Heuer Autavia 1163V "Viceroy"Chronograph

We've said it before, and we'll say it again: If you're looking for a watch that sums up the true essence of the golden age of sportscar racing, the Heuer Autavia is IT.

Launched at the very end of the 1960s, the 1163 Series Autavia featured one of the world's first automatic chronograph movements, changing sports timing forever.  The beefy 1163 has come to symbolize the badassery that was international motorsports at that time... 

Think Siffert, Bell, Elford, McQueen. 

Think Porsche 917s and no traction control. 

Think 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

Rolex has its Submariner, Breitling its Navitimer.  Blancpain has its Fifty Fathoms and Audemars Piguet its Royal Oak.  You could be forgiven for thinking that the Monaco is the icon of Heuer's line of motorsports chronographs, but we'd argue that these great 70s cushion-cased watches take that title.  This was the watch designed by Heuer for the real race car driver.  If you haven't ever worn one, you are truly missing out.  Pair a beefy steel case with a rotating bezel, twin subsidiary registers and a date function, and power it with the an automatic winding chronograph movement, and you have yourself a sporting timepiece for the ages.

Autavias from this era were offered in a multitude of dial configurations, but the 1163V "Viceroy" is far and away our favorite.  Offered in a joint promotion with Viceroy Cigarettes, the 1163V could be had for only $88 and a proof of purchase from a carton of smokes.  If we had a time machine, we'd go on back and return with a mother lode (and probably lung cancer).  It would be worth it.

While Viceroy Autavias are relatively plentiful on the market, finding good examples that have been serviced and maintained properly and haven't had their cases overly polished is becoming difficult.  We are constantly on the lookout for survivors and are very pleased to present this example, just back from a full service and ready to wear to your next track day!  Make no mistake, these killer 70s Autavias are a tremendous value, but the market is catching on, and we wouldn't be surprised to see these relatively meager prices skyrocket in the coming years.  Get one now while the gettin's good!

For the full story on the history of the Viceroy Autavia, check out a great article on HODINKEE HERE.

And for a comparison of early Autavia models, check out this great reference HERE at OnTheDash!