The design of the Autavia changed drastically over the course of the model’s history, but Jack Heuer’s concern for legibility remained a constant motivation for the changes it received.
Primarily designed for race car drivers, the case of the first Autavia reference 2446 displayed a bold and very masculine design. The watch’s versatility became evident when Heuer later introduced a GMT version in the late 1960s. Later the design would follow the evolution on the Autavia and the GMT function would appear on the tonneau case reference 741.603 in the mid-1970s. This was a difficult time to introduce a new manual winding watch as the demand for automatic and quartz movements was very strong. Therefore Heuer used a very distinctive color scheme and strong design cues, hoping that its bright GMT would make up for its unpopular movement. Unfortunately, Heuer found it difficult to find a market for its latest Autavia. It is only decades later that this watch would finally receive the attention it deserves with the rising demand of manual winding chronographs.
The present GMT reference 741.603 is a fantastically well preserved testament to a period during which long distance flights were not as common as they are today!