Since vintage wristwatch collecting as a passion project and hobby for many has only been around since the 1980s, it follows that in 2008, Heuer enthusiasts would discover an entirely new reference of Heuer Skipper. The most mind-blowing fact, however, was that it was housed not in the Autavia or Chronomatic cases already known, but in a Carrera case, the chronograph reference introduced by Heuer in 1963. Thus, it is a model apart from any other, not quite Carrera and not quite Skipper – but at the same time, both. Collectors bestowed the nickname “Skipperera” upon the model’s discovery, and in the ensuing decade-and-a-half, it has become one of the most sought-after vintage Heuer models.

Regatta chronographs in general require bold colors for the purposes of visibility, and looking at Heuer’s Solunar and the Seafarer models of the 1940s and 1950s, the vibrant coloration of the Skipperera dial is not a departure from the norm, but rather a variation on an existing theme. Though the tri-color 15-minute counter often gets the most attention, the sunburst blue main dial is perhaps the most interesting change, rather than the typical black or silver. Scholarship suggests that the sea-foam/teal color of the subdial counter comes from the color of the deck of the Intrepid, the racing yacht which won the America’s Cup in 1967 – just before the introduction of the Skipperera in 1968.

Preserved in excellent condition, with a vibrant and beautiful dial, our present example comes from an important American collection. Having previously been documented in Skipperera scholarship, it is offered for sale publicly for the first time.