Why We Love It

It's no secret that the team at Analog:Shift is partial to all things motorsports and racing, and there are few brands with as strong a motorsports connection as Heuer.

The 1960s and 1970s were boom times for sporty wristwatches with color and a little flash, and Heuer was no slouch in their offerings - take the exotic-dialed Autavia offered here!

Featuring a Calibre 15 automatic chronograph movement and the finely finished 42mm stainless cushion case that came to define Heuer's third-execution Autavia line, this particular example features one of the most bonkers dial layouts to ever grace a timepiece.

Known to collectors as the 'Exotic', this Reference 1563 features a racy white chapter ring with orange hour indices, matching handset, and oversized luminous plots which have all aged beautifully and evenly. Fitted with a Gay Freres Beads Of Rice bracelet and a Tachymeter bezel insert and in outstanding condition throughout, this is one of the cleanest examples of the reference we've ever come across!

The vintage Heuer wave may be in slack tide at the moment (along with anything that isn't Rolex or Patek Philippe!), so don't miss out on an incredible opportunity to snag this special piece before they spiral upwards in value once again!

The Autavia Story

Heuer's connection with Formula 1 is long-standing, going all the way back to the foundation of Formula 1 in 1950. Drivers in teams ranging from Lotus to Maserati to Jack Heuer's favorite Ferrari wore Heuer chronographs. Some of these have entered horological history carrying the names of the drivers who wore them, an enduring testament to this fruitful relationship. 

The name "Autavia" comes from a combination of two words: Automotive & Aviation. Heuer originally applied the moniker to dashboard clocks and instrumentation used in automobiles and aircraft, but recycled it in the 1960s and applied it to their line of professional racing chronographs for which the name is best known.