Heuer Autavia Siffert

Heuer

3rd Execution "Siffert"

1163T

Circa 1970

143XXX

Lovely sunray 42mm. case with unpolished sharp edges, screw-back, serial number and reference numbers correctly punched between the lugs, original fluted pushers and Heuer winder, screw-back signed HEUER LEONIDAS SA SWISS stainless steel.

Flawless superb original finish, signed AUTAVIA HEUER AUTOMATIC CHRONOGRAPH SWISS black sub dials, original lume dots at the end of the steel baton markers with single black enamel stripe, calendar aperture at 6.

Steel matchstick hour and minute hands with original lume inserts and black enamel, original blue-painted chronograph hand, original white painted sub hands.

Calibre 11, automatic movement, signed Heuer CAL 11 (1st series).

Gay Frères beads of rice bracelet with correct HLD ends.

This watch is a truly superb example of its type, the case is near mint and the dial is flawless with original hands, the bezel only has one or two very minor blemishes and the bracelet is an excellent example dated 3/69. Jo Siffert was a true Formula 1 racing legend. He was Jack Heuer's first watch signing and he proved to be a great ambassador for Heuer - as the story goes, Siffert would persuade his fellow drivers to buy Heuer watches even whilst on the grid, waiting for the race to start! He lived up to his motto “Live Hard, Die Young” racing for Lotus, Brabham & Porsche. He died a fiery death at Brands Hatch in 1971 when his suspension failed, he crashed but couldn't get out of his car in time. Over 50,000 people attended his funeral. Technically the ‘true' Siffert is the super-rare Mk1 1163 with the word “Chronomatic” on the dial. A month or so after Heuer produced that edition in 1969 the word Chronomatic was replaced by “Automatic Chronograph”. But collectors refer to all 6 versions of the 1163SN T as the “Siffert” – whilst its later cousin; the reference 73663, is referred to as the ‘Siffert Colours'.