Sometimes we move backward in order to move forward.

When one has worn an Apple Watch for years, one becomes accustomed to it: the usefulness, the delights, the annoyances. Its fitness and health features are incredibly useful if one tracks that sort of thing. And it definitely has its delights; in particular, the Snoopy watch face never fails to make me smile.

Then we come to the annoyances. Its need for daily recharging is what people seem to talk about the most, and that’s true (somewhat less so with the Ultra). But what stands out for me its seemingly constant need for attention.

I’ve heard Tim Cook pitch the Apple Watch as the thing that allows users to spend less time looking at their smartphones. That hasn’t been my personal experience wearing various models over the years. What I’ve observed is that my smartphone interruptions haven’t gone down in frequency, but instead have been joined by a new set of smartwatch interruptions.¹

About a year ago, I purchased my first Oura Ring. I did so because I didn’t trust the sleep data I was getting from the Apple Watch Ultra. (I’m in the minority on that; independent evaluations tend to find that for most people, the latest Apple Watches are some of the best sleep trackers available today.) And the Oura Ring came through on that front; its sleep data is much more reflective of what I experience. But the interesting thing about it was that it never tries to get my attention, because it can’t. With no display, no speaker, no haptics, no lights except for the sensors against the skin, it has no way of signaling me. Its companion iPhone app can alert me, but that’s easy enough to limit, pause, or stop. And there’s much to be said for that.

As a result, I find myself on the verge of a switch, one in which I will relegate my Apple Watch to workout duty (at which it’s excellent). This means I’m on the hunt for a mechanical watch, a “GADA” watch, as they say: go anywhere, do anything. Ideally, a watch I could wear to the beach in the morning and with a suit in the evening. And a watch that I can wear for decades to come.

As it happens, a woman I know bought her Oura Ring after I did, but made the decision to move on from her Apple Watch before me. And that leads us to the TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 Date 36 mm.

TAG Heuer positions this watch as a 36 mm (1.42”) steel automatic diver, 11.4 mm (0.45”) thick, with 300 meters / 1,000 feet of water resistance, a blue ceramic bezel, a gradient blue dial with eight diamond indices, and a 38-hour power reserve. It’s a hybrid of tool watch specification and elevated presentation.

In the owner’s case, she approached the move away from her Apple Watch by knowing that she wanted a mechanical automatic watch from a respected maker; wanted a watch that was go-anywhere-do-anything, more or less; and wanted a watch that would look great in any setting. This particular model of Aquaracer met her criteria and stood out because it struck her as especially beautiful.

This Aquaracer is available in six colorways: blue, gradient blue, pastel green, pink, purple, and turquoise:

In blue, gradient blue, pink, and turquoise, the watch is listed at $4,400 (EU price: 4 400 €). The pastel green and purple models have a matching dash of color on the bezel that adds $50 / 50 € to the price. Swapping out the stainless steel bracelet for rubber lowers the price by $100 / 100 €. Removing the diamond indices and switching to a black or white dial (not shown here) lowers the price by $600 / 600 €, but where’s the fun in that?

Performance (does the item excel at its core function?): In five months of ownership and daily wear, the owner hasn’t wound it once; in normal use, the automatic movement and 38-hour power reserve work well. She finds it easy to read at a glance. She has two caveats: luminance and accuracy. In dark conditions, she finds the lume insufficient. However, this generally isn’t a problem for her, since she rarely wears it in very low- or no-light conditions. As for accuracy, she reports that as delivered, it runs fast. She hasn’t measured it, but suspects it’s at least 15 seconds fast per day. It hasn’t annoyed her enough yet to take it in for service. (As far as I can tell, TAG Heuer makes no specific warranty as to the accuracy of the Calibre 5 movement. It will be interesting to find out what happens if and when the owner eventually takes it in to have it checked. I’ll ask her to leave a comment here when she does.)

Practice (is the item truly elevated in every aspect of its implementation and usage—design, materials, finish, technology if applicable, support if required?): Here’s where the Aquaracer excels. Although it’s much heavier than her former Apple Watch + knit strap configuration, the owner finds it surprisingly comfortable. She actively uses the clasp adjustment while flying and reports it’s easy to use. The overall presentation of the watch—especially the textured gradient dial, the matching ceramic bezel, and the diamond indices—is quietly (if colorfully) upscale.

Presence (does the item go beyond utility to resonate emotionally?): The owner says that the diamond indices make the watch feel more elevated, which is exactly TAG Heuer’s intent: this is a luxury diver; a tool watch that easily makes the transition to upscale settings.

Provenance (what are the stories behind not just the item itself, but the company that made it, and do those stories justify its luxury positioning?): Does TAG Heuer have a long history? Absolutely. Did that history play a significant role in the owner’s purchasing decision? No. But in this watch, TAG Heuer has credibly combined modern-yet-classic sports watch cues, true dive watch specifications, and luxury finishing. For a woman looking for a sporty but elevated mechanical automatic watch from a respected brand at a reasonable price, the Aquaracer was an excellent choice.

The question of this article is this: can a modern luxury sports watch make digital loss feel acceptable because the object itself is so satisfying to wear? In this case, yes. The Aquaracer isn’t perfect. Its lume and accuracy could be better. But it offers visual appeal, a balanced size, a comfortable bracelet, easy adjustability, and general ease of ownership.

The owner does indeed find it satisfying to wear, and while she occasionally finds herself glancing at her wrist for something her Aquaracer can’t tell her, like the current temperature, it’s not nearly enough to make her consider switching back.

Where does that leave us? The owner didn’t buy a mechanical watch that outperforms her former smartwatch. Instead, she bought a mechanical watch that makes her miss her smartwatch less than she might have expected. And that’s a good exit ramp.

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