Sotheby’s is holding its “Heuer Champions” auction on December 6, 2024, in New York, with this auction comprised of 38 lots of vintage Heuer chronographs and other timepieces. In response to some questions regarding the watches that I have consigned to Sotheby’s for the Heuer Champions auction, this posting describes the seven lots that I have consigned for the auction. This posting provides the Catalog Notes for each of these seven lots and the Gallery at the end of this posting includes photos for all seven of the lots. Here is the link to the Sotheby’s online catalog for the Heuer Champions auction, which is Lots 91 through 128 of its “Important Watches” auction.

These seven lots that I have consigned for the Heuer Champions auction are as follows:

• Lot 93 — Two Split-Second Pocket Chronographs, Reference 11.202, with fitted leather cases and straps
• Lot 100 — Abercrombie & Fitch Auto-Graph Chronograph, First Execution, circa 1953
• Lot 117 — Heuer Autavia, Ref 1163 GMT Mark 2, with “Tropical” dial
• Lot 118 — Autavia Reference 73663, “Gilles Villeneuve” Model
• Lot 119 — Heuer Autavia, Reference 1163 “Pre-Viceroy” model, engraved for Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing Team 1970 and 1971 Indy Car Championships, with team coat
• Lot 125 — Two Heuer stopwatches with Indianapolis Motor Speedway “Wings and Wheel” logo on dial, in rubber Champion Spark Plugs case
• Lot 126 — Heuer Timing Board with Dual-Mounted Autavia Dashboard Timers Retailed by Abercrombie & Fitch, and racing documents and photos

Lot 93 — Two Split-Second Pocket Chronographs, Reference 11.202, with fitted leather cases and straps

As long as competitors have been racing – whether on foot, on horses, in cars, boats or planes -– they have needed timepieces to measure the time differential between them. Lap after lap, race cars pass the start / finish line, and team members and race officials determine whether the gap between them is increasing or decreasing.

In the time-speed-distance (TDS) rally, the participants face a similar challenge, needing to determine the differential between the arrival time specified for a particular checkpoint, and the actual arrival time for the car, with points assessed based on the differentials

The split-second (rattrapante) chronograph is the essential timepiece to address these challenges. In addition to indicating the time-of-day in a highly legible clock, by incorporating two thin second hands superimposed, one above the other, the team member or race official is able to determine the time differential between two events.

Commencing in the late 1880s and continuing for almost 100 years, Heuer offered split-second chronographs for competitors. The highly-complex movements earned them the title, “the queen of complications” for chronographs, and they were always the most expensive timepieces in the Heuer catalog. These were handheld instruments, with Heuer suggesting that wrist chronographs would be too small to provide accurate information, especially in racing condition.

With sports car rallies becoming popular in the 1950s, Heuer designed a new type of leather-covered case for its split-second chronographs. Officials or competitors would set the time, start the chronograph and then place the timepiece into the hinged holder. The split-second hand could be operated by the pusher that extended above the left side of the timepiece, while a pin on the right side locked the case, ensuring that the time-of-day and chronograph could not be changed, whether by accident or in an effort to tamper with the timekeeping.

In the 1960s, Heuer offered a program under which it rented these timers to sports car clubs, ensuring that the club would always have state-of-the-art equipment. This contributed to these timepieces becoming de facto standard equipment for both amateur and professional rallies in this decade.

Lot 100 — Abercrombie & Fitch Auto-Graph Chronograph, First Execution, circa 1953

Billing itself as “The Greatest Sporting Goods Store in the World”, in the mid-20th century, Abercrombie & Fitch was the “destination” retailer for adventurers who wanted to be outfitted with the very best gear. Pilots and sailors, climbers and hunters, all made their way to Abercrombie & Fitch’s 12-story building at Madison Avenue and East 45th Street in New York City. Others having to settle for mail or telephone orders through their famous catalogs.

Abercrombie & Fitch always offered top quality watches and chronographs, and with the increasing popularity of motoring in the 1950s, it didn’t take long for Heuer and Abercrombie & Fitch to develop a special one “Especially for motorists”. The Abercrombie & Fitch Auto-Graph.

