THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: HEUER AUTAVIA
MODEL: 2446C
YEAR: 1971
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: CORFAM
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND

Heuer first applied the name Autavia (a portmanteau of Automotive and Aviation) back in the 1930s when they produced dash clocks for racing cars and aircraft, signifying its intended use in both automobiles and airplanes. This golden era of motorsport and aviation is still the period most closely associated with the Autavia name.

The Heuer Autavia GMT combines Heuer’s mastery of the racing chronograph with a GMT function.

The 2446C Mark 4 GMT offered here is in fantastic condition: the dial is clean, all tritium markers are intact and beautifully aged, and the bezel has retained most its original blue and red colours. There are some marks on the white subdials. The MK4 2446 is easily recognisable with its larger subdials, "SWISS" only signature, and red chronograph hand, giving it a different aesthetic to the earlier executions. The pushers are the fluted type, which succeeded the earlier rounded style, and the caseback is the compressor-style snap back.

The Valjoux 72 not only looks fantastic but performs superbly, keeping time well. For us, the 2446C is one of the brand’s finest—seldom seen in the wild, deserving of a place in any serious watch collection, and more than capable of holding its own against far more expensive pieces.