A little Detective work reveils...
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older Heuer watch info
Posted By: Mark Mazzitello
Date: 6/12/04 05:53 GMT
I have a Heuer "Autavia" watch that belonged to my late father, and I'm trying to find out what I can about it. I wrote to LVMH Watch & Jewelry in New Jersey (the Tag Heuer retailer in the US) but all they can tell me is they think it may have been made in the 1930s. I would like to find the manufacture year and anything I can about what it originally sold for and what it might be worth today. I can't find a serial number on it, but I have pictures I can email to anyone interested. I am also looking to have it restored - it works perfectly but there are cosmetic blemishes I would like fixed.
Any information about who to contact to find what I'm looking for would be greatly appreciated. Also an email address for Tag Heuer headquarters in Switzerland would be great.
Thanks! and:
Chuck -
No serial # or markings between the lugs or anywhere else. Just the "Autavia" & "Heuer" logo on the face (and the word "swiss"), and on the back the same Heuer logo and the words
"Stainless Steel Chronograph - Waterproof - Guaranteed 330 ft Under Water" written in a circle.
I couldn't figure ou how to post pictures to the discussion board so I posted a couple on a temporary web site at: http://www.mazzitelloconsulting.com/watch
and I could email pictures to you if you give me an address.
Thanks for your interest and help.
Mark Mark,
Ok, actually, you are in the right place to learn more about your (or rather, your father's) Autavia...  Once you sucessfully posted a picture I was able to narrow the Autavia Field from over 45 possible varieties, to three: |
| Autavia | |
| Case Ref. | Model Ref. | Description | Dial Colors | Movt. | Crystal | Registers/Date | Catalog Dates | Price New |
| 3646 |
M or H |
1st Execution Dial (large registers)/case (screw back); dauphine hands; smaller pushers (4.0mm); tapered lugs |
Black/White | 92 | P | two/45 min | 64, 65/66 |
65/66-$99.50 |
| 3646 |
M or H |
1st execution case (screwback); 2nd execution dial (small regs, thin applied markers, dots mark hours); dauphine hands; larger pushers (4.3mm); tapered lugs |
Black/White | 92 | P | two/45 min | 66 |
66-$99.50 |
| 3646 |
M, H or T |
2nd execution case (screw back); thinner bezel; small regs; silver applied markers; rectangular hands; large pushers (4.3mm) |
Black/White | 92 | P | two/45 min | 68/69 |
69-$99.50 |
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Notes: Model Ref. -- M: bezel marked for Minutes, H: bezel marked for Hours, MH: bezel marked for both Minutes and Hours, T: bezel Tachymeter bezel. Registers/Date: shows number of registers and maximum time recorded; shows when date is included on manual wind models (All automatics: Calibre's 11, 12, 14,15, have date), The first GMT Auto is actually a modified c.11 movement, later on the c.14 evolved from the faster beat c.12 and this modified c.11.... Crystal -- Plastic or Mineral. Catalog Dates -- dates refer to catalogs or brochures, unless with 'c' before the year (c74 means circa 1974, for example...). |
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These tables were compiled by and are the property of Bruce Mackie, Hans Schrag, Chuck Maddox and Jeff Stein (OnTheDash); Unauthorized use is prohibited. Contact Jeff Stein for information about authorized uses. Copyright © 2003 by the above. Last Updated: 2003.05.16.09.58.55 - CM3 |
Yup, those are the three...
From your picture, I was able to go over to the MOAT (Mother of All Tables) which is officially called the Chronograph Master Reference Table and eliminate all of the autavia's that didn't have a 45 minute register. The subset of the table that contains possibilities is what you see above.
Since the watch you included a picture of appears to have Larger Registers, I'm pretty confident that it's a 1st execution Dial and caseback, meanting it's the same model as the first entry. If you scan over to the right, you'll see a column heading "Catalog Dates"... Under that column you'll see which catalogs we have (either on-line or in the collective libraries of forum regulars who put-together the MOAT tables) which have listings for this particular model. The next column "Price New" will tell you the MSRP for the watch for the dates indicated.  So to revisit your original queries:
I wrote to LVMH Watch & Jewelry in New Jersey (the Tag Heuer retailer in the US) but all they can tell me is they think it may have been made in the 1930s. They are incorrect. I would wager a dozen Krispy Kreme Donuts that the watch was made in the 1960's and most likely in the mid (1964-1967) epoch.
I would like to find the manufacture year and anything I can about what it originally sold for and what it might be worth today. Most likely your father's Autavia was made in the middle 1960's, and originally was priced at $99.50 (before discounts).
As for what it's worth today. That's hard to say without having a watchmaker go through the watch. What many people here in the forum do is to watch eBay's completed auctions and look for what similar models go for. I personally believe this is the best idicator of current range of "street" prices. The 45-min Autavia is an unusual model, not many were made, but most chronograph collectors prize the 3-register chronographs with hour recorders. So that part of the equasion equals out.
That's as good of detective work I can do with the current state of our available records. It's pretty easy to do on your own, there is a maddness to our methods, but we don't really have a good tutorial as to how to make the most of the information here on OnTheDash, so don't be surprised if your queries are used to illustrate how to use the resources here!
I hope this is helpful!
-- Chuck
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