The driver or navigator used a pusher on the left side of the case to move an “extra” hand to rest on the desired speed (for example, 66 miles per hour). The chronograph would then be started at zero, and stopped when the car passed the mile marker, allowing the user to determine whether the pace was too fast, too slow or just right. In our example, if the car passes the marker in 54.5 seconds, then the car is running at the desired 66 MPH.

The present watch is a first-execution Auto-Graph chronograph, produced only in 1953, and is distinguished by its over-sized recorders and large gold-painted Arabic numerals, both features designed to deliver optimal legibility during the rigors of racing or rallying.

Fewer than five of these first execution Auto-Graph chronographs are known to Heuer community.

Lot 117 — Heuer Autavia, Ref 1163 GMT Mark 2, with “Tropical” dial

Heuer introduced its Autavia chronograph in 1962, with defining features being an oversized waterproof case, large white recorders on black dials, and a rotating bezel that provided additional timekeeping options. These bezels were marked for either hours, minutes or decimal minutes, allowing the enthusiast to select the chronograph to suit their specific timing needs (hours for world travelers, minutes for divers, etc.)

In 1968, Heuer introduced a new version of the Autavia (the reference 2446 GMT), which incorporated an entirely new style of bezel and an additional hour hand (called the “GMT hand”). The bezel was marked for the 24 hours of the day, with the daylight hours (6:00 AM to 6:00 PM) in red and the nighttime hours (6:00 PM to 6:00 AM) in blue, and the GMT hand made only one rotation around the dial per 24 hours. After the bezel was rotated to establish a differential from the primary hour hand on the watch, the GMT hand would indicate the local time in this second time zone.

GMT watches were popular among pilots, travelers and those conducting international business; with its three-register chronograph capacity, Heuer’s Autavia GMT was an even more useful tool.

With the popularity of the GMT versions of the Autavia in 1968 and 1969, it is not surprising that promptly upon the introduction of the automatic Autavia (reference 1163) in 1969, Heuer would modify the new automatic Autavia’s to incorporate the GMT features. In 1970, Heuer introduced the Autavia reference 1163 GMT, with a larger C-shaped case (required to house the larger automatic movement) replacing the more traditional “compressor” case of the manual-winding models.

Over the period from 1970 to 1972, the Autavia reference 1163 GMT evolved through three executions. The present watch is the Mark 2 model, which should be thought of as “transitional” between the models that preceded and would follow it. The brushed hands are brought forward from the Mark 1 model, but the Mark 2 Autavia 1163 GMT introduced brighter, more vivid colors on the bezel. The bright red chronograph hour and minute hands are unique to the Mark 2 models, and this is also the only version of the reference 2446 or 1163 Autavia in which the black dial may take on a dramatic “tropical” tone.

Lot 118 — Autavia Reference 73663, “Gilles Villeneuve” Model

Heuer introduced the Autavia chronograph in 1962 and the automatic versions (reference 1163) followed in 1969. Of course, developing the new automatic Autavia was a substantial task, especially with it being one of three launch models, with the updated Carrera and the entirely new Monaco. We can understand then that Heuer offered only two basic color choices for the new automatic Autavias, which we can summarize as “black and white”. With its white registers, the black-dial version was a “reverse Panda” scheme, while the white-dialed model, with its black registers, was the “Panda”. Enthusiasts who wanted something more colorful could look to other models (especially, the blues and grays of the Carrera and Monacos).

All this changed, however, circa 1972, when Heuer introduced a new range of manual-winding Autavia chronographs, along with some new automatic models (Calibre 15). Although housed in the same type of C-shaped case as the automatic models, Heuer moved beyond the “black and white” that described the first decade of Autavias, and beyond the traditional styles of hands and markers, to a new range that would capture the bold style of the 1970s. Markers might be painted on the dial, in either sticks or Arabic numerals; hands could be painted bright white; numerals might be placed radially on the dial; lume could be shaded green or a rich amber. It was the 70s, and enthusiasts wanted more than “black and white”.

