Mark -- With great trepidation, and working inside one of those "shoebox"-sized plastic tubs, lined and covered with plastic "cling wrap" and working through a cut in the middle of the wrap* -- because I *AM* one of the world's premier klutzes -- I managed to get the band off at the lug ends without losing either of the spring bars! Engraved at the 6 O'Clock edge of the case is "2446C." At the 12 O'Clock end is the serial number "145442." Hope this adds to your fund of knowledge. Judging by this S/N, what do you think was the date of manufacture?

Thanks again

Bart

* I got this idea from the way they used to work plutonium when I was an experimental machinist at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico -- only they used lead-lined gloves and a lead-crystal viewing window. Working plutonium was strictly a volunteer task for extra -- quite a bit extra, IIRC -- pay, and you could only work on the plute rigs 15 minutes a day. I never volunteered!

: One thing we can do for you is try and narrow the year of
: production down if you can get the serial number from between
: the lugs. We don't have Heuer records to go on, but we're
: putting together as many serials as we can, particularly where
: we have good details for when the watch was purchased and I
: think we have a fairly good idea now - though it gets sketchier
: the earlier we go.