TAG Heuer Aquaracer Professional 300 × Time+Tide Sundowner II: The Follow-Up Goes Automatic

TAG Heuer and Australian publication Time+Tide are back together, and the sequel is a genuine step up. The original Aquaracer Solargraph Sundowner dropped in late 2024, sold all 250 pieces almost immediately, and left a lot of people wishing they'd been faster to the checkout. Now there's a Sundowner II, and the headline change is a big one: it runs on an automatic movement instead of a solar-powered quartz.

Everything else that made the first watch work is still here. Grade 2 titanium case, the warm rose-gold accent treatment, that sandblasted outback-inspired aesthetic, and the same 300 metres of water resistance you'd expect from an Aquaracer Professional 300. But the swap to an automatic calibre changes the character of the watch considerably. It's the same DNA, different heartbeat.

The dial drops the date too, which is the right call. A cleaner wave-patterned face with no date window is the more considered choice for a watch like this. It keeps the warmth of the original's colour story without anything interrupting it.

What Actually Changed

The jump from solar quartz to automatic is the obvious one, but let's look at the full picture of what's new here.

• Automatic movement replaces the light-powered quartz of the original Sundowner
• No-date dial gives the wave texture room to breathe
• Same Grade 2 titanium case and sandblasted finishing carried over
• Rose-gold accents remain, keeping continuity with the first collab
• 300m water resistance holds firm, as you'd expect from the Aquaracer Professional 300 platform

Going automatic on a dive-tool collaboration is a meaningful upgrade. Quartz has its place, and the solar angle on the original was a clever thematic tie-in to the Australian sun. But an automatic movement is what most enthusiasts actually want on their wrist. It signals that this sequel is a more serious proposition.

Who This Is For

If you missed the first Sundowner and spent the last few months annoyed about it, this is your shot. The watch is clearly aimed at the same crowd: people who want a capable titanium diver with some visual personality rather than a pure all-black tactical look. The rose-gold details keep it warm and distinctive without being flashy.

The Australian outback inspiration still runs through it. Time+Tide's editorial identity is tied to their geography, and the Sundowner series leans into that honestly. It's not just a colour slapped on a standard model. There's a coherent aesthetic logic to the warm tones against the sandblasted titanium.

That said, if automatic movements, no-date dials, and titanium cases are your checklist items for a sport watch, you'd be happy with this regardless of the backstory. It's a solid watch that happens to have a good narrative behind it.

How It Compares to the Original

The first Sundowner was a Grade 2 titanium Aquaracer Solargraph. Solar-powered quartz, rose-gold accents, green NATO strap, 250 pieces, sold out fast. It was a sharp watch for the money and the collab made sense thematically. The Australian sun powering the movement was a nice touch.

Sundowner II shifts the platform. The Aquaracer Professional 300 with an automatic calibre is a more conventional but arguably more desirable base. You're not relying on light exposure to keep it running. The no-date dial is cleaner. And the wave-pattern texture on the dial ties back to the ocean reference in the Professional 300 name, which works well alongside all that outback warmth in the colour palette.

It's a more refined watch. The original had charm and novelty on its side. The sequel has better fundamentals.

Specs at a Glance

Pricing and exact production numbers haven't been confirmed in what we've seen so far. Given the original's 250-piece run sold out almost immediately, don't expect this one to hang around either. Keep an eye on Time+Tide's channels if you're serious about getting one.