THE ESSENTIALS
MAKE: HEUER AUTAVIA
MODEL: 2446c
YEAR: 1969
BOX/PAPERS: NO/NO
CASE DIAMETER: 40mm
CASE MATERIAL: STAINLESS STEEL
BRACELET MATERIAL: CORFAM
MOVEMENT: MANUAL WIND
Heuer first applied the name Autavia—a portmanteau of Automotive and Aviation—back in the 1930s, when they produced dash clocks for racing cars and aircraft. The name signified its intended use in both automobiles and airplanes. Fast forward to 1960s, Heuer became the undoubted king of sports chronographs - this golden era of motorsport and aviation is the period most closely associated with the Autavia name.
The Heuer Autavia GMT combines Heuer’s mastery of the racing chronograph with the added functionality of a GMT complication. This 2446C 2nd execution GMT is in stunning condition: the dial is perfectly clean, and all tritium markers are intact and having aged beautifully to a creamy hue. The bezel has faded to a vibrant aquamarine blue and pinkish-red. The pushers are of the later fluted type, which replaced the original rounded version, and the case back is the compressor-style snap back.
The Valjoux 72 movement not only looks fantastic but also performs superbly, which after a recent service runs perfectly at +3 s/d, 275 amps, with a 0.3 ms beat error. . For us, the 2446C is one of our favorite models from the brand. Seldom seen in the wild, it deserves a place in any serious watch collection and holds its own against much more expensive pieces.