Introduction

Your TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph chronograph
Your new TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph has been designed and developed to satisfy the criteria of quality and security required by professional divers. During a dive, the watch is more than a necessary accessory it is vital. Your TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph has been designed to be a constant reference and the last reliable indicator when all other instruments have stopped. Your TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph has two unique, distinctive features: its Calibre 60 self-winding movement which displays the chronograph minutes and push-buttons that remain operational down to 500 m its totally secure unidirectional turning bezel In addition, your TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph has all the technical characteristics of an authentic professional divers timepiece: water-resistance to 500 m, tested on each timepiece; automatic helium escapement valve; screw-in crown with security indicator; scratch-resistant sapphire crystal; secure clasp with divers extension for the models fitted with a steel bracelet; luminous pointers. 3
Congratulations on choosing a TAG Heuer chronograph. We are most grateful to you for your confidence in our products. You have opted for technical innovation, precision and endurance. These criteria of high sporting performance have been TAG Heuers vocation since 1860. Our Swiss watchmaking house takes a passionate interest in the measurement of small fractions of time and holds many technical patents. TAG Heuer has accordingly become official timekeeper to the most prominent sports competitions and a world leader in sports watches. Every TAG Heuer watch is created to satisfy the most stringent requirements. The materials used by us guarantee exceptional strength for our watches, even under particularly tough conditions of use. Meticulous care is taken over their finish. Before going on sale, every new product undergoes more than 60 tests of precision and quality. In addition, your TAG Heuer has been individually tested to guarantee its water-resistance and perfect running. The international warranty card of your TAG Heuer watch is recognized by all TAG Heuer Service Centres in over 110 countries worldwide. The TAG Heuer SA international warranty is valid only if the serial number engraved on the watchcase is perfectly legible and no part of the original case back or original number has been removed, changed, falsified, replaced, erased or rendered illegible. Failure to comply with these conditions invalidates all rights under the TAG Heuer SA international warranty system. Your new TAG Heuer chronograph is an alliance of tradition and technical achievement. We hope it gives you entire satisfaction.
Maintenance of your Tag Heuer

Display

Like every high quality watch, your TAG Heuer requires attentive care. Compliance with a few basic recommendations will help to maintain its reliability and ensure that the watch is effectively protected against wear and tear. Rinsing. Please rinse your chronograph regularly in fresh, soapy water, especially after every use in salt water. Condensation. On exposure to sudden temperature changes, condensation may form under your chronograph crystal. This mist does not under any circumstances imply that your timepiece has ceased to be water-resistant. It will disappear of its own accord and does not affect the proper working of your watch. If the condensation persists, please consult your TAG Heuer watchmaker. Sealing gaskets. With the passage of time, the sealing gaskets of your chronograph may deteriorate. We advise you to have the water-resistance of your watch checked once a year by your TAG Heuer watchmaker. If necessary, he will replace the sealing gaskets. Bracelets. To prevent accidental opening, our steel bracelets are fitted with a double safety clasp.

The watch functions: Hours Minutes Seconds 24h indicator Crown: setting the time
Chronograph functions: Seconds hands Minutes hands 12h chronograph counter Push-piece A: start and stop Push-piece B: zero reset
The TAG Heuer Calibre 60 self-winding chronograph movement
Your TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph is fitted with a self-winding mechanical movement, the Calibre 60. This choice guarantees the proper operation of your timepiece in every situation. Even if a drop of water were to penetrate inside the case, the Calibre 60 would continue to function because it is mechanical. One particularly important and unique feature of the TAG Heuer Calibre 60 is the central position of the chronograph minutes hand on the dial instead of in a counter as on a traditional chronograph. This permits clear and immediate reading of this information which is essential to measure the duration of the decompression stages.
Secure unidirectional turning bezel
The unidirectional turning bezel of your TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph, fitted with precision stop pawls, enables you to measure your diving time precisely. The catches on of the rotating bezel make it easy to operate, even when wearing thick diving gloves. For still greater security, the TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph is fitted with a unique system which keeps the bezel locked at all times. Pressure must be exerted on the base of the bezel to make it rotate (fig. 1). When this pressure ceases, the bezel will automatically lock in its current position. The bezel cannot therefore turn accidentally. When you start your dive, set the zero marker on the bezel against the minutes hand (fig. 2).

