Hi Ty

: I looked over the reference guide on OTD. Am I correct that this
: watch is the 2446 Model M? It lists the catalog dates as '62/63.

It is a 2446. M means that the bezel is divided in to minutes 0-60. H is hour 1-12. HM is bezels with both hour and minute. T is tachymeter that can calculate the speed you are travelling.

The case of your watch is the first execution with screw back case. The next case execution had snap back case (pressed in in stead of screwed) and is called 2446C.

The first execution case came with 3 execution of dials. Yours is the first with very big subdials. The 2 first dial executions also featured the very vintage looking Dauphine hands (triangle). The very first of the first execution case with first execution dials featured Dauphine hands that was fully covered (nearly) with lume, whereas the ones to follow only had a triangle in the triangle hands filled with lume.

So yours will be described as a Autavia 2446 with first execution case and first execution dial with fully lumed hands. And you are a lucky bastard to own such a rare Heuer!

If anything I wrote here is not correct I am prepared to learn.

: Can I learn from the serial numbers or other method whether was
: made in 1962 or 1963?

Heuer kept no records of serial numbers, but some of the specialists here On The Dash knows something about the span of numbers and can therefore do some kind of dating. (Paolo come forward!)

: Also, it says the crystal was plastic. Do you all replace with
: sapphire stick to a plastic as was intended?

We only use plastic as was original. Don't think that there are any other options.

: I am in the US (New Orleans, Louisiansa).

Then you don't want to use Giancarlo in Parma!
If you contact Jeff Stein, our Chief, he might be able to get you in contact with the "Master" that can do magic with old Heuer. But there are for sure others in the US that can do the job. I believe that you will get the info you need if you wait a few days;-)

I hope this is of help and will make it easier to understand Heuerspeak!

Regards
Peter, Denmark