Heuer Skipper

There are sports watches, and then there are sports watches.

Its no secret that we have a particular affection for golden-era Heuer around these parts. From the earliest manual-winding Carreras to the oversized PVD-coated Lemania-powered automatics, there is no question that the 60s and 70s were really good for a pre-TAG powerhouse Heuer. 

In addition to their main-line chronograph offerings, Heuer, as a master of purpose-driven tool watch design, introduced some pretty interesting timepieces. The Calculator, Solunar, and Mareographe models are all oddball examples of function-first design for engineers, fisherman, and sailors respectively, and are in high demand with collectors today. Perhaps the most iconic specialty timepiece that Heuer ever produced are their Skippermodels, designed for use in regatta-timing.

If you haven't been out racing your yacht recently, the principle behind a yacht-timer is actually pretty simple.  Unlike a race on dry ground, boats are unable to start a race from a dead stop - and short of anchoring, they are rarely standing still.  At the start of a regatta, yachts are jockeying for position behind a starting buoy for 15 minutes.  At the sound of the starting gun, a countdown is begun and the competing vessels launch past the start line 15 minutes later.  Yachting Timers like this one are used to time the countdown onboard, their brightly colored countdown sub-dials denoting the remaining time.

The Skipper was first introduced in a Carrera case (affectionately known as a "Skipperera" among collectors), and is easily one of the rarest models Heuer ever produced. The second generation, seen here, was increased in size, sharing a case with the larger compressor-cased 7763C and 2446C Autavias. Equally rare, the Reference 7764 Skippers are infinitely wearable and stand out from their Autavia counterparts with the addition of an oversized tri-color register at the 3:00 position. At last count, less than a dozen of these beautiful watches are known to still exist!

This particular piece is without question the nicest example to come through our doors, with an incredibly vibrant dial, near-perfect original hands, and a sharp, glossy bezel insert. The case has previously been polished but remains strong, and it comes complete with correct barrel pushers and a signed Heuer crown. Overall, this is an incredible example of one of Heuer's most desirable vintage chronographs - you aren't likely to see too many more of these in your horological travels!