fig. 1

2 1: pressure 2: rotation

fig. 2

Setting the time
At every moment, the position of the minutes hand on the bezel will indicate the number of minutes which have elapsed since the start of the dive (fig. 3).

fig. 3

Your TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph is fitted with a screw-in crown with safety gaskets which guarantee its water-resistance to a depth of 500 m. Fig. 4 Pos. 0: crown screwed Pos. 1: crown released: manual winding of the movement Pos. 2: crown released and pulled out to position 2: no function Pos. 3: crown released and pulled out to position 3: the hour and minutes can be set on the main dial and 24h indicator. The 24h indicator shows whether the time displayed on the main dial is AM or PM.

fig. 4

30 minutes have elapsed since the start of the dive

Chronometer functions

For example, if the hours and minutes hands on the main dial read 10.10, the 24h indicator shows whether the time is 10.10 AM (fig. 5) or 22.10 (i.e. 10.10 PM) (fig. 6). The time shown on the 24h indicator is adjusted as a function of the hour and minute hands on the main dial. Important: the crown must be screwed back in correctly to guarantee waterresistance of the timepiece. If a coloured ring can be seen on the crown, this indicates that the latter has not been screwed in correctly.

fig. 5

The chronometer functions are actuated by pressing the push-pieces. These remain operational down to a depth of 500 m. The unique feature of the TAG Heuer Calibre 60 is to permit clear and immediate reading of the chronograph minutes; this information is vital to measure the duration of the decompression stages. Warning: before each timing operation, reset the hands to zero. If necessary, use push-piece B to effect a zero reset.

10h10 AM = 10h10

1. Simple timing: fig. 6 1. 2. > 3.

10h10 PM = 22h10

Start: End: Read the time Zero reset:
push-piece A (START) push-piece A (STOP)

push-piece B

Automatic helium escapement valve
2. Additional timing: This function enables several consecutive times to be measured by totalizing to obtain the aggregate total time. 1. 2. > 3. 4. > etc. 5. Zero reset: push-piece B Start time 1: End time 1: Read time 1 Start time 2: End time 2: Read time 1 + time 2 push-piece A (START) push-piece A (STOP) push-piece A (START) push-piece A (STOP)
The automatic helium escapement valve (fig. 7) meets the needs of hyperbaric divers who spend several days in diving caissons and breathe a gas mixture which is highly enriched with helium. Helium is a very light and volatile gas, which may infiltrate the chronograph on exposure to substantial pressure in the caisson. When the diver rises to the surface, all the gases expand as the pressure falls. The helium trapped in the chronograph is unable to escape as quickly as it entered. Overpressure builds up inside the case and the valve will automatically be actuated to allow the helium to escape, thus preventing damage to the chronograph.

fig. 7

Automatic valve
*Fitting and removing steel and rubber bracelets
Fitting the steel bracelet You have (fig. 8): 2 case attachments 2 bars 1 bracelet with divers extension 1 tool Take the case attachment, place it on the bracelet section (1st link), pass the bar through the case attachment and the first link. Grasp the watch and turn it over; the watch glass must now face downwards. With the watch in this position, compress one pin of the bar by means of the tool and tilt the case attachment so that the compressed pin rests in the space between the horns. Proceed in the same way with the second pin; then press the case attachment so that the bar pins notch into the holes provided for them. * For owners of the diving kit

fig. 8

Important: Always make sure that the two bar pins are correctly fitted. Otherwise you may lose your watch. The section of the bracelet with the divers extension must always be positioned on the 12 oclock side (fig. 9).

fig. 9

2. Removing the steel bracelet Use the tool; place the cylindrical end of the tool in a hole on the side of the case; compress a bar pin and press the case attachment from the watch crystal side (fig. 10). Proceed in the same way on the other side; the bracelet can be removed. Once the bracelet has been removed, you have: 2 case attachments 2 bars 1 bracelet

Divers extension

Case attachment Bar Bracelet Tool Pin Horn

fig. 10

3. Fitting and removing the rubber strap You have (fig. 11): 2 bars 1 strap section with the case attachment: long, with holes 1 strap section with the case attachment: fitted with the tang buckle 1 divers extension (without the case attachment and fitted with a tang buckle) Follow the same procedure as for the steel bracelet. Exception: the case attachment is integral with the strap. Important - positioning: the strap section with the tang buckle must always be positioned on the 12 oclock side (fig. 12).

