Heuer Autavia "Viceroy"

1975 Heuer Autavia 1163V, Viceroy configuration. Watch only. $5,300.

The 1163V is the automatic Autavia, built around Caliber 12. The movement dictates the layout: crown on the left, pushers on the right. It reads as wrong to anyone raised on modern chronographs, and that is exactly what tells you what is inside.

The Viceroy name comes from a 1972 promotion run by the Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company. Buyers mailed in proofs of purchase from a Viceroy carton and $88; a Swiss automatic chronograph came back. Heuer dealers were asking around $200 for a comparable Autavia that same year. The offer closed December 31 and was never repeated. Watches identical in specification were also sold through regular dealer channels before and after the promotion, so the Viceroy name describes a configuration, not a specific receipt.

The configuration is defined by its dial and hardware. Black dial with polished markers on white inserts and all twelve numerals on the hour register. Brushed steel hands with red tips, red inserts, and a lume strip. Bi-directional ratcheting tachymeter bezel.

Condition

• Pre-owned
• Black dial present and legible

Includes

• Watch only, no box or papers