Hamilton Panda Dial Chronograph

In the 1960s, Heuer was THE chronograph brand, its Carrera, Autavia, Camaro and Monza wrist timers seen on the wrists of race car drivers and well-heeled enthusiasts alike.

But being the leading brand, they were more expensive than a lot of armchair racers could afford. This gave rise to the so-called “Poor Man’s Heuer”, those chronographs that resembled Heuers and, in some cases, were even made by Heuer under contract for other brands. Many of those brands had names lost to history—Clebar, Aristo and Tradition—while others lived on to the present day in one form or another. We've been working hard for the past few years to source and present the best examples of these stunning and budget-conscious timepieces, and the one we have for you is no exception: an original "Reverse Panda" dial Hamilton!

Outwardly, this chronograph shares a number of design elements with the other "Poor Man's Heuers" we have featured in the past; a trim 36mm steel case with sharp, flat lugs, barrel pushers, and matte inverse panda dial. Of particular delight, this particular example features a signed case back and even retains its original signed crown - a definite rarity!

Internally, this piece features the robust Valjoux 773 manual winding chronograph movement, a workhorse unit used widely by Heuer in the 60s and 70s. With values on early Carreras reaching new heights as of late, the value proposition for "Poor Man's" versions continues to gain strength.  But aside from all of that - aside from the connection to Heuer, the motorsports pedigree, and the ever-increasing value of vintage sporting chronographs, this is an outright stunning timepiece with an excellent movement, one you can wear with pride, regardless of the cost.

In other words, this is one time being “poor” isn’t a bad thing.