fig. 11

Bar Case attachment Bracelet Tool Pin Horn

fig. 12

Tang buckle

TEST: TAG HEUER 2000 AQUAGRAPH

WatchTime April 2005

Deep Float
The Aquagraph is a dyed-in-the-wool divers watch with chronograph push-pieces that can be operated at 500 meters of water pressure. It also has a one-way-only bezel that cant be inadvertently repositioned, and an automatic helium valve. BY JENS KOCH
divers chronograph is always something special. After all, there arent many amphibious wristwatch chronographs with mechanical movements. And there are even fewer that can be used underwater, i.e. with push-pieces that can be operated without causing damage from water seeping into the movement. The TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph and Omega Seamaster 300 M Chrono Diver are the only watches in this category. TAG Heuer achieved extreme water-resistance by covering the push-pieces with a stable
other along its flat outer ring, are pressed simultaneously downward. The inner ring with its six extensions into the outer rim cannot be pressed downward. Accidental repositioning from, say, a hard blow against a submerged rock, is effectively prevented. Professional divers will be glad to know that this watch also includes an additional safety feature: an automatic helium valve. Molecules of helium, which are added to the blend of pressurized gases that divers breathe inside decompression chambers, gradually penetrate
The TAG Heuer 2000 Aquagraph is as much at home beneath the waves as it is on terra firma.
rubber skin and by screwing the push-pieces into stainless steel plates in the case. Thus equipped, the chronograph remains operable under 500 meters worth of water pressure. The Aquagraph has several other unusual features to boast about. A special patented system protects the bezel, which rotates in only one direction, from being inadvertently reset. The bezel wont rotate at all unless two points, located diametrically opposite each into the interior of a watch. As the pressure in the chamber gradually returns to normal atmospheric pressure, the helium gas inside the watch expands. If the gas cannot escape quickly enough, it can pop the crystal off the dial. The helium valve in the Aquagraphs case can be compared to the safety vent in a pressure cookers lid. The helium valve automatically opens to let off steam when the pressure increases inside the case, then closes
again when inside and outside pressures are in equilibrium. The 24-hour display is another useful feature for professional divers. Frequent aquanauts sometimes spend days in artificially pressurized chambers, where theyll no doubt appreciate the display at the 3. With its help, a diver can immediately determine whether its day or night topside. With so many useful features for divers, the Aquagraph has every right to adorn itself with the old-fashioned divers helmet thats engraved on the back of the case. The Aquagraph satisfies all the requirements that a professional diver is likely to demand of his or her wristwatch. This was recently reconfirmed by the U.S. Navy: Mike Lavino, the man who tests pieces of equipment for the elite SEALS unit, subjected the Aquagraph to a six-month-long series of practical tests. Among its other ordeals, the watch was worn by divers and parachutists, as well as by gunners while firing weapons. When the dust settled, Lavino praised the watch as an outstanding example of a superlative professional object of the highest quality.

