THE ESSENTIALS

MAKE: HEUER
MODEL: 73655CH
YEAR: 1970
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 39MM
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL / 18K GOLD PLATED
BRACELET MATERIAL: LEATHER
MOVEMENT: MANUAL

The year 1963 saw the birth of two of the most iconic sports chronographs: the Rolex Daytona and the Heuer Carrera. Unlike Rolex, known for its slow-and-steady design evolution (a 6265 from 1988 and a 6239 from 1963 are fundamentally the same watch), Heuer produced many more variations of the Carrera, each with its own distinct character. Interestingly, Heuer placed greater emphasis on legibility and functionality when refining the Carrera, while Rolex focused on improving the Daytona’s robustness and water resistance.

The present example is a ref. 73655CH, a "second execution" Carrera featuring a three-register layout housed in the iconic C-shaped case. It boasts a wonderfully warm 18K gold-plated stainless steel case paired with a matching monochromatic champagne dial. The watch has survived in incredible condition: there is no chipping to the gold plating, the dial remains flawless, and all of the tritium lume plots are intact, having aged to a rich, creamy hue.

The watch was serviced within the past year and is running impeccably at +4 s/d, with 275° amplitude and a 0.2 ms beat error. It comes fitted with a pair of racing straps.

There’s something wonderfully nostalgic about this watch—it looks absolutely stunning on the wrist.