One of the most coveted of the many Autavia models, the reference 2446H was especially favored by its namesake, the rakish Formula One champion, Jochen Rindt, who was documented wearing this specific reference in numerous photographs throughout his career. He was a prolific racing driver in the 1960s until his untimely death during the practice session at Monza for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix. Supported by his beautiful wife Nina, who famously sported a Universal Genève Compax, now known to collectors as the "Nina Rindt", this glamorous couple remains the only one where each partner's name was bestowed to a watch by collectors.

The present lot stands out with its exceptional condition, and features a stunning matte black dial with contrasting crisp white subsidiary registers, and sports the narrower, yet robust, rotating bezel calibrated for twelve hours, perfect for either counting elapsed time or tracking a second time zone. The attractive dial is noteworthy for being manufactured by Singer, who famously created the dials for the coveted Rolex "Paul Newman" Daytona. Furthermore, the dial features a rare “Fab Suisse” designation at 6 o’clock, an interesting and unusual detail found only on watches originally sold in France.

The rugged yet refined second execution example, characterized by its screwdown caseback and streamlined beveled lugs, measures a hefty 39mm in diameter (and 13mm in thickness) and is a favorite of the Heuer collecting community. In fact, it was selected amongst 16 Autavia examples as the inspiration for the new TAG Heuer Autavia launched in 2017.