Edouard Heuer made history when he first patented a watertight case in 1982. The watch was a success. The design for watertight cases evolved through the years.. In 2003, the Aquaracer collection was created and was loved by both men and women. This year, TAG Heuer is launching their very first collection of watches made entirely from ceramic.
In the world of watchmaking, ceramics is probably the least understood material. Maybe it’s because the word “ceramics” is too much associated with dinnerware and bathroom tiles. In the watch world, ceramics is a different animal. The type of ceramics used in watch making involves the use of very pure materials. These materials usually include oxides, carbides, nitrides, and the like.
Ceramic vases, pots, and dinnerware are usually fired up in a kiln up to a certain temperature to achieve the hardness required. But the ceramics used in watchmaking involves a much more complex process, they are actually engineered, which makes them extremely hard.
Production methods for ceramics are mainly based on sintering from powders. The ingredients are put together (in their proper proportions) and put inside a mold where they are compacted. This is then heated (with some pressure applied) at high temperatures, but not high enough to liquefy it. Very high temperatures are needed to consolidate the powder to a near-full density state. When the process is done, the resulting product is an extremely hard ceramic that is virtually scratch proof.
Though extremely hard, ceramics are rather light, usually weighing around 3 g/cc. It is much lighter than steel (8 g/cc) and even titanium (4.5 g/cc). Aside from its light weight, ceramics is very tough. It can bear very high loads, with strengths ranging from 1000 to 4000 MPa. Titanium, a material that is considered to be strong, only has 1000 MPa, so you can just imagine how strong ceramics is. This low density and high hardness makes ceramics the perfect material for aerospace and military applications. Although the automotive industry has also benefited from it, creating their brakes out of ceramic.
Engineering ceramics is extremely hard. This is the reason why ceramic watches cost so much. Metals like gold and platinum cost more than ceramic watches, not because they are harder to engineer, but because the cost of the materials is much more expensive than the materials needed to engineer ceramics. And by the way, ceramic will not corrode, nor will it cause any allergic reactions to sensitive skin.
“This year, TAG Heuer releases a new Aquaracer line, where each and every model is made entirely from ceramic, a first in TAG Heuer’s history.”
In 2009, TAG Heuer launched the Aquaracer 500M. As the name suggests, it was water resistant to 500 meters. The following year, they released a chronograph version, the Aquaracer 500M Automatic Chronograph and added a version in an all-black motif. Since then, the Aquaracer model has become a watch sought after by both men and women. This year, TAG Heuer releases a new Aquaracer line, where each and every model is made entirely from ceramic, a first in TAG Heuer’s history. The ceramic collection includes watches for both men and women. For now, we will focus on the feminine clientele.
Either completely white or completely black, this 2016 case has a more generous diameter of 35 mm (where previous versions measured 27 or 32 mm). The white comes in only one version. The black comes in either rose gold bezel or a diamond version.
The Aquaracer Lady 300M Quartz – Full Ceramic is water resistant to 300 meters and has a uni-directional rotating bezel with its twelve sides and six studs, large luminous indications on the indices and hands for improved visibility. It has a screw-down case back engraved with a diver’s helmet.
As mentioned earlier, the case measures 35 mm in diameter, made from polished ceramic. Its uni-directional rotating bezel is made from steel and white ceramic, or black PVD with rose gold (18K 5N gold), or steel and black ceramic with diamonds, silver lacquer engraved numerals (for black versions). The black and diamond version contains 60 diamonds (0.27 carats).
The dial, whether black or white, reveals a date window at 3 o’clock. The indices are either rhodium-plated or rose gold-plated (depending on the model) with green and blue luminous markers. The hour and minute hands are either rhodium-plated or rose gold-plated with green and blue luminous markers as well. The bracelet, either in white or black, is a 3-row bracelet in ceramic with a butterfly clasp and safety push buttons.
Ceramic is incredibly hard yet soft to the touch. It is highly scratch resistant and keeps its original color for years, as vibrant as the day it was made. It does not oxidize and is hypoallergenic, an important feature if you wear your watch for 10 to 12 hours a day. The TAG Heuer Aquaracer Lady 300M Quartz — Full Ceramic is a watch that will certainly appeal to the ladies.
