Feature: Tag Heuer Aquaracer GMT Vs Omega Planet Ocean GMT

There’s something indisputably cool about GMT watches and their ability to track the time in two, sometimes three, different zones. Little wonder they’re a favourite among international jet-setters as well as those who appreciate a watch complication that’s still genuinely useful in the 21st century (no offence to the 0.0001% of you who own minute repeaters).

Knowing at the merest glance that its lunch time in, say, Shanghai but 4am back home in London spares you from infuriating your nearest and dearest by waking them up to tell them your plane is delayed—or that you’ve been detained by the authorities for smuggling contraband and need consular assistance.

As for those of us whose passports barely leave the sock draw, wearing a GMT is a pretty good way of showing people you’re an outward-looking, upstanding citizen of the world—not some xenophobe who thinks their country is the centre of the universe.

Of course, the watch that most likely springs to mind when you think of a GMT is a certain Pepsi-bezel Rolex model that has been around in some shape or form since the 1950s when the airline Pan-Am asked the brand to make a very specific watch for its timezone-crossing pilots.

Is there a GMT more famous than Rolex's iconic model, originally made for Pan-Am pilots?

Alas, the GMT Master II seems to have inched out of reach for many of us, with brand-new, pre-owned models currently selling for well over twice the retail price of around £9k for a steel version.

Still, there are a handful of other big-name, long-established brands who have brought out some great GMTs over the years, among them the ever-dependable TAG Heuer and Omega.

The former recently launched its latest Tag Heuer Aqua Racer Professional 300 GMT, priced at a highly competitive £3,150 on a bracelet. And we’re going to compare this sporty looking newbie to the similar but more expensive Omega Seamaster Planet Ocean GMT (reference 232.30.44.22.01.001), discontinued but still in good supply on the pre-owned market.

Two similar-looking, robust stainless steel dive watch GMT’s from two Swiss giants of the industry who have enjoyed a healthy rivalry over the decades.

Brace yourself for a close contest…

The Rolex Effect

This is not the first Aqua Racer GMT that TAG Heuer has released. Influenced by the aforementioned Rolex GMT-Master, it kicked off the line in 2017 with a version featuring that iconic red and blue bezel. The Rolex, er, ‘tribute’, continued when it released a version with a Batman-style blue and black bezel a few years later.

Both versions also had a Rolex-style magnified ‘Cyclops’ date window at 3 o’clock. This version however sees the Aqua Racer finally ditch the Rolex vibe and go its own way, with a crisply executed blue and white 12-sided, 24-hour bezel (in ceramic) and the date window shifted down to 6 o’clock for improved symmetry. A wise move, we say.

The date window on newer Aquaracers has moved to 6 o'clock for better symmetry

The SuperLuminova-coated hour markers are now a mixture of octagonal and trapezoid, rather than just trapezoids, and the horizontal stripes on the dial (very Nautilus, no?) add texture and depth. The yellow GMT hand stands out nicely, with the colour also present on the tip of the seconds hand.

With its matching black dial and black bezel, the Omega has opted for a slightly stealthier look, one that, if we’re still making Rolex comparisons, takes its cues from the all-black 116710LN.

As with the Aquaracer, its broad-arrow handset and chunky trapezoid indices use SuperLuminova for excellent nocturnal visibility, and the bezel insert is also ceramic. Omega’s opted for a barely noticeable date window (black with white text) and the fact that it is positioned at 3 o’clock doesn’t disrupt the harmony of the dial thanks to the use of Arabic numerals at 6, 9 and 12 o’clock.

Making this dial even less ‘noisy’ is the GMT hand, with only the very tip in orange and white.

The 43+ Club

If you’re seeking a slinky watch to fit under the cuff of your dress watch, you’re in the wrong place. These two are packing a bit of muscle, with the Omega’s case measuring 43.5mm and the TAG Heuer’s a fraction smaller at 43mm, albeit boasting a relatively modest crown guard.

The Planet Ocean’s helium escape valve protruding from the case at 10 o’clock will divide opinion, with many considering it unnecessary on anything but a serious dive watch. Still, the nerdier wearer will enjoy pontificating on the pros and cons of the function when they get asked what they’re wearing—which is inevitable with a watch as thick as a paving slab (17.4mm, which is close to a Rolex Deepsea’s 17.7mm).

The Omega offers far greater water resistance than the Aquaracer, and that of a Rolex GMT-Master II

Speaking of cases, Rolex's GMT just can’t compete with these two when it comes to water-resistance. It’s like comparing a duckling to a dolphin. The Omega offers a substantial 600 metres and the TAG Heuer a respectable Submariner-equalling 300 metres.

Need a GMT to take on a holiday that involves scuba-diving? You’d better leave behind that Rolex GMT-Master with its paltry 100 metres water resistance. Just take one of these instead! Both come on similar three-link Oyster-style steel bracelets, with the TAG Heuer also coming on a durable navy rubber strap.

Calibres And Case Backs

The Aquaracer runs on a Calibre 7 movement, essentially an ETA 2895-2 modified by Tag Heuer to provide the dual-time 24-hour hand. It comes with a quick-set date and quick-set GMT hour hand and holds a power reserve of around 50 hours.

The Aquaracer's caseback with deep-sea diver helmet engraving

This is all well and good, and obviously keeps the price around that very enticing £3k mark, but the Omega runs on the superior Caliber 8605, a COSC-certified chronometer with George Daniels’ Co-Axial escapement and a 60-hour power reserve.

The Omega quite rightly puts its Co-Axial movement on show through the open case back, revealing some nicely rendered Geneva waves on the rotor and bridges.

TAG Heuer, meanwhile, has hidden its hardware behind a case back engraved with a deepsea diver helmet set against a backdrop of tiny octagons that echo the hour markers.

Of course, we’re not talking about intricate, A. Lange & Söhne-style hand-engraving here. But, hey, kudos to TAG Heuer for making the effort. Rolex case backs, lest we forget, are so plain they make manhole covers look like the Bayeux Tapestry.

These Are GMT Bargains!

Omega discontinued this particular model around 2016 and its Planet Ocean GMT line-up has now been upgraded to Master Chronometer (METAS) status thanks to the newer calibre 8906.

Those models, which also come in ceramic and some very funky colour schemes, will set you back anything from £7,100 to £15,300 brand-new, which makes the older version a bit of steal since it can usually be picked up for less than £4,500 on the pre-owned market.

A sporty GMT with excellent water resistance for this price is commendable

For £3,150, however, you can pick up this new TAG Heuer, which, as they say, is a lot of watch for the money.

Ample food for thought, certainly, the next time you fantasize about joining the Rolex GMT-Master Club.

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