Hello Jeff, congrats to a super buy. As you know , I purchased the identical model in 1972 but had to have the RED Hands (Needles) replaced because they could not be read in red cockpit light. You put my article into the blog section. Thanks, I appreciate that and I am glad to contribute that information.

Here is some more info that might be of interest to Heuer owners. My watch is used as a working tool and in its 42 years I calculated that she was in use 24/7 for about 30 years. She was twice overhauled/serviced by Heuer - Springfield. Last April she stopped and I determined it was a possible Mainspring/Barrel issue. I did not want to send it to Heuer after some bad experiences other Heuer owners had with their service. I sent to Yellowstone Watch Repair for overhaul. It was difficult/ time consuming for them to find a replacement Barrel but eventually one was found and now the watch works perfectly just like new.

I realize that most Heuer owners wear their watches to keep them in running order but few will put them through the rigorous use over time as I have. Generally, Barrels last forever but after 30 some years of use, I was not surprised that old age set in.
This is a testament to the Heuer Quality of materials used in their timepieces and I would guess that most collectors don't have to worry about major breakdown of their watches. So you can look forward to many years of reliable service from your RED NEEDLE Autavia GMT. Enjoy.

PS. My Autavia GMT 1163 was produced in 1972 and has Case # 243876. (This to help you with the record keeping for reference).