Tag Heuer: Blast from the past

Heuer Carrera 1158

A personal favourite of Jack Heuer’s, the man who created the Carrera, the reference 1158 harks back to the golden age of the brand’s association with Formula 1 racing.

Introduced in 1969 and sheathed in full yellow gold, the Carrera 1158 was gifted to legendary drivers such as Niki Lauda and Ronnie Peterson by Jack Heuer, “a personal friend who admired and wanted to support them”.

Several versions of the Carrera 1158 were produced in the 1970s. The Carrera 1158 CHN, which featured a gold dial with black registers, and a gold bracelet by celebrated bracelet maker Gay Freres, is said to be the most coveted.

Heuer Carrera 2447

Launched in 1963, the race rally-inspired Heuer Carrera chronograph arrived fully formed.

An instant hit with drivers and watch lovers given its clean and utilitarian tri-compax chronograph dial layout, this was the first-generation Heuer Carrera watch.

It featured a manual-winding Valjoux movement and was produced from 1963 to 1970, under the reference 2447.

Biebuyck calls the Carrera 2447SN, which is distinguished by its black-and-white ‘panda’ dial, “the purest execution of the Carrera”.

Monaco 1131

Famously worn by Steve McQueen in the 1971 movie Le Mans, the Monaco reference 1133 had actually premiered two years earlier, and was already making waves as one of Heuer’s most radical sports watches.

Recognised by its angular square case, the Monaco 1133 was powered by the groundbreaking automatic Calibre 11, making the watch one of the world’s first automatic chronographs.

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“It is a watch that doesn’t make sense in photos,” says Biebuyck.

“But when you put it on your wrist, it is like nothing else. It is magical.”