Hey guys, Im new to the forum so this is my first post. I have become a huge fan of TAG but do not own one yet. My first watch was a Tudor Grantour, and although I love it I have regretted not getting a TAG ever since, especially after falling in love with the brand. I am preparing to buy my next piece which will be an Aquaracer calibre 16 in blue and am communicating with both the outlet and boutique in Orlando about the coming of the 500m to the outlet around October (which would be on promotion for about $2225 brand new, no warranty) and also the new 300m (new for $3600) which looks similiar but with a new face lift. So I need some opinions on which direction to go as I am back and forth. The 500m is now outdated, but is more matte which I like. I am 25 years old and do not want anything too shiny to draw attention to having any sort of wealth. The new 300m has too much shine for me, although I am falling in love with it even more everytime I look at it. The boutique even brought a prototype in for me to try out, so I have tried both on my wrist. There are pros and cons to both, such as buying on promotion and being ahead of the investment game, liking the lume color on the 300m better, and the 500m being better for diving being less shiny and having more depth rating and a helium release valve. Part of me also wants to just call it a day with a preowned Planet Ocean and get a Carrera down the road but I wont bother you all with that part of it. Any opinions would be appreciated!
Hands down, without a question, the new 300m. Steel pushers & crown, no rubber, and they look so much nicer then the 500m. Also, there is no chance in hell I'd take a discontinued watch without a warranty. It could already be 3-4 years old…just sayin Also, you will never need more than a 300m depth rating or a helium release valve unless you are a professional saturation diver
...and just to make your job harder..I'd go for the 500m Helium valve is for looks only (as Mark says), but I just prefer the looks of the 500m model
I'd vote for the new 300M in blue, looks gorgeous and a little more elegant and less industrial than than the 500M. I especially like the new hands with the TAG Heuer shield on the tips Keep in mind with ceramic dial/bezel watches they're not as shiny in person typically as you need to get the angle of light right to make them pop like that, they normally look "flatter" until under bright light, so marketing pics and under halogens makes them pop a lot more than they do on your wrist.
Im currently wearing my 500m full black, absolutely love this watch, partly because it looks so different with the overdone lume and and matt finish. Definitely wouldnt buy one for that sort of money without a warranty, and the new 300m looks really good
I would try them on my wrist both, and choose then which one looks best to me, but yes, this is a very tough one.
CAY211B all the way, the chunkiness of the 500m is rather off putting, unless you are a 6'4" meathead, however the styling on the 500m is better however I think a date bubble does finish off the 300m well !
And the winner is! Just bought it at the outlet in Orlando, Florida. Blue model was there also, but after looking at it for over an hour I realized it just didn't do it for me. I was seriously conflicted, since I knew the price would be substantially better than buying the new one. In fact, I already had a refundable deposit down on the new 300m at the boutique when my contact at the outlet texted me nearly an hour later saying there would be an as-is trunk show and that the blue 500m was coming in. Again, the price would be exactly $1,000 less than the 300m, and I was beginning to think it would end up being too flashy for my taste anyway. So after being disappointed in the blue 500m, I began to carelessly glance at the black with green accents, and it hit me like a brick. The black ceramic had a look of quality that I hadnt seen in either blue model, and it looked so much like a true dive watch. It looked like James Bond. I love a Planet Ocean and James Bond, but TAG has my business. It had everything I wanted, and in that moment I didnt care that it might not diversify my collection thus far very well. Long story short, I left the store to think about it, got a call after they had gotten their price list in from corporate, and it was 50% off MSRP rather than the 40 I expected. I told them we had reached bingo and went back the next day and scooped it up for over $1,400 less than what the new 300m would have cost all said and done. It is now at someone else's house for another 6 weeks or so until I graduate with my Bachelor's degree in December, and I'll be putting it on as its true owner for the first time in the company of friends and family on a very special day. Thank you guys for all the help!