Why This Watch Matters The Siffert Autavia has always been one of the most sought after vintage Heuers and rightfully so. The creamy dial with blue accents really creates a stunning look on the wrist. The Full Story Heuer introduced the earliest Autavia wristwatches in the early 1960s, building on a motorsport history started by the first Autavia dashboard timers made in the 1930s. The wrist chronograph quickly became one of Heuer's flagship products during a period of massive growth and success for the brand. Heuer was one of the most popular and best-selling watch brands in the world in the 1960s. Its ties to the world of motorsport were paying off as racing took off in popular culture, specifically in the United States, one of the firm's strongest markets. The Autavia was built for racing, with a tachymeter scale on the bezel, designed for helping drivers determine their speed and lap time at a glance. The use of caliber 11, Heuer's stab at the next big thing in Swiss watchmaking: the automatic chronograph, also meant the watch's crown was on the nine o'clock side – as on other caliber 11 watches, like the Monaco – to remind the wearer that manually winding the watch was not necessary. The Swiss race car driver Jo Siffert was sponsored by Heuer in 1969, and he wore an Autavia ref. 1163 on the track that featured a white dial, black sub-dials, and blue accents. These colors would become synonymous with Siffert and collectors now refer to this Autavia reference as being in the "Jo Siffert"-style. The Siffert Autavia is among the most collectible Autavias ever created and a favorite of Jerry Seinfeld who can be seen wearing his on bracelet during many episodes of his Netflix show, Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee. The example we have today is in overall excellent condition with a clean creamy tone to the dial and vibrant blue tones. It features what collectors now refer to as a Mark 6 dial. As the ref. 1163 was produced from 1969 to 1972, Heuer tweaked the design; examples with a Mark 6 dial were released in 1972. The characteristics of this dial include an hour totalizer with Arabic numeral markers for all twelve hours as well as polished steel hands with lume and blue inserts. To read more about these variations check out OnTheDash. The Fine Print Maker: HeuerModel: AutaviaReference: 1163Year: Circa 1972Case No: 243222Material: Stainless steelDimensions: 42mm width x 47mm height; 15mm thicknessCrystal: PlexiglassLume: Yes, tritiumCaliber: Heuer, self-winding, caliber 12Bracelet/Strap: Blue "Corfam" racing-style strap with modern Heuer tang buckleLug Width: 20mmBox/Papers: No What We Love And What You Should Know Things We Love: - "Siffert" style dial motif- Mark 6 dial variation- Crisp overall condition Things To Know: - Light scratches on case This Siffert Autavia is in overall excellent condition. The case is strong with scratches and nicks. The sunburst finish is still visible on the top part of the case. The case was probably very lightly polished. There's some marking between both and beneath sets of lugs, but the numbers are still visible on the mid-case. The dial and hands are in great condition with a light patina. There are a few small spots like the one above "AUTAVIA" at 12 o'clock. Generally, these are hard to notice. The black sub-registers are clean with a very light patina. The minute register has some patina around the edge. The lume on the dial is in good condition with patina, the nine and three plots show normal signs of degradation. The hands and hour markers have developed a light patina. The lume on the hands and on the dial are close to matching in color. The bezel is in good condition with some scratches and light wear around the edge. The dial, case, movement, and crown are all signed by Heuer. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.
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