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Heuer Autavia GMT (Ref. 2446C) Mk. III, 1969 — view 1 of 6
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Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Heuer Autavia GMT (Ref. 2446C) Mk. III, 1969

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Heuer (maker)
Date
1969
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 40 mm
Stock no.
HURAUT2446CGMT
Credit line
Dealer listing, Craft & Tailored (HURAUT2446CGMT)
Catalogue title (original)
1969 Heuer Autavia GMT (Ref. 2446C) Mk. III (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Craft & Tailored (dealer), Los Angeles (stock number HURAUT2446CGMT), this is a wristwatch by Heuer, made in Switzerland, dated 1969. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 40 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

The Heuer Autavia came into production in 1933 as a dashboard timer for automotive racing and flying, where the Autavia name is derived, Auto and Aviation. The Autavia then later introduced in 1962 (The same year Jo Siffert entered Formula One) as the wristwatch we know today, and soon became the flagship for the entire Brand. The Heuer Autavia ref. 2556C is the second generation of the Autavia wristwatch that features a 40mm EPSA designed case, the same designer as the Super-Compressor dive watches of the 60s. In addition to the standard Autavia chronograph, the 2446C was also produced as a GMT with the cal. 72C movement, and featured a classic “Pepsi” 24hr bezel and a slightly different dial design. The GMT line of Autavia’s carried on after the 2446C as well and into the more chunky Autavia designs of the 70s, all of which are desired and prized by collectors. Stock # HURAUT2446CGMT Brand Heuer Style Autavia Model 2446C GMT Serial 19XXXX Size Men's Material Stainless Steel Dial Matte Black, White Sub-Dials Millimeters 40mm Strap 2pc Handmade Leather Strap CASE & BRACELET The excellent case appears to have been previously lightly polished, remaining very strong with lug chamfers still very present. The original “Pepsi” bezel retains sharp edges and remains bright in coloration with very little signs of use and aging. The case retains its original fluted pump-pushers and "Heuer" signed crown. The unmarked case back is correct for the Mk variant and shows light signs of use. The watch will come supplied on a 2pc handmade leather strap. DIAL & HANDS The matte black “reverse panda” Autavia GMT dial is in exceptional condition. The dial itself is free from blemishes or damage and the outer track with red accents is fully intact. The white sub-dials are in great condition and remain bright, with the 9 o’clock register featuring a small mark next to the “12”. The tritium makers have taken on a nice creamy patina and show no degradation under U.V. light inspection. The original tritium hands have aged to a more golden coloration and show no lume loss or degradation under U.V. light inspection ACCESSORIES None. The watch is keeping time and is functioning perfectly, previous service history is unknown.

Historical context

Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)

Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.

Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Military, pilot and travel watches

The wristwatch owes much of its adoption by men to warfare and aviation. Wristlets — small pocket watches soldered with lugs and worn on a strap — were used in colonial campaigns and became standard equipment in the First World War, with protective grilles over the crystal ('shrapnel guards'). Louis Cartier's Santos (1904), designed for the aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont, is often cited as an early purpose-made pilot's watch.

In the Second World War governments specified watches in detail: the German B-Uhr observation watches, the American A-11, and the British 'W.W.W.' (the 'Dirty Dozen' set of 1945). After the war, jet travel brought GMT and world-time watches, which show two or more time zones at once — Louis Cottier's world-time mechanism and the Rolex GMT-Master (1955) are examples.

What to look for

  • Military markings on the case back: broad arrow, issue numbers, 'W.W.W.', 'A.T.P.'
  • High-legibility black dials with luminous Arabic numerals; oversized crowns for gloved hands.
  • 24-hour hands and rotating 24-hour bezels or city rings on GMT/world-time watches.
  • Wire lugs on early wristlets converted from pocket watches.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug wristlets: c. 1900–1925.
  • Military specifications of the Second World War: 1939–1945.
  • GMT and world-time wristwatches: mainly after 1950.

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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