Heuer Autavia (Ref. 1163) "Jo Siffert Mk. VI" W/ Extra Bezel And Original Beads Of Rice Bracelet, 1972

Dealer description — Craft & Tailored

Jo Siffert was a Swiss racing driver who, previous to joining Formula One In 1962, made a name for himself racing motorcycles. The majority of Siffert's success was as a Porsche factory driver throughout the 60s, claiming Porsches first major outright wins and in 1966, winning the 24 hours of Le Mans. Jo was the first brand ambassador appointed by Jack Heuer and a quintessential part of Heuer’s success in Formula One. It's commonly said that Jo would taunt his peers on the racing grid to purchase a Heuer. By the early 1970s, most of the other racers had a Heuer on their wrists, including Steve McQueen. Siffert died in late 1971 during the World Championship Victory Race at Brands Hatch in England. This accident led to a rapid overhaul of safety, both in-car and on circuit. 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. This particular example features an Mk. 6 dial variation of the "Jo Siffert" dial iteration for the Autavia Ref. 1163. The Mk. 6 dial is the only 1163T dial variation to feature 1-through-12 on hour recorder, opposed to the more common 3-6-9-12. The steel markers are polished with black inserts and the hands are brushed steel with blue inserts and tips. Stock # HURJSAUT-2 Brand Heuer Style Chronograph Model Autavia Serial 22XXXX Size Mens Material Stainless Dial White "Mk. 6" Millimeters 42mm Strap Gay Freres Beads of Rice Bracelet W/ HLF End Pieces & Original Heuer Strap CASE & BRACELET The unpolished case retains sharp factory finishing showing light, honest wear. The original rotating Hours/Minutes bezel shows little wear and retains a deep black coloration. The Heuer signed crown and pushers are original to the watch. The watch comes with both original Gay Freres beads of rice bracelet with HLF end pieces and also an original black leather rally strap and Heuer stainless steel buckle. Additionally, the watch also comes supplied with an additional tachymeter bezel which will be included with the watch. DIAL & HANDS The original Mk. 6 Jo Siffert white and blue dial remains in stunning condition. The dial is free from any marks or blemishes and is flawless in condition. Under U.V. light inspection, the tritium lume plots on the dial remain fully intact and, the original tritium filled hands also remain fully intact showing no lume loss or degradation. ACCESSORIES The watch comes with both an original Heuer Gay Freres beads of rice bracelet as well as an additional tachymeter bezel which will be included with the watch. The watch is keeping time at spec but additional service history is unknown.