I’ve been a Heuer watch fan since 1971 when my wife and I purchased an Autavia Viceroy as a birthday gift to my brother-in-law, as we were really avid road racing fans and amateur SCCA participants. Jo Siffert was a hero as we both came from modest backgrounds. After reading Jeff Stein’s article in Road and Track about a year ago regarding the Viceroy, I got the bug to acquire a Siffert Autavia and was successful via eBay. It was at that time that I started to follow the OTD forum. I recall when I purchased my Siffert, one of the members mentioned in the forum that it may not be legitimate because of the decimal bezel. Yet others with great Heuer expertise spoke up and indicated the decimal bezel was, in fact, available with the Siffert model and that it may just be rarer than the 1163T. The previous owner claimed it was from an estate sale in Phoenix, AZ. Everything he described was spot on. I sent the watch to Craig at Chronodeco and the watch was completely serviced except for refinish. Craig replaced the date wheel as this is a common problem with the Caliber 11 movement. He also indicated it is his opinion the decimal bezel is original to the watch. For the record, the stamped serial number is 241,9XX, and the model number stamped between the lugs states “1163” (no “T”).
After having followed quite closely other Sifferts on this forum, along with many other internet watch sites, I have yet to find another Siffert Autavia with a decimal bezel and the reference guides do not mention decimal bezel. Are there any Siffert aficionados on OTD who might be able to fill in some of the missing information on my watch? Thanks in advance for your interest and help, and best to all,
Bob Keller