: Ref 734.713.. but no such thing in the MOAT.

Not one I recognise, and certainly not an Autavia, but a reference number always gives us something to go on. Heuer had been using 4 and 5 digit references for a while, before introducing some chronos with this 6 digit formatting in '72, like the Montreal and Calculator. The stopwatches had already been using this format for some time by then.

But let's go back a couple of years and look at some of the economy watches. One I'm thinking of in particular is referenced 73473. Doesn't look anything like the watch in question, but the reference is certainly similar.

The first three digits relate to the movement used. 734 would mean a Valjoux 7734, a 2-register movement with date, which is what is on that watch. So that makes some sense. Now, I haven't managed to crack the last 3 digits of a six digit reference yet (the last is case material on some, but not all, and the model reference key digit is sometimes #4, sometimes #5) but the only other xxx.713 I could find is a Kentucky, very different to this watch.

A nice thing to do when you have a reference number to go on is check price lists, as these often only list watches by their reference numbers. I looked through some from '72 to '81 and couldn't find that reference in any of them. So a not impossible-looking reference number, but one which I couldn't find in any Heuer literature.

Moot point now it's sold anyway, but a good demonstration of how you can go about tracking a watch down. And maybe a pointer to stay with the more familiar, better researched watches when starting out on a Heuer collecting journey!