2013 was another active year for me as a watch collector and my interest is as strong as ever. This is largely down to the fact that it remains a fun and enjoyable distraction from the normal pressure that life has to offer. One needs a hobby and a shed and I have both to keep me on the straight and narrow.
My collection remains heavily weighted towards Heuer but as there are so many great watches out there one cannot help the odd foray into some alternative brands. These included Eberhard, Lemania, Tudor and Universal Geneve. However, the standout watch for me for this past year was still a vintage Heuer.

Favourite watch acquisition of the year
It’s quite appropriate that in the 50th anniversary year of the Heuer Carrera that my finest acquisition is a Carrera. We all have our favourite models and although taste change I would have to say that the Carrera is and has always been my primary focus. I guess I should have done a book on Carrera and not Autavia but when RC gets a bee in his bonnet there is no changing his mind. So having seen, admired or own almost all the Carrera’s made by Heuer it took quite something special to top all that. I am referring to my 2447 Yachting Carrera. This is essentially a standard 2447 S with the addition of three blue triangles on the minute register to assist the yachtsman with the 15 minute countdown to the start of a race (one of the features found on the A&F Seafarer and Heuer Mareograph).

These Yachting Carrera’s are certainly not common and the handful of examples (total of 5) I have seen have all been in pristine condition with all but perfect dials. Finding a Yachting Carrera was a triumph in itself but finding one with a unique patina or tropical dial may well be the highlight of my collecting career and certainly my finest acquisition of the year.

Heuer dials do not generally go “tropical” and I have never seen a metallic silver dial (Carrera or Camaro) change in any way that comes even close to the way this one has. Originally a metallic silver starburst finish it is now copper in colour affecting the whole surface except the blue triangles on the minute register. The tropical effect is unique on this piece and is in itself a feature that I personally find very interesting.

Favourite book of the year
I was one of the lucky ones who received a copy of Jack Heuer’s autobiography “The Times of My Life” just before the holidays. I think its fair to say that the majority of us collect Heuer watches from the period during which Jack led the company and this forms a large part of the book. It was fascinating the way Jack pieced together these golden years but equally as interesting was the life Jack had after Heuer and eventually when he returned to Tag Heuer as the Honorary Chairman. An entertaining life story and well worth reading.

Favourite web site
OnTheDash remains my primary internet watch fix. I have avoided all others most notably Facebook and Twitter but that may change this year as I venture into new technology before it get too late.

Favourite gathering
2013 will always be a standout year for me in terms of the great G2G – the Heuer Collectors Summit Le Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland, in September. One of the attendees said to me that it will be “the event we will remember for years”. My thoughts were that although this event set a high bar we can always raise it and I look forward to the next occasion and making sure that we do.

Favourite new gadget
In my efforts to modernise I got myself an iPhone. The most exciting feature for me is the camera. All my past phones had cameras but they were terrible and I just never bothered. This one is pretty good as far as camera phones go. I am sure there are better ones but I have no plans to replace my G11 or DSLR when it comes to watch photography but it is a handy addition to my gadget bag. I look forward to exploring the world of apps and what might be available for post production on the device. Here are some of efforts with my second favourite purchase in 2013 – Tudor Mote Carlo.

That’s my summary of 2013 and I wish you all a happy, healthy and exciting year ahead.

Regards
Paul
www.heuerworld.com