If we line up all the racers who wore Heuer chronographs during the 1970s, and study their driving style and their chosen watch, perhaps it was the Autavia chronograph worn by Canadian Formula one legend Gilles Villeneuve (reference 73663) that represented the deepest alignment of the style of the racer and the style of his watch. With its bright orange hands and dial accents, we see a boldness and courage that captures Villeneuve’s fearlessness. The registers are neither black nor white, but a deep charcoal that takes gray to the edge of blackness. Villeneue was known to take his cars to their absolute limit; so too, with this model, Heuer explored the limits of aggression and stability.

It is fitting that rather than being identified by the usual letter codes (for example, “N” for noir, “S” for silver and “B” for blue), collectors refer to this 73663 model only as the “Villeneuve”. That’s how closely they identify this legendary watch with this legendary driver. Collectors have seen fewer than 10 of the Villeneuve Autavia over the past two decades, making this an especially coveted model for collectors who enjoy the bold colors and courage of Formula One racing in the 1970s.

Lot 119 — Heuer Autavia, Reference 1163 “Pre-Viceroy” model, engraved for Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing Team 1970 and 1971 Indy Car Championships, with team coat

The Indianapolis 500 is clearly the most famous open-wheel race in the United States, but through the 1960s, it was part of an annual championship series operated by the United States Automobile Club (USAC). In addition to the Indy 500, USAC championship races were held at venues such as Ontario Motor Speedway (in California), Michigan International Raceway and Sears Point (in California). Rufus Parnell “Parnelli” Jones had great success as a racer in the 1960s, winning the Indy 500 in 1963 and also driving well in stock cars and the Trans Am sports car series. In 1969, Jones and his business partner Velko Miletich formed Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing Team, enjoying quick success with its drivers winning back-to-back championships in 1970 and 1971.

Al Unser dominated the USAC championship competition in 1970, winning 10 of the 17 races (including the Indy 500) and being on the podium in an additional five races. Unser’s 5,130 points doubled those of each of the second and third place finishers (his brother, Bobby Unser, with 2,260 points, and Jim McElreath with 2,060 points). In 1971, it turned out to be a strange season for the VPJ racing team. Al Unser would win five of the 12 races, including the Indianapolis 500, but in seven other races he finished 15th or lower, leaving him fourth in the overall standings, with 2,200 points. His VPJ teammate, Joe Leonard, would take the championship (with 3,015 points), winning only a single race, but getting top six finishes in another six races.

The 1970 and 1971 VPJ cars were the best performing cars on the grid, and Indy car enthusiasts can make the case that these were also among the best-looking cars of the era. In 1970, both the Unser and Leonard cars used the “Johnny Lightning” livery (representing the brand of diecast cars), with Samsonite Luggage as a secondary sponsor; in 1971, Unser continued with the Johnny Lightning livery, while the championship car of Joe Leonard was called the “Samsonite Special”. It was only for the 1972 season that Viceroy tobacco became the primary livery on the VPJ cars.

To celebrate the back-to-back USAC championships, Vel’s Parnelli Jones team ordered Heuer Autavia chronographs. A member of the team recalls that they ordered 12 or 15 of the watches, each engraved “Vel’s Parnelli Jones Racing Team, 1970-71 Champs”, a keepsake for team members and VIPs.

Collectors refer to the version of the Autavia delivered to the VPJ team as the “pre-Viceroy”, and a look at the timeline helps us understand this term. The VPJ team ordered these Autavias from Heuer to celebrate the 1970 and 1971 USAC championships; we can assume that VPJ placed this order in late 1971. It was six months later, in May 1972, that the Viceroy cigarette brand launched its wildly-successful promotion with Heuer.

Included in this lot is a coat issued to the VPJ team member (“Steve”) who was the original owner of the present Heuer Autavia. Other than the cars themselves, this extra large coat offers the boldest possible presentation of the legendary Vel’s Parnelli Jones / Johnny Lightning / Samsonite livery.

