Why This Watch Matters Heuer has had a long history of making tool watches, whether stopwatches or chronographs; this rare reference 433 NT dates to the 1940s, and features an unpolished case and beautiful dial as found recently in a Texas estate. The Full Story Here at HODINKEE, we love vintage Heuer chronographs, so when we stumbled across this rare 1940s reference 433 NT chronograph with black dial and an unpolished steel case, we couldn't pass it up. The steel case is in incredible condition and the reference 433 is extremely uncommon. Additionally, the dial has incredible patina, with luminous Arabic numerals. Most interestingly, it has a tachymeter scale that is marked to measure speed across 100 meters, as compared to the usual tachymeter scale marked to measure speed across one mile or kilometer. We haven’t found another Heuer with this scale and can only speculate that it may have been for a track coach to measure how fast runners were running 100 meters. All around, this watch is a winner. The Fine Print Maker: HeuerModel: N/A (this was before Heuer used model names)Reference: 433 NTYear: Circa 1945Case No: 78455Movement No: 400158Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 35mm diameter; 12.5mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: Yes, radiumCaliber: Landeron, manual-winding, caliber 13Bracelet/Strap: Textured Hunter Green Calfskin StrapLug Width: 18mmBox/Papers: N/A What we Love and What You Should Know The case is in good condition and is unpolished with crisp bevels on the lugs. The crown and pushers appear to be original. Heuer did not have “signed” crowns with the Heuer logo until the 1960s, so it is correct for it to be unsigned. The matte black dial has some fading and patina, and it has a nice overall look. The lume on the dial and in the hands is radium and appears to be original. The hands glow slightly longer than the dial when exposed to UV light, but is as found from a Texas estate and likely original in our view. The watch was recently serviced.
