Heuer Autavia Heritage

The esteemed brand TAG Heuer embodies the rich and innovative spirit of Swiss watchmaking and has played a prominent role in the long history between motorsports and luxury watches. 

TAG Heuer’s beginnings were humble. The company originated in the small town of St-Imier in Switzerland, where Edouard Heuer began making silver pocket watches on his family farm in 1860. Heuer registered his first patent as Edouard Heuer & Compagnie in 1869 for the oscillating pinion, a keyless winding mechanism that revolutionized the chronograph and became the standard for all modern watches. 

Heuer’s interest in sports led to further innovations in watchmaking, as the company produced pocket chronographs for the crowds that gathered at horse races and greyhound races during the 1880s. The watchmaker made timepieces for the medical profession and precision chronographs for the dashboards of airplanes and motor vehicles in the years that followed. It supplied stopwatches to the Olympics during the early 20th century, not long after Edouard’s son, Charles-Auguste Heuer was installed as head of the company. Its chronograph technology eventually migrated to wrists. 

Motor racing and luxury watches have long been intertwined — Rolex, for example, was named the official timekeeper of the Daytona International Speedway in 1962, and its Daytona would appear soon afterward. Heuer’s lofty position in the sport was cemented by then — racers widely preferred Heuer chronographs, and the first iteration of the popular Heuer Autavia was a dashboard timer. The brand’s recognition continued to grow in the 1960s — the first Swiss timepiece to travel into space was the Heuer strapped to astronaut John Glenn during his historic 1962 orbit around the Earth, and the company’s association with Formula 1 also took shape during the decade. 

In 1969 — the year that Heuer, Breitling and Hamilton collectively debuted their revolutionary automatic chronographs at Basel Watch Fair — Porsche driver Jo Siffert became Heuer’s official brand ambassador — the first personal sponsorship in F1 history that was non-automotive.

The Heuer Autavia chronograph reference 1163T, also known as the “Siffert” in Formula 1 circles, reached legendary status among racing fans, along with the Monaco and Heuer Carrera chronographs. The latter was designed by Edouard’s great-grandson Jack Heuer, while the now-internationally renowned square-shaped Monaco earned the spotlight when Steve McQueen wore one in the 1970s movie Le Mans. The model was later lovingly dubbed the “McQueen Monaco.”  

TAG is an acronym for "Techniques d'Avant Garde" — it comes from the name of the TAG Group, a private holding company based in Luxembourg that acquired the watchmaker in 1985. TAG Heuer continues to produce high-quality luxury watches that use innovative materials, such as titanium, carbon fiber and lab-grown diamonds, underlining the brand’s commitment to sustainability. After four generations of Heuer family leadership, the company now operates under LVMH. 

TAG Heuer continues to embrace the new, offering a range of smartwatches, such as its Connected model, that merge traditional craftsmanship with modern features like fitness tracking and smartphone notifications. In 2023, the TAG Heuer Carrera was named the “hottest watch” of the year by GQ magazine.

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Antique, new and vintage wristwatches have captured the hearts and minds of all manner of watch collectors as well as the watchmakers themselves — it's time you found your own.

Certain vintage watches for men and iconic watch designs for women are sought after not only because of their graceful proportions or innovative materials but also because of the illustrious histories of the houses that created them, histories that they stylishly embody.

Bulgari’s legendary Serpenti watch was on everyone’s list after the collection’s bold bracelet, which technically debuted after the timepiece, graced the wrist of actress Elizabeth Taylor. If anything, elaborately crafted timepieces — the unmistakably boxy silhouette of Cartier Tank watches, the elegant and minimal Calatrava designed by legendary Swiss house Patek Philippe — are even more effective than the shape we associate with traditional wristwatches.

Form watches — the all-encompassing moniker bestowed upon non-round watches — are making headlines and completing contemporary fashionable ensembles the world over. At the same time, both casual fans and careful collectors are drawn to the unbeatable charm of vintage styles, such as the icons designed by Omega that even James Bond can’t resist.

In the early days of watchmaking, watches were fragile enough that they necessitated protection from the elements. Now, wristwatches made of gold and steel can withstand the harshest climates — even 100 meters underwater, in the case of Rolex’s Submariner. Designer Gérald Genta, whose range of clients included Rolex, created for Audemars Piguet the first luxury sports timepiece to be made from stainless steel. First introduced in 1972, the Royal Oak was a perfect choice for blending the form and function that are now synonymous with sports watches.

Are you shopping for a wristwatch? It’s good to keep your needs as well as your specific personal style in mind: A smaller, subtle timepiece is a good fit for small wrists. When will you be wearing your new accessory? There’s a versatile model out there for everyday wear, while a rugged, feature-heavy watch is a safe bet if you’re prone to embarking on all-weather activities in the great outdoors.

Find antique, new and vintage wristwatches on 1stDibs.