Lot 125 — Two Heuer stopwatches with Indianapolis Motor Speedway “Wings and Wheel” logo on dial, in rubber Champion Spark Plugs case

Heuer timepieces with the “Wings and Wheel” logo of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) are coveted by racing enthusiasts.  This line-up of timepieces includes an Autavia chronograph with a unique silver / white dial, as well as three versions of the Carrera 45 Dato chronograph, one with a black dial and two with silver / white dials.  Two of the IMS Autavia chronographs have been sold for prices in excess of $190,000 each (2017 and 2023).

The present stopwatch set is comprised of a pair of matching Heuer stopwatches, held in a sturdy red rubber case that is marked on the back, “Champion, Dependable Spark Plugs.”  Champion was a leading sponsor of the Indianapolis 500 and various racing teams during the 1960s.  

Each of these stopwatches has a three-function crown.  With the first press of the crown, the stopwatch starts running; the second press stops the timer, allowing the user to take an accurate reading; the third press returns all hands to zero, so that the stopwatch is ready to time the next lap or event.  Using a pair of the stopwatches in a single holder allows the enthusiast to easily time each lap of a race.  

These stopwatches (reference 33.220) appear in Heuer catalogs in the mid-1960s, offering 1/100 second timing and a central minute register, for optimal legibility.  Features important at the racetrack include incabloc shock protection, an unbreakable mainspring and non-reflecting black anodized finish for the outside cap.

The “back-story” of these sets of stopwatches is not known definitively to the community of collectors, but they are exceptionally rare, with fewer than 10 of the individual stopwatches seen in the market and this being only the second pair in the red rubber “Champion” case to be offered in a public auction.

Lot 126 — Heuer Timing Board with Dual-Mounted Autavia Dashboard Timers Retailed by Abercrombie & Fitch, and racing documents and photos

Vintage watch collectors stare at their watches and wonder about the life they lived. Who was the pilot or diver who wore the Vietnam era Benrus Type-1 watch?  Who was the enthusiast who purchased the gold Patek Philippe split second chronograph in the 1920s?  Did they time cars, horses or runners, or only wear the watch for their own satisfaction?    

For today’s collectors, the dream shot is a statement from the original owner describing their use of the watch.  In most instances, however, we hope that a Google search will lead us to interesting records or photos.  Sometimes, the most that we can hope for is a colorful obituary.  We come to expect very limited information about our watches, as we imagine the lives that they lived.  

In 2010, vintage Heuer enthusiast Jeff Stein bought a large plywood box (approximately 30 inches by 20 inches) that housed an old Heuer timing board, equipped with a pair of Autavia dashboard timers.  Now, some 14 years later, after analyzing some photos clipped to the timing board, two stickers that remain attached, and sheets that show data from races held exactly 51 years ago – and spending countless hours in racing archives – Stein has assembled the history of the team, and some of the cars and racers, that used this old timing board.  Yes, this timing board lived an interesting life – from recording the times of Al Unser’s winning Pikes Peak Hill Climb car in 1965 to Clay Regazzoni Formula 5000 Lola in 1973, with multiple appearances at the Indianapolis 500 and other Formula 5000 races in the intervening nine years.  

Here, we present a sampling of the archeological highlights of this unique piece of racing memorabilia.  

The Heuer timers are the easy part of the story, a matching pair of Autavia dashboard timers from the late 1950s, co-branded with Abercrombie & Fitch, the retail store and mail order supplier that offered top-quality gear to the world’s leading adventurers.  The Autavias had 12-hour stopwatch capacity; this version had the tachymeter scale printed on the dial, so that racers could convert elapsed time over a measured distance to miles per hour.   

A sticker on the bottom right corner of the timing board identifies Eisert Racing Enterprises as the owner of the board.  Born in 1931, Jerry Eisert was an independent car builder who seems to have “arrived” in Indy car racing (circa 1964) when he secured the support of J. Frank Harrison, a wealthy businessman from Chattanooga, Tennessee.  Eisert built a series of “Harrison Special” racers, always combining sleek lines with aerodynamic innovations.  In 1965, Eisert built from scratch a novel “spaceframe” car, which Al Unser drove to win the Pikes Peak Hill Climb.  

