Heuer Ref. 1550SG Bund Chronograph for Sinn in Steel, 1980s — view 1 of 3 — View 1 of 3 · Image: FORTUNA / LiveAuctioneers · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

View 1 of 3 · Image: FORTUNA / LiveAuctioneers · original image source (opens another website in a new tab)

Wristwatches · Wristwatch

Heuer Ref. 1550SG Bund Chronograph for Sinn in Steel, 1980s

DocumentedDocumented from an auction catalogue; attribution as stated by the auction house.

Maker / attribution: Heuer (maker)
Date: 1980s
Historical period: Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Country of origin: Switzerland
Object type: Wristwatch
Materials / technique: steel
Auction house: LiveAuctioneers auction archive
Lot: Item 71810763
Credit line: Auction lot record: lot 139, Exclusive Watches, FORTUNA (2019), via LiveAuctioneers
Catalogue title (original): Heuer Ref. 1550SG Bund Chronograph for Sinn in Steel (English)

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Record summary

Catalogued by LiveAuctioneers auction archive (lot Item 71810763), this is a wristwatch by Heuer, made in Switzerland, dated 1980s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: steel. The record is illustrated with 3 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

Lot description — FORTUNA

CIRCA: 1980s REF.: 1550SG CASE NUMBER: 6645-12-146-3774 CASE MATERIAL: Stainless steel CASE DIMENSIONS: 43 mm in diameter DIAL: Matte black Sinn-branded with luminous Arabic hour markers, red 3H logo, two oversized chronograph subregisters, white printed minute track BRACELET MATERIAL: Black leather Bund strap BRACELET SIZE: 6-1/2 to 8-3/4 inches MOVEMENT: Manual wind FUNCTIONS: Time and chronograph CALIBER: Valjoux Flyback The Heuer 1550SG is a legendary oversized chronograph with a flyback movement that was used by the German Luftwaffe in the 1960s and 1970s. Sinn, a small German company, was awarded the contract to service these watches in the 1980s and they sold some under their name in the 1990s. The present example is in extremely nice condition and is the product of an interesting linkage between two legendary companies.

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 timeline More wristwatches from this period Earlier: Modern Mechanical Horology

Atlas type guide

Chronographs and split-seconds watches

A chronograph is a watch with an additional seconds hand that can be started, stopped and returned to zero independently of the timekeeping. Louis Moinet built an early example in 1816 and Nicolas Rieussec a recording 'chronographe' in 1821; Adolphe Nicole's heart-shaped reset cam (patented 1862) made the modern return-to-zero possible. Split-seconds (rattrapante) chronographs add a second hand that can be stopped for intermediate times; flyback chronographs restart instantly.

Chronographs were essential tools for doctors (pulsometer scales), artillery (telemeter), engineers and sport. In wristwatches, Valjoux, Venus, Lemania and later the automatic chronographs of 1969 (Zenith El Primero, the Chronomatic Calibre 11 group and Seiko 6139) are milestones.

What to look for

Push-pieces on the case band or a single button in the crown (monopusher).
Subsidiary registers for minutes and hours; tachymeter, telemeter or pulsometer scales.
Column wheel versus cam control visible in the movement.
Calibre markings of specialist makers (Valjoux, Lemania, Venus, Landeron).

Dating clues

Pocket chronographs with heart cam reset: after 1862.
Wrist chronographs: from c. 1910; two-button designs from the 1930s.
Automatic chronographs: from 1969.

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.

Mechanisms mentioned

Chronograph — Complication
Flyback chronograph — Complication

Record completeness

Maker or attributionRecorded
DateRecorded
Place or countryRecorded
MaterialsRecorded
DimensionsNot in source
Narrative descriptionRecorded
Inscriptions / marksNot in source
ProvenanceNot in source
Several photographsRecorded

Editorial status: Documented — facts as published by the source; not independently verified by Atlas editors.

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Sources & image rights

Record source: LiveAuctioneers auction archive (opens another website in a new tab).

Image rights: © FORTUNA / LiveAuctioneers — permission required (opens another website in a new tab).

Images are hosted by the Atlas for study and credited to their owner. Rights holders may request correction, credit changes or removal, or grant permission, via the editorial office.

Cite this record

"Heuer Ref. 1550SG Bund Chronograph for Sinn in Steel, 1980s." LiveAuctioneers auction archive, Item 71810763. Catalogue record in The Horology Atlas, WatchMuseum.org, https://atlas.watchmuseum.org/museum/heuer-ref-1550sg-bund-chronograph-for-sinn-in-steel-b950a3.