Skip to content
Heuer Carrera Blue Soleil Dial with Original Warranty Paper Ref. 1153N "Mick Jagger", 1970s — view 1 of 6
View 1 of 6 · Image: Bulang & Sons · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Heuer Carrera Blue Soleil Dial with Original Warranty Paper Ref. 1153N "Mick Jagger", 1970s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Heuer (maker)
Date
1970s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 38 mm
Stock no.
W-2959
Credit line
Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-2959)
Catalogue title (original)
Heuer Carrera Blue Soleil Dial with Original Warranty Paper Ref. 1153N "Mick Jagger" (English)

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

Record summary

Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-2959), this is a wristwatch by Heuer, made in Switzerland, dated 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 38 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 — Bulang & Sons

One could easily lose themselves in the pursuit of early, hand-wound Heuer Carreras from the 1960s—there are so many references and variants that it might take a lifetime to collect them all! However, the piece at hand is a slightly different breed, as it represents one of the first automatic chronographs: the Carrera 1153. This model was part of the trio of designs Heuer used to launch the Calibre 11 automatic chronograph movement in 1969. The earliest examples featured the model name positioned above the date and the word "Chronomatic" above the Heuer badge. Only a limited number of these were produced, as Heuer sold the Chronomatic name to Breitling. The 1153 was manufactured from 1969 to 1974, with various dial and hand combinations, as well as movements that included the Cal. 11, the modified 11-i, and the Cal. 12. Its distinctive case, featuring two pushers on the right and a crown on the left, showcases a brushed “soleil” finish. This reference (or at least a similar-looking Heuer Carrera) was famously worn by Mick Jagger, hence its nickname! The case remains in remarkably strong condition (can we say unpolished? Make up your own mind by looking at the pictures...) and features a lovely, rare Gay Frères 9-row link bracelet attached with end links marked ‘hlc.’ The blue soleil-finished dial is in top condition, with a date window at 6 o’clock, two sub-registers, and a bright orange chronograph seconds hand, topped off with an inner bezel in white featuring a tachymeter scale. The watch comes with its original guarantee booklet, stating a sale in 1974. The automatic Cal. 12 movement has been fully serviced by our watchmaker. Let us bring this stunning 50-year-old beauty to you—contact us today and make this iconic timepiece yours! Specifications: - Heuer Carrera 1153N - Serial no. 287xxx, dates to the 1970s - 38mm steel case - Blue dial with two sub-dials - Caliber 12 automatic movement - Heuer/Gay Frères steel 9-row bracelet with ‘hlc’-marked end links - Original guarantee booklet stating sale in 1974 - Fully serviced by our watchmaker

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

Wristwatches

Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.

After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.

What to look for

  • The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
  • The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
  • Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
  • Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.

Dating clues

  • Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
  • Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
  • Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.

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.

Read next:Detached lever escapementIdentification Centre

Related records