A sticker on the timing board that converts lap times to miles per hour (with its range from 155 MPH to 180 MPH) would confirm its use at Indianapolis in the mid-to-late 1960s.  This is when top qualifying speeds jumped from an average of under 150 MPH for the first four years of the decade to 170 MPH for the last four races of the decade.  

Records from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway confirm that Eisert Racing entered its first Harrison Special car at the Speedway in 1965, although two drivers (Al Unser and Skip Hudson) failed to make the field.  Eisert’s “Harrison Special”, driven by Ronnie Duman, made the field in 1966, qualifying 33rd in the field of 33 cars.  Sadly, the car also finished 33rd, the victim of a crash on the very first lap, that took 11 cars out of the race.  Still, Eisert and his Harrison Special had made the field and taken the green flag, itself an accomplishment for an independent car builder.  Ironically, Eisert received Indy’s 1965 “Mechanical Achievement Award” for his car, even though the car didn’t complete a lap of the race.  

Eisert and Harrison took two cars to the Brickyard in 1967, but both cars failed to qualify for the race.  The 1967 season marked the end of the partnership between Eisert and Harrison.  For the 1968 Indy 500, Eisert served as chief mechanic for the Eagle Ford that Johnny Rutherford drove to an 18th place finish.  Later in that season, four Eisert-built cars were in the field at Riverside, with Peter Revson driving one to a 10th place finish.  Soon, however, Jerry Eisert would turn his attention to a new brand of racing, known as Formula 5000.  

The Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) created the wildly-popular Can-Am racing series in 1966, with the lack of restrictive rules allowing teams to test the limits of prototype engineering and speed (and noise).  In 1968, the SCCA created what would soon be known as the Formula 5000 series, for formula cars powered by 5.0 liter engines.  The races were competitive, the drivers were charismatic and the sounds of the V8 engines always excited the crowds.  Separate series were contested in the United States and England, and by 1973 it was clear that the U.S. series had made it to the top of the racing world, with Jody Scheckter, Brian Redman, Mark Donahue and Peter Gethin finishing atop the championship standings.

Eisert Racing Enterprises made the transition from Indy cars to the Formula 5000 series early in the game, producing “customer cars” starting in the inaugural 1968 season.  The timing sheets clipped to the timing board show that Australian open-wheeler Bob Muir drove a LolaT330 for the Eisert team for the 1973 season. Muir often qualified well (for example, fourth in the Michigan International race), but mechanical problems were the dominant theme of the season, with Muir earning only a single point, for a 30th place finish in the championship.  

There were approximately 20 timing sheets clipped to this Heuer timing board when it was purchased by Jeff Stein, and the top sheet under one of the clips indicated that the driver was “Clay Reg”.  Indeed, for the last race of the 1973 North American season (September 30), Regazzoni drove for the Eisert team, qualifying third in the Seattle race, behind Redman and Donahue, but retiring with a fuel cell problem after only five laps.  Two weeks later, Regazzoni would drive this same car in British Formula 5000 race, at Brands Hatch, finishing 12th.  

This timing board, with its matched Heuer Autavia dashboard timers likely dating from the late 1950s, appears to have been retired after the 1973 Formula 5000 season.  We can assume that for its future endeavors, Eisert Racing Enterprises would switch over to state-of-the-art Heuer electronic timers, perhaps the bright red Microsplit models first shown in Heuer’s 1973 catalog.

The 1960s saw dozens of teams compete in the top-tier racing series, such as Indy cars and Formula 5000.  Each of these teams must have had some sort of “big plywood box” to carry its timing equipment, but few of them survived the intervening decades. Fifty years later, the present lot — connected to a man who build beautiful cars for leading drivers — tells its own story, offering a unique perspective on the thrill of motorsports in the 1960s.

Jeff Stein
December 4, 2024