce the new Solagraph movement, developed and exclusively produced for TAG Heuer.

Sun power, solidity, style and sustainability combine to make an appealing functional timepiece – and conversation piece.

£2,550; tagheuer.com