
Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Heuer Solunar Ref 279.603 Tropical Dial, 1970s
- Maker / attribution
- Heuer (maker)
- Date
- 1970s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Dimensions
- Case 45 mm
- Stock no.
- W-2185
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Bulang & Sons (W-2185)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Heuer Solunar Ref 279.603 Tropical Dial (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Bulang & Sons (dealer), Copenhagen (stock number W-2185), 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 45 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
We are offering this very rare and unusual Solunar by Heuer. The Solunar theory comes from the work of John Knight who devised a system based on the sun (SOlar) and the moon (LUNAR) for tracking the activity of animals for hunting and fishing . The super cool black and silver bezel shows the tide position and the rotating internal bezel has a two week reading allowing the monitoring of tidal patterns of a fortnight. The 45mm steel case is in excellent condition and the metallic blue dial has turned tropical to a chocolate hue and has day and date readings at three o’clock. The watch will come on the pictured leather strap with a steel Heuer buckle fitted. The ETA movement has been fully checked and regulated by our watchmaker. It's not all about famous models at Bulang and Sons. We really love finding interesting off the beaten track pieces like this too. We’d love to help you find exactly what you’re looking for, so please get in touch! Specifications: - Heuer Solunar - 45mm steel case - Serial 327xxx dating to 1970s - Two crowns - Day and date complication - Tropical blue dial - Black and silver bezel - ETA 2790-1 movement - Will come on the pictured strap with steel Heuer buckle - Fully serviced by our watchmaker - Includes a handmade leather watch pouch
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.
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