April 2005 WatchTime

Photos: Imagina

DATA PAGE

TAG HEUER 2000 AQUAGRAPH Manufacturer: TAG Heuer SA, CH-2074 Marin Reference number: CN211A.FT800 Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds; chronograph with central seconds and minutes, as well as a small 12-hour counter; 24-hour display; specially secured divers bezel rotates in only one direction. Movement: TAG Heuer Caliber 60 (Dubois Dpraz 2073 module atop an ETA 2892), selfwinding, 28,800 vibrations per hour, 46 jewels, Etachron fine adjustment, stop-seconds function, diameter = 30 mm, height = 7.4 mm, 42hour power reserve. Case: Steel, sapphire crystal is antireflective on one surface, threaded screw-in back, newly developed rubber-coated push-pieces with screwed steel plates, automatic helium valve, water-resistant to 500 meters. Wristband and clasp: Rubber strap and steel pronged buckle, or brushed-steel bracelet with specially secured folding clasp. Results of running test: (deviations in seconds per 24 hours with chronograph switched off/on): Dial up: +6 +5 Dial down: +9 +8 Crown up: +5 +6 Crown down:: +4 +4 Crown left: Crown right: +6 +6 Greatest deviation of rate: Average deviation: +5 +4,8 Average amplitude of balance in flat positions: in hanging positions: Dimensions: Diameter = 43.5 mm; height = 16 mm; weight = 132 grams. Price: $2,800 (steel bracelet version), $2,500 (rubber strap version)
Exclusive: An ETA 2892 with Dubois Dpraz module and yellow ring around the crown
Several little details on the rim are particularly helpful when using this divers watch. For example, a slim yellow ring comes into view when the crown is unscrewed. Its presence informs the wearer that the watch is momentarily not water-resistant. The hinges on the ends of the rubber strap provide an extra measure of comfort. Hinged connections enable the Aquagraphs strap to fit much more closely around the wrist than the immobile connections that typically join rubber straps to the cases of divers watches. The back of the Aquagraphs case is somewhat uneven, so a rubber
bold bezel and a helium valve give the Aquagraph the unostentatious look of a professional instrument. The watchs outward appearance is thus entirely in harmony with its inner life. Legibility is particularly important for a divers watch. The designers at TAG Heuer identified and solved a problem that besets most other chronographs. The very important display of elapsed minutes is usually shown on a small subdial, where its difficult to read. By positioning the hand that tallies the elapsed minutes in the center of the dial, this display

The helium valve automatically opens to let off steam when the pressure increases inside the case.
strap is the first choice as far as wristbands go. The steel bracelet necessarily fits somewhat more loosely and thus cannot offer quite the same high level of wearing comfort. The rubber strap is also a good match for the black dial and rubber-coated push-pieces. With its contemporary design and unexaggerated dimensions, this wristwatch attracts just the right amount of attention from ones fellow men and women. Black push-pieces, a 50
gains considerably more space and correspondingly greater legibility. But the Swatch Group no longer sells the Lemania 5100, which is the only movement that can support a central stop-minutes hand. TAG Heuer wasnt willing to forego this practical display, so the companys development team turned to the chronograph specialists at Dubois Dpraz for assistance. Dubois Dpraz constructed a chronograph module with central stop-minutes
and stop-seconds hands, as well as a 24-hour display, custom-tailoring it to fit the ETA 2892 base movement. An hours counter for the chronograph and a small continuously running seconds hand complete the list of displays. With an overall height of 7.4 mm, this movement is relatively slim, as modular calibers go. The Valjoux 7750 has an integrated chronograph mechanism, but is nonetheless half a millimeter taller. The continuously running seconds hand is coated with luminous material. This is an important detail because this display must be legible at night or underwater to show whether or not the watch is still running. All in all, theres a lot happening on the dial. Both stop-time hands are mounted in the center. To prevent them from being confused with
one another, TAG Heuer put a large luminous arrowhead on the end of the minutes hand. The view is entirely different in the dark: the Aquagraphs dial glows as brightly as a swarm of fireflies, but the meanings of its numerous luminous markings arent immediately obvious. Part of the blame for this ambiguity can be assigned to the additional five-minute luminous markings along the rotating bezel. They make it more difficult to get a clear overview and complicate the search for the bezels triangular zero index. The reflective crystal is the only slightly unappealing detail in daylight conditions. As far as operating the watch is concerned, it once again becomes clear that a good idea can sometimes be burdened by disadvantages. The good idea here is the special safety feature on the rotating bezel. Its disadvantage becomes apparent when you try to operate the bezel while wearing gloves. The task isnt impossible, but an extra measure of concentration is required. Except for this minor detail, theres really nothing else to criticize. It takes just the right amount of pressure to operate the push-pieces. The wearer need not even glance at them; they palpably indicate whether or not theyve been triggered. The crown turns very easily, is readily grasped, and doesnt require an inordinate amount of effort to screw or unscrew.

