Here are a couple of excerpts from the letter, which is written in French and signed by the TAG Heuer Customer Service Department:

"Nous vous remercions de nous avoir fait parvenir votre chronographe Heuer pour analyse . . . Cette reference n'existe dans aucun catalogue, ce qui pourrait laisser penser qu'il s'agit d'un modele presents a Bale qui n'a jamias ete produit . . . Nous esperons que notre analyse reponde a votre attention et restons a votre entiere disposition pour tout renseigement."

As translated by Google -- Thank you for sending us your Heuer chronograph for analysis . . . This reference does not exist in any catalog, which might suggest that it is a model present in Basel which has never been produced . . . We hope that our analysis answers to your attention and remain at your disposal for any information.

And the Lot Essay from Christie's -- The HEUER “Mappemonde” Chronograph is probably one of the rare prototype watches apparently made especially for Baselworld – yet the reference never made it into the regular catalog. So the collector has the chance to own a very unique timepiece with a very special appearance and color setting, supported by the quite unusual oval shape of the case.

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: I would assume that Eric would have an opinion on this, be
: interesting to hear what he thinks. Is the letter from someone
: of importance at TAG Heuer who has some documents to share or
: simply that TAG Heuer have serviced it and by default that means
: it is somehow genuine? I would expect any decent auction house
: to be sure about it before they put the word prototype, because
: It can be a highly "charged" word in many respects,
: eapecially for those buyers who are not as well informed.

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