Heuer Autavia 2446

Reference 2446 Autavia ‘Big Sub’ | A triple register stainless steel chronograph wristwatch with oversized sub-registers, Circa 1963 Heuer

Dial: black Caliber: cal. Valjoux 72 mechanical, 17 jewels Case: stainless steel, screw down case back Case number: 53’048 Size: 39 mm diameter Signed: case, dial, and movement Box: no Papers: no One of the great legends from the history of vintage Heuer and its incredible collections is the reference 2446 Autavia, so called “1st execution” or “Big Subs” by collectors. When the milestone model line was launched in 1962, it went through a number of iterations fairly rapidly, some for design reasons and others out of necessity. With a transition from radium luminous material to tritium, a change in the profiling of the case to make it more refined and various versions of the dial design including the addition of a tachymeter scale towards the end of production of the first series, there are a wealth of different versions that collectors have pored over and studied over the years. But it is the very beginning of the story which has fascinated enthusiasts the most, and as a result seen the very highest prices paid. With its distinctive oversized subsidiary dials, radium lume which ages to a handsome warm tone over more than 60 years, pronounced teeth on the rotating bezel and robust case proportions, the utilitarian nature of the model line cannot be mistaken. The 1st execution is the model that launched the celebrated Autavia, resulting in later models finding their ways onto the wrists of Jochen Rindt, Mario Andretti, Jo Siffert and Derek Bell among many others. It is understandable how it became the quintessential chronograph of racing drivers given the exceptional traits of the perfect legible chronograph in high speed environments. With the short production run for the very first pieces, they are already incredibly rare. Add to that the dial degradation they can suffer due to the radium material and the risk of humidity over the years, and you further reduce the number of great examples that have survived. So, to find one of the greatest sports chronographs of all time, ranking up there with the double Swiss underline Rolex Daytona, and the reference 2915 Omega Speedmaster, that is in a strong state of preservation, represents a special opportunity not to be missed.