As you may know, we have been closely following the auctions in Geneva over the past few days. There were records broken and sleeper hits, but you may not have heard that four Heuers hammered for a combined $461,333: a yellow-gold Carrera reference 1158; a PVD-coated Autavia 11063V; a Monaco “Dark Lord” 74033N; and an Autavia 2446. Full details below, including thoughts from noted Heuer specialist Jeff Stein.
A Yellow Gold Heuer Carrera Reference 1158, Presented by Jack Heuer To Ronnie Peterson (Lot 161, Sotheby's)
The result of this watch should come as no surprise. Selling for $230,000 (including Buyer's Premium), this yellow-gold Carrera 1158 complete with box and engraved 100 grams bar, was presented to Formula 1 Driver Ronnie Peterson by Jack Heuer himself. We spoke with noted Heuer specialist Jeff Stein of OnTheDash to get his take. According to Stein, this watch has everything a vintage Heuer collector loves: "Engraved for a beloved Formula One hero; given for an award named for another Heuer hero (Jo Siffert); presented by Jack Heuer and his favorite model of all the Heuers. This watch has it all, and the price seemed consistent with top Formula One/watch memorabilia."
Now, you may be thinking that the dial looks slightly different than the other 1158s on the market, however, it has been confirmed that this dial was in fact born with this watch, but is from a 110.515 CHN.
A Heuer Autavia Reference 2446, Ca. 1967 (Lot 28, Phillips, Start-Stop-Reset)
The Start-Stop-Reset sale was, to put it bluntly, insane. And the Heuers featured in this sale were equally crazy. The one you see here fetched a whopping $76,888. It is known to collectors as the "Rindt" Autavia, after the Austrian Formula One driver Karl Jochen Rindt, who often wore a similar watch. Known for its rich black dial with white sub dials, rotating bezel, screw-down case back, and chronograph pushers, this watch usually sells for a much more modest price (think $15,000 to $20,000), so we are going to chalk this up to over-excitement.
A PVD-Coated Heuer Monaco "Dark Lord" Reference 74033N, Ca. 1975 (Lot 42, Phillips)
This Monaco reference 74033N, also sold in the Phillips sale, is nicknamed the "Dark Lord" for its rich black PVD-coated stainless-steel case. The watch was made in a limited production in the early 1970s and rarely comes up for auction, therefore it is no surprise that this watch fetched $64,073 (including buyer's premium).
A PVD-Coated Heuer Autavia Reference 113.603/11063V, Ca. 1985 (Lot 57, Phillips)
Continuing with the PVD-coated trend is this sharp Autavia reference 113.603/11063V issued by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), which was sold for a whopping $89,703 (including buyer's premium). The Autavia is one of the brand's most important models and this example is even more exceptional with the PVD-coated case and military engravings on the case back. According to Stein, "The price of the IDF issued Autavia ($89,703) represents a similar multiple [to the Rindt Autavia] over prevailing market prices, but at least these IDF issued models are scarce, and the condition looked especially good."
Final Thoughts
Overall, the vintage Heuer market is growing in strength, which is good news for early collectors and bad news for those who are just getting into the game. It also shows that vintage Heuer could possibly be the hot new player in the auction game, along with Patek Philippe and Rolex.
For more news and information on vintage Heuer be sure to visit Jeff Stein's site, OnTheDash.
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