From Solunar to Seafarer
The new TAG Heuer Seafarer pictured here is a 21st century re-interpretation of a model originally made 70-odd years ago. And with roots that go right back even further.
That’s when Heuer (as it was then) was commissioned to create a tide indicator watch by Walter Haynes, president of Abercrombie & Fitch.
Back then A&F wasn’t known for its racy ad campaigns featuring barely-clad young gentlemen with ripped physiques - but it was America’s go-to supplier of top quality kit for the wealthy and discerning sportsman.
The first Seafarer chronograph was based on a 1949 watch called the ‘Solunar’ (derived from a combination of ‘solar’ and ‘lunar’) which was designed to indicate the times of high and low tide at a specific location.
According to heritage director Nick Biebuyck (TAG Heuer’s walking encyclopaedia on anything about the brand that’s worth knowing) the idea a tide time indicator was originally Haynes’s, but he turned to Heuer to refine the concept and produce the watch.
And, interestingly, a young Jack Heuer played a part in its development by discussing the proposed watch with his school physics teacher who improved the calculation of the gear ratios to enhance the mechanism’s accuracy.
The sums proved sufficiently accurate to make the Solunar a sales hit, leading Heuer to produce its own ‘Seafarer’ version during the 1950s.
It, too, was sold in the Abercrombie & Fitch New York flagship (famously patronised by VIP clients such as author Ernest Hemingway and U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt) and continued to be manufactured by Heuer - alongside variations such as the Heuer-signed Mareographe and the Orvis-branded Solunargraph - right up until the 1970s.
A Complication Made for the Sea
Now, following its revival of the Skipper regatta watch in 2024, TAG Heuer has re-introduced the Seafarer as part of its modern Carrera chronograph line, combining some of the details of the first model with today’s so-called ‘glass box’ design with curved dials beneath an expansive, domed sapphire crystal.
The new Seafarer uses a version of the brand’s Heuer 02 chronograph movement modified to drive the tide indicator, which is in the form of a revolving disc at the nine o’clock position.
Pushing the ‘tide’ button immediately beside the disc causes it to rotate, enabling the ‘high’ or ‘low’ quadrants to be synchronised with the known tide times at a given location.
The disc makes a complete rotation in 29.53125 days, throughout which it will accurately display when the tide will be at its lowest or highest, essential information for sailors of everything from dinghies to superyachts.
TAG Heuer calls the colours used to define the tide indicator quadrants ‘dark yellow’ and ‘Intrepid Teal’, the latter recalling the name of the 1967 America’s Cup-winning yacht ‘Intrepid’ which inspired the original Skipper regatta watch.
The combination makes for a light, summery look that belies the fact that this is a serious ‘tool watch’ that can also be used as a regular chronograph and which has been built tough to withstand the rigours of life at sea.
To that end, the 42mm case is hewn from brushed and polished stainless steel and fitted with TAG Heuer’s good-looking and durable seven-row steel bracelet – although buyers also get a ‘sports’ strap in the light brown colour of traditional boat rigging and lined in Intrepid Teal.
The watch goes on sale in March and looks set to be this summer’s chrono to be seen with at the world’s high-end marinas. It costs CHF 8,300/EUR 8,900/GBP 7,700/USD 10,380.
