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TAG Heuer Professional Diver, c. 1990s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
TAG Heuer (maker)
Date
c. 1990s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 42 mm
Stock no.
40992470
Credit line
Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40992470)
Catalogue title (original)
TAG Heuer Professional Diver (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40992470), this is a wristwatch by TAG Heuer, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1990s. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 42 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

There is no doubt that diving watches hold a special place in the hearts of many collectors, ourselves included. In fact, Analog:Shift was founded with its eyes set squarely on vintage divers. With their simple designs and robust movements, the tool watches of the 1960s and 1970s were built to accompany the adventurer across the globe and to keep time at its great heights as well as its dark depths. Today, the dive watch segment is stronger than ever, with the spirit of a past era living on in the full spectrum of the market — from entry-level micro-brands all the way up to the big players. In the late 1970s, Heuer was looking to capitalize on the demand for dive watches, and they succeeded — today, they feature a full line of divers with different shapes, sizes, and movements. In fact, their Aquaracer is the entry point for many young people into the world of dive watches, full stop! The particular watch, a 'Professional' Diver, dates to circa the 1990s and features a 42mm satin-finished stainless steel case with a sapphire crystal and a steel unidirectional dive timing bezel, and a matte black Tritium dial with a matching handset. Powered by a robust and reliable automatic winding movement and comes paired to a matching satin-finished stainless steel multi-link bracelet with a signed locking clasp with divers extension. If you are looking for a good looking, functional, and affordable option into the dive-watch segment, this neo-vintage time-capsule is a tough option to beat!

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Dive and water-resistant watches

Keeping water and dust out of a wristwatch was a long-standing challenge. Rolex's screw-down Oyster case (1926) and Omega's Marine (1932) were landmarks; in the early 1950s Blancpain's Fifty Fathoms and Rolex's Submariner defined the professional dive watch with rotating bezels for timing dives, luminous dials and high water resistance. The ISO 6425 standard (1982) later codified what a 'diver's watch' must do.

Dive watches became icons of post-war design and exploration, and their evolution — helium escape valves, ceramic bezels, saturation-diving depth ratings — records the history of underwater work.

What to look for

  • Unidirectional or bidirectional rotating bezel with minute markings.
  • Screw-down crown and case back; depth rating printed on the dial.
  • Luminous hands and markers (radium before c. 1960, tritium c. 1960–1998, then Super-LumiNova).
  • Reference numbers on the case between the lugs or inside the back.

Dating clues

  • Screw-down Oyster cases: from 1926.
  • Professional dive watches: from 1953.
  • Tritium 'T' marks on dials: c. 1960–1998.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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