Why This Watch Matters Here is a transitional Carrera reference mixing a manually-wound movement with some 1970s case and dial design. With a nice silver dial and excellent lume patina, this example is worth a serious look. The Full Story Heuer introduced the Carrera in 1964, and today, it's one of the most iconic vintage Heuer chronograph models out there. The Carrera has gone through an interesting design evolution, indicative of styles and trends of each era. Starting in the 1960s with the ref. 2447, the Carrera featured a classic round case with the crown and pushers on the right. Moving into the 1970s, the brand released more funky styles, including some in tonneau-shaped cases with the left-hand crown orientation. The example we have here is the ref. 7853S with a tonneau-shaped stainless steel case and manually wound chronograph movement sits in a transition phase for the model. Before the automatic caliber 11 and its predecessors took over the model's offerings, 1970s funky design was offered with a more classical Valjoux movement calling back to the earliest Carreras. The ref. 7853 came in different dial variants, and here we have the silver dial version with an "S" at the end of the reference number, indicating its dial color. The dial has a satin, almost-metallic finish, with a sunburst finish that shows off various levels of details like the hour markers and minute hashing very well. The dark grey, almost blue toned outer tachymeter scale frames the silver dial beautifully as well. This particular example's luminous material has aged to a wonderful creamy color that matches the rest of the watch so well. We consider the well-integrated Valjoux 7734 date complication the cherry on top of this watch; at six o'clock, it neither interrupts the overall design or gets lost in the mix. The outside caseback of this watch features an engraving along the edge, "C6262-5," which indicates the watch was originally meant for the Swiss market. We paired this Heuer Carrera with our Sedona Strap in Slate Grey to stick with the grey and silver theme here. The resulting look is very classic HODINKEE in our opinion. The Fine Print Maker: HeuerModel: CareraReference: 7853SYear: 1970sCase No: 153658Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 39mm width x 44mm height; 12.5mm thickness Crystal: PlexiglassLume: Yes, tritiumCaliber: Heuer signed Valjoux, manually-wound, caliber 7734Bracelet/Strap: HODINKEE The Sedona Watch Strap In Slate GreyLug Width: 20mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - Excellent lume patina- Silver slate dial- Strong case condition Things To Know: - Scratches on case- Slight spot on dial under "12" This watch is in overall great, attractive condition. The case is sharp with scratches and some slight nicks. The brushing is still visible on the sides and top of the case. The rear of the lugs have scratching from strap changing. The caseback has some scratches from removal and wear but the "C 6262-5" number is clearly visible, as is the brushed finish. The reference and serial numbers are clearly visible between both sets of lugs. The dial is overall in good condition with the metallic finish well preserved and a light patina. The dial has one small spot under the 12 o'clock marker. The hands and hour markers have developed some patina. The red seconds hand has developed some oxidation along the edges. The lume on the hands and dial have developed patina and aged to a nice creamy yellow color. The dial, crown, case, and movement are signed by Heuer. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
