. . . yet another rare "prototype", in New Old Stock condition, with a "guarantee" that it is a genuine Heuer.

I do not believe that Heuer produced this prototype, but will stand corrected if others have different information. I have seen these cases and dials offered through various channels . . . can anyone offer conclusive proof that they were either assembled or not assembled by Heuer?? some of the parts may be genuine, but can anyone offer theories as to who did the assembly of these parts and when??

I can't do a disection of this watch like you are doing on "the Targo Florio's" Jeff, certainly not yet anyway. But in looking through the responses that your posting has already generated I think that perhaps we can standardize on phrases to describe these watches:

Factory Original: A watch as shipped from Heuer's assembly point and sold through known sales channels.

Factory Prototype: A watch assembled by Heuer but never sold to the public in that form at that time. (Perhaps prototypes escaped in the turmoil of the various ownership changes in the 1980's).

Frankenwatch: A watch containing components that weren't originally in this form by Heuer. An Autavia dial and movement in a Montreal Case is an example. These can have all original Heuer parts, but in combinations that Heuer-Leonidias never shipped/sold/marketed.

Assembled from Original Heuer parts: A recased Autavia, with a NOS dial, housing an original Autavia movement is an example. Can be a Franken or not...

Newly Remanufactured Prototype: I have a bunch of parts that look like an oddball one-off Autavia, I'll put them together and hopefully get my expenses out of some schmuck on eBay...

Of course Frankenwatches can borrow components from other manufacturers as well. Expecially in this example of using Elgin or Breitling hands on this "Autavia".

I'm sure there are other origin's for watches as well. Perhaps we should coin phrases for them as well...

"Add your own!"

-- Chuck