Manufacturer: Heuer Year: 1972 Reference No: 1550SG Case No: 6645-12-146-3774 Model Name: Heuer Bund Flyback "3H" Material: Stainless steel Calibre: Manual, cal. 230, 17 jewels Bracelet/Strap: Leather Bund style strap Clasp/Buckle: Stainless steel pin buckle Dimensions: 43mm Diameter Signed: Case and dial signed Accessories: Accompanied by Luftwaffe handbook from 1972 describing how to operate the timepiece, booklet and commission ticket
Catalogue Essay
Heuer has had a long history of delivering military watches to the air forces of numerous nations. Reference 1550 SG is known to have been made for the German Bundeswehr in the 1970s. Since its conception in 1955 until the late 1990s, the Bundeswehr was known as one of the most organised and prepared army of its time.
This watch was created to be an army pilot’s true companion. The design, dial and case allow for practical visibility, comfort and reliability even throughout the most strenuous of missions. Whilst other watch manufactures opted for an encircled letter "T" for tritium on their dials, Heuer acknowledged the presence of radioactive material through the use of an encircled "3H" at 6 o'clock - this is because hydrogen-3 is the chemical compound for radioactive luminous material. This Heuer 1550 SG, in great overall condition, presents all the characteristics of a military watch with its black dial, large luminous Arabic numerals and lume on the hands which have all aged gracefully. This watch possesses both the flyback chronograph as well as a hacking function.
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.