Professional and beautiful: The automatic helium valve and milled back
The cases craftsmanship is of high quality through and through. This excellence is particularly evident in the narrowness of the interstices around the valve, bezel, and push-piece plates. The beautifully milled back is doubly insulated on its inner surface, giving an impression of reliability. The wristband and clasp likewise make a good impression. The satin-finished pronged buckle with its wide prong is a good match for the case and looks quite sturdy, although the prong is rather thin. A somewhat thicker prong would have been preferable. The quality of the dial is excellent. Each applied index consists of a luminous (circular or triangular) field surrounded by a slender chrome border. The subdials are milled into the surface of the main dial and are further distinguished by a grooved pattern. Unfortunately, close scrutiny under a loupe reveals that the hands
An array of accessories: Metal bracelet, rubber strap, extension piece for wearing over a wetsuit, and tool for changing wristbands

Advantages

+ Suitable for diving, with long-lasting reserves of power and luminosity + The chronograph can be operated underwater. + Excellent legibility in daytime

Disadvantages

Bezel is awkward to operate Limited nighttime legibility
were handled somewhat roughly during the assembly process. The traces of this manhandling are nonetheless invisible to the naked eye, so perhaps theyre excusable on a sport wristwatch. Precision and rate results are far more crucial criteria. The Aquagraph performed well on the wrist, where four to five seconds fast per day is an acceptable degree of accuracy. A more finely differentiated picture emerged when the watch was tested on the timing machine owned by watchmaker and watch tester Rainer Merath, who also owns Kerner Jewelers in Ulm, Germany. We were pleased to see that the balances amplitude declined only slightly when the chronograph mechanism was switched on. This speaks well of the Dubois

TEST RESULTS

TAG HEUER 2000 AQUAGRAPH Wristband and clasp (max. 10 points): 8 The rubber strap is well made; the pronged buckle is neatly crafted, with a wide but somewhat thin prong Operation (5): 3 The crown runs smoothly and easily; the bezel is a bit awkward to operate. Case (10): 8 Attractive satin finishing, high-quality craftsmanship and a built-in helium valve make this case look very trustworthy Design (15): 13 Unmistakably a divers watch: good size, sporty contemporary design, attractive back. Legibility (5): 4 The central stop-minutes hand is a genuine advantage, but the smooth crystal is reflective; it might be difficult to read at night. Wearing comfort (10): 8 The back is somewhat uneven, so this watch is best worn snugly; if its worn snugly, its very comfortable on the wrist. Movement (20): 14 Dubois Dpraz gave the ETA 2892 a readily legible chronograph augmented with a center stop-minutes hand. Rate results (10): 7 The watch runs well, but the deviation among the several positions isnt optimal. Overall value (15): 11 You get a lot of wristwatch for your money; our sole criticism is that the rate results could have been better. TOTAL: 76 points
Excellent diving attributes, water-resistance to an extreme depth, a helium valve, and an unDesigned for water: The Aquagraph loves the wet element. commonly secure divers bezel (which, however, is somewhat cumbersome to operate) can Dpraz module, which obviously doesnt conIn all other respects, the Aquagraph offers satisfy even the exacting demands of professume a lot of energy. Deviations among the inplenty of watch for the money. Each watch is sional divers, who will probably be interested dividual positions ranged from 0 to +9 secindividually tested to ensure that its indeed in buying the accessories set that is sold sepaonds, thus earning the watch a ranking in the water-resistant to 500 meters. The movement rately (for $300). Delivered inside a leather middle range. Smaller differences among the offers exclusivity: a center-mounted stop-minstorage box, the set includes a rubber strap several positions would have been desirable (sold by itself for $160), an extenThe Aquagraphs cultured yet because this would make the rate less vulnerader to lengthen the rubber strap, a ble to the ill effects of shocks and vibrations. tool for changing wristbands, and sporty appearance transcends The difference between the two flat positions a PADI dive-time table. swaggering militarism. (dial up and dial down) was inordinately This chronograph also makes a large. This could be due to slight irregularities utes hand is a rarity in itself. The Aquagraph is very good impression on dry land. Its cultured in the pivots. Admittedly, these criticisms are as much at home beneath the waves as on teryet sporty appearance eschews militarism or on a very lofty plane, but one has a right to exra firma. The insulated push-pieces, which are rowdy trumpery. Its an appropriate companpect excellence from a wristwatch that sells for sensible and practical, remain fully functional ion to wear at a posh restaurant, where it $2,800 (for the steel bracelet version; the rubunderwater, allowing the wearer to operate makes no attempt to conceal its affinity for the ber strap model is $2,500). the chronograph function while in the water. wet element. 54