Heuer Abercrombie & Fitch Co. Seafarer 2443 First Execution
While famed as a general clothing store these days, Abercrombie & Fitch was once one of the most influential and important sporting goods supplier in all of America. With their mid-town Manhattan location seeing significant business in the 1950s thanks to the post-war boom in sporting activities, their clout with suppliers began to grow as their customer base began to ask for more and more specialised equipment. With interest growing for a watch that could track the tides, the president of Abercrombie & Fitch turned to Charles-Eduoard Heuer. The timepiece that came about as result from that inquiry, was the Solunar, “the only watch in the world that tells both SOLAR (sun) time, and LUNAR (moon) time”— as stated by the 1949 ad that accompanied its launch. However, a niche product with a limited run of just 1,000 pieces, the Solunar was promptly discontinued. However, the Solunar would live on in the watch that would follow, the Seafarer, the watch that we have here. Combining the tidal dial with a chronograph, the Seafarer was the ultimate yachting watch. To operate it, first you set the time (or, “Solar Time” as Heuer calls it) and then the “Lunar Dial” according to tide tables using the pusher at 9 o’clock until the tide markers aligned with the proper time. At midnight, the tide dial would advance. Launched in the 1950s and produced until the 1970s, the Seafarer went through several editions, but the example we have here belongs to the First Execution, with its aged silver dial only sporting Arabic numerals across the top of the dial at 11, 12 and 1 o’clock. “Oversized” at the time with its 38mm stainless steel case, the Seafarer was a beast back in the 1950s, with it dwarfing the 32-34mm watches men would normally wear, making it a perfectly contemporary choice for the modern collector.
THE DIAL Identifiable as one of the earlier examples, this ref. 2443 falls under the "First Execution" category as a result of its dial which only features Arabic numerals at 11, 12 and 1 o'clock, with the rest of the hours featuring luminous dots.
THE CONSTRUCTION Offered as a large chonograph at the time, the ref. 2443's 38mm stainless steel case has aged to translate perfectly into the demands of modern watch collectors.
TIMING MACHINE READOUT This reading was taken (crown down) with a ONEOF Accuracy Boutique Edition timing machine at time of cataloging. It is provided as a courtesy only, and shall not be construed as a warranty or guarantee of any kind. Please refer to our terms and conditions of sale for more information.
