Manufacturer: Heuer Year: circa 1972 Reference No: 1163 Case No: 242'334 Model Name: Autavia "Orange Boy" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Automatic, cal. 12, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Stainless steel Gay Frères bracelet, stamped 3.71, max length 215mm. Clasp/Buckle: Folding deployant clasp signed Heuer Dimensions: 42mm. Diameter Signed: Case, dial, movement and clasp signed Literature: Reference 1163 "Orange Boy" is illustrated in Heuer Autavia Chronographs 1962-1985 by Richard Crosthwaite & Paul Gavin, pages 146-147.
Catalogue Essay
A result of the contraction of the two words "Automobil" and "Aviation", the Autavia was Heuer’s tribute to automobile race timing. Worn by many racetrack legends of the 60/70s such as Jochen Rindt, Jo Siffert or Clay Regazzoni to only mention a few, this model encountered great success when launched. Over the course of its history, the model housed several calibers and displayed a very wide variety of dial and bezel configurations. The present example is affectionately nicknamed “Orange Boy” due to the bright accents of color on the hands and dial. Introduced around 1972, this reference 1163 came in two variations, an earlier example with the “Monaco style” orange striped hands like the present watch and a later version with orange edged hands. Housing the automatic Heuer cal. 12 the “Orange Boy” is very rare as less than 30 are known.
This iconic chronograph manufacturer has a long tradition of precision timekeeping. As early as 1882, founder Edouard Heuer held a patent for a chronograph watch; in 1887, he received a patent for an oscillating pinion, which is still in use today. These specialized timepieces have been at the heart of the firm's success, enabling the brand to be chosen as early timekeepers for the Olympics. In 1969, the company introduced their first automatic chronograph watch, the Monaco Heuer, which celebrated the Monaco Grand Prix. Other key chronograph models include the Autavia and the Carrera, all of which having become iconic models of the firm.