Heuer Autavia 'Bundeswehr'

When people think of military watches, their minds often go directly to the Second World War — and rightly so. Millions of timepieces flowed from that violent cauldron of war that threatened to consume the world, making it once of the richest eras for vintage military collectors.  

But digging deeper, a larger world of military timepieces unfolds, offering a bevy of interesting side notes from many of the most collectible brands — in this instance, Heuer.  

The Heuer Autavia Reference 73663 'Bundeswehr' is not a well-known military watch. For most enthusiasts, 'Bundeswehr' conjures one specific Heuer, the Ref. 1550 SG chronograph. Produced for the German military in the 1960s, the 1550SG is, for many, the quintessential mil-spec Heuer chrono. 

But the Ref. 73663 'Bund; doesn't deserve to play second fiddle to its elder brother. With limited production beginning circa 1972, this Autavia seems to have only made appearances in obscure German brochures — most sources don't even know exactly when production concluded or just how many were actually made.

What's clear is that these were produced by Heuer under contract for the German Armed Forces.  From its design it's also clear that the contract specified a Bund-spec dial, and Heuer clearly leaned on its experience with the 1550SG to produce it. This time, it produced a triple-register layout and utilized a hand-cranked Valjoux 7736 drivetrain, topping the time-keeping capabilities with combination 60-minute/12-hour bezel. Measuring 42mm in stainless steel and featuring pump pushers and a signed crown, it's a serious tool watch with excellent bona fides.

While the Ref. 73663 'Bundeswehr' isn't necessarily 'iconic,' it is an incredible combination of features: The 1970s cushion-case Autavias are visually stunning and wear wonderfully, especially when driven by manual-winding movements, which allowed the cases to be slightly thinner. The subdued military-style dial with luminous Arabic numerals, an outer white minute track, a triple-register chrono layout, and a luminous 'sword' handset harks to decades of spartan military timepiece production while injecting Heuer's distinct design language. The result is, frankly, drool-worthy.  

A rare bird indeed, the Ref. 73663 'Bundeswehr' was likely produced in fewer than 300 examples yet still manages to fly under the radar. Get your hands on this one before someone beats you to it!

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