Heuer

Widely consider to be the most important model in the annals of vintage Heuer, the 18K gold Carrera reference 1158, and in particularly the CHN variant on the solid gold bracelet, are the perfect summary of the indelible link between the celebrated watchmaker and motorsport. Worn by the most celebrated drivers from the golden era of Formula 1 during the 1970s the list of wearers is a who’s who of the greatest pilots in an era defined by bravery and dedication.

Launched in 1970 to celebrate the initial public offering by Heuer on the Swiss stock exchange, the reference 1158 already had an illustrious birth before it even came into contact with Formula 1. But it would be Jack Heuer’s visionary deal for his namesake company to become technical partners with Scuderia Ferrari in 1971 that would make the solid gold Carrera the watch of motorsport.

The contract between the two great names stipulated that Heuer would provide the Le Mans Centigraph to the team for timekeeping duties for free in exchange for the logo appearing on the car. Furthermore, Heuer had to pay each of the drivers 25,000 CHF for the logo to appear on their racing suit, as well as the drivers visiting the Heuer factory in Switzerland and be presented with a reference 1158.

In an era of names like Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni as Ferrari were regaining their position as a top team after a prolonged drought of wins, the move looked prescient. In 1975 Lauda would win the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships for Ferrari after Regazzoni had come so close the year before. Through these racing there would be one watch indelibly connected to the team both through the main drivers but also key team members such as Mauro Forghieri: the 1158.

As the watch became increasingly synonymous with success, more and more driver’s wanted to be seen wearing them. As Jack struck deals with teams and pilots, the likes of Mike Hailwood, Mario Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, Arturo Merzario, Derek Bell and more would be seen sporting the incredible watch.

With it’s sizeable 39mm case executed in 18K gold and featuring either a purely champagne hued dial as seen on Mario Andretti, or the more distinctive version featuring black subsidiary dials known as the CHN, the watch had all the attributes of the greatest top-of-the-line sports chronographs of the era such as the gold Rolex “Paul Newman” Daytona.

Add to an already magnificent watch the beautifully supple 18K gold Milanese bracelet which doubled the price of an already expensive watch, and you had a model that was a true showstopper, making it understandable as to why so many drivers chose to wear the watch so often.

As the 1970s continued and the macro-economic environment became more challenging, fewer and fewer reference 1158 models were sold, let alone versions on the bracelet. Believe to have only existed in a couple of hundred examples, with only a small subset of these presented with the bracelet, finding examples in great condition is a true rarity and explains why, when found on the bracelet the watches regularly approach six figure prices.

Nearly a decade ago Sotheby’s had the privilege of offering Ronnie Peterson’s personal watch on its original bracelet and engraved with a dedication from Jack Heuer on the back, which sold for a then impressive 225,000 CHF. Given the time that has passed since and the increasing interesting in watches that are connected to great stories, it represents a truly rare opportunity to acquire an 1158 CHN on its bracelet in standout condition.