Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Heuer wristwatch, ref. 73663, Military Chronograph Minute and Hour Counters, circa 1970-1975
- Maker / attribution
- Heuer (brand / maker)
- Date
- c. 1970-1975
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Materials / technique
- stainless steel
- Dimensions
- diameter 40.7 mm. (bezel) mm; height 47.3 mm; width 42.4 mm
- Auction house
- Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
- Lot
- Lot 353-43
- Credit line
- Auction lot record: LOT 43, Monaco Auction
- Catalogue title (original)
- HEUER REF. 73663, MILITARY CHRONOGRAPH, MINUTE AND HOUR COUNTERS, BLACK DIAL, CALIBRE VALJOUX 7736, MADE FOR THE ISRAEL DEFENCE FORCES; “AUTAVIA”, SO-CALLED “IDF 69”; STAINLESS STEEL (English)
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Record summary
Catalogued by Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva (lot Lot 353-43), this is a wristwatch by Heuer, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1970-1975. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: stainless steel. Recorded dimensions: diameter 40.7 mm. (bezel) mm; height 47.3 mm; width 42.4 mm. The record is illustrated with 4 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
Antiquorum catalogue description
Stainless steel, manual-winding, vertical “tonneau”-shaped, pilot’s military wristwatch, water-resistant with screwed case-back, 60-minute graduated bidirectional revolving bezel with black insert for the decompression times, black colour dial with luminescent radial indexes, black colour auxiliary dials, subsidiary seconds at 9, 1/5 second chronograph, half-instantaneous 30-minute counter and 12-hour counter.
Lot specifications (Antiquorum)
Model: “Autavia”; made for the Israel Defence Forces, so-called “IDF 69”; Reference: 73663; Movement No.: unnumbered; Case No.: 202 130; Material: stainless steel; Bracelet: green leather strap; Buckle: stainless steel buckle; Caliber: 7736 (based on Valjoux), 17 jewels; Diameter: 40.7 mm. (bezel); Height: 47.3 mm.; Width: 42.4 mm.; Weight: 91.5 gr. (approx.); Signature: dial, case and movement
Inscriptions & marks
dial, case and movement
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
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.
Read next:Flyback chronographChronograph
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