Heuer

While it is the relationship with Ferrari that is most often bought up when discussing Heuer’s connection to Formula 1, it is worth remembering that the company was a coveted property for nearly every team in the paddock thanks to their cutting edge timing technology that was in high demand during the 1970s.

The Heuer logo would grace BRM, Tyrell and Surtees cars throughout the decade, and the Le Mans Centigraph could be seen on the pit walls of a wide array of teams including the likes of Brabham and Lotus. But after Ferrari the team with the closest connection in the 1970s (and a relationship that would become even more intertwined in the 1980s) was that of McLaren.

During the 1974 season the Marlboro Team Texaco Mclaren-Ford M23 cars of Emerson Fittipaldi and Denny Hulme wore the Heuer logo on their sides and Heuer timing equipment was used by the team, fitting given the red and white livery of the cars and the colours of Heuer.

The season was extremely competitive, even without Jackie Stewart who had retired at the end of 1973 after his third World Drivers’ Championship. The title would go down the final race at Watkins Glen with Fittipaldi and Clay Regazzoni fighting for enough points over the rival to take victory. In the end it would be the Brazilians that would secure fourth ahead of the Swiss driver in 9th, taking his second Drivers’ Championship.

It would be a pivotal year for McLaren, securing their first ever World Constructors’ Championships, and would lay the way for many more to come. To celebrate the occasion Heuer made an extremely limited number of reference 1553 Carrera models with the usual words of Automatic Chronograph replaced by “McLaren World Champions 1974” applied to their silvered dial.

It is believed that perhaps around 20 pieces were made for key members of the team, from the drivers and the principals to other top contributors to the success. A few have surfaced over the years, and most have been acquired by collectors who own a McLaren M23 from the era, reducing the pool significantly. For one to be offered in the market in strong condition is an extremely unusual opportunity and represents a chance to acquire one of the ultimate pieces of McLaren F1 memorabilia, produced in honor of the very first WCC for the team.