James Bond, the fictional spy agent, has worn many high-end watches over his nearly six decades of filmic adventures. Our current Bond, Daniel Craig will wear an OMEGA when No Time to Die is released later in the year. However, 007 has worn many other brands, including Seiko, Breitling and Hamilton.
The TAG Heuer 1000 Professional ‘Night Diver’, which Timothy Dalton wore in 1987’s The Living Daylights, is one of the most overlooked watches Bond ever wore. The Night Diver was a stealthy spy companion with its unusually luminescent dial and blacked-out PVD bezel.
TAG Heuer will revive the legendary Night Diver in 2021 as a new Aquaracer Professional300 Collection variant. The collection incorporates the best features of the original Night Diver into a superior timepiece that is both technically and artistically.
Aquaracer Night Diver (ref. The Aquaracer Night Diver (ref. WBP201D.FT6197), immediately stands out thanks to its black silhouette and 43mm stainless-steel case. It also has a crown, clasp, bezel, crown, and caseback that are all covered in matte black diamond-like carbon. While the original Night Diver used PVD for the same look, DLC is far more durable and gives a richer, more luxurious black.
Aquaracer Night Diver’s signature feature is the fully luminescent dial. It is covered in Super- LumiNova green to provide exceptional glow-in–the-dark performance. The watch’s central seconds and minute hands are filled in blue lume to ensure maximum legibility even under low light conditions. This is a feature that the original did not have, but it makes a significant improvement to the quality of life.
As if that weren’t enough lume the hour hand, octagonal hours markers at 12, 6, and 9 o’clock, are filled with green lume. The remaining octagonal hours markers are all edged in black lacquer. To match the striking blue lume of the central seconds and minute hands, the triangle at 12 on the unidirectional rotating watch is also filled.
The new Night Diver is an entirely different animal than the original. The original Aquaracer Night Diver had a quartz movement, 200m water resistance and a TAG Heuer Calibre 5 automatic motor with a 38-hour battery reserve and 300m water resistance. The Aquaracer Night Diver comes standard with a rubber strap, rather than the jubilee bracelet. This is a more performance-focused option.
The Aquaracer Night Diver watch is distinctive and one of Bond’s most iconic watches. However, it is worth noting how amazing the Aquaracer Professional300 family it is.
The new design was unveiled at Watches & Wonders earlier in the year. It features a redesigned ceramic bezel with fewer recessed graduations and more sleek lines. A more modern, angular aesthetic. You can adjust with greater ease because of the grippier features.
The new case is slimmer, lighter and shorter lug to lug than the previous model. Additionally, the angular indicators of the older model were replaced with octagonal indexes, which evoke classic dive watches styles with a subtle, personal touch. The date window has been moved from 3 to 6, with its cyclops lens sporting a uniquely spherical design.
Aquaracer Night Diver’s release coincides with three new rubber strap references in the Aquaracer Professional 300 series. This brings the total number to 11 watches, including the Night Diver, and a limited edition throwback model called the “Tribute To Ref.” 844 – Another watch that Bond would love.
The Aquaracer Professional300 collection includes the Night Diver, which is perfect for anyone who loves spy movies and those who just want to know the best dive watch. These watches are all cool.
You can find them all at TAG Heuer’s online boutique.
