I feel like the guy who invited everyone to a party, and then didn’t have time to do any cooking. So I will post some images from OnTheDash, but also add a couple of new ones at the end, that we have not previously seen or discussed.

First up is a first execution screw-back Autavia, Reference 3646, with a couple of racing Shelbys in the background.

Below, we see the three versions of the Autavia screw-back cases, from the 1960s. I really like the contrasts and distinctions that we see in this photo -- a bracelet and two straps; the patina of the early version and the black-and-white of the other two (but even with the black and white, we see the amazing patina).

Next up is one of the legendary Heuers, now in the TAG Heuer Museum, when it’s not on its world tour – a Carrera 45 Dato, ordered by Shelby Automotive, as a give-away to Shelby dealers and VIPS. The son of the original owner told me the story of this watch, how his father ran through the streets of Manhattan, to pick up the watches just in time for the opening of the New York International Auto Show.

Shown below is another Carrera 45 Dato, this one being the earlier version with the Mercury Cougar logo. These Cougars were monsters in Trans Am racing, and when the Mercury Cougar almost beat the Ford Mustang for the series championship, Ford Motor Company (the parent of the Mercury brand) did the logical thing -- Ford discontinued the Cougar racing program.

The next image shows a pair of Reference 1158 18 karat gold Carreras. No racers or race cars in this photo, but I love the contrast between the two models, as well as the background image.

The acquisition of the one on the left (for a friend) was an epic quest, full of colorful characters and colorful stories. [The seller was a mechanic who received the watch as a “thank you” for repairing an RV; the owner of the RV apologized for not having any money to pay for the repair, but suggested that the watch might be worth enough for the mechanic to “buy himself a six-pack of beer”. Indeed, some years later, it worked out well for the mechanic!!]

The acquisition of the one of the right was at the other extreme. I was on a conference call at the office; got bored; checked through some watch dealer websites; and a couple of days later, it was on my wrist. A lucky find, that came my way as a result of a rather boring conference call.

I’ll end this posting with a couple of new images, that we have not yet seen, at least not here OnTheDash. Both show my childhood hero, Mario Andretti, wearing his Heuers.

The first photo is from 1970, and we see Andretti wearing an Autavia, Reference 3646 (two-register, manual wind), which appears to have the Motor Age logo on the dial. We have seen another sample of this Autavia, with the Motor Age logo, given to Tony Adamowicz for being the SCCA (Sport Car Club of America) Trans Am Driver of the Year in 1968.

Next up is Mario Andretti wearing his 18 karat gold Carrera, Reference 1158. He received this watch from Jack Heuer, for being a member of the Ferrari Formula One team. The magic of this photo is that we see that Andretti wore this watch, not only while he drove but also when he popped the cork on the champagne, in Victory Lane. Yes, he wore this 18 karat gold Carrera, on the gold bracelet, while he raced . . . in those days, there were no product managers handing the winning driver a watch to wear, while he hoisted the trophy.

Yes, the Heuers were fantastic watches . . . the ones worn by the racers . . . waterproof, and also champagne-proof.

Jeff