Hi Forumfolks! I am looking at a Heuer Carrera, and having some hard time to get the date. I have been on different forums but can't find a nice timeline to follow... Serial nr is 727xx, with Valjoux 92 movement stamped Heuer Leonidas SA. I think it around 1964-66, but I need some help? And the caseback is round/slotted (not poly). Looking forward to your answers! And please do comment on the watch itself...
My 3647S is 72218 and it's early in the last of four serial number ranges given in Crossthwaite & Gavin, so I've always reckoned it to be 66-67.
Yeah based on those I've seen + also 2447s, even though they were produced in batches the 72xxx range would suggest 66-67.
Dirt around the crystal? Movement looks dirty too, and I don't like the condition of many screws. Is that the correct hour hand?
Yeah, the watch needs a service and a clean-up, I will try and get more pictures. Think the hands look darker here on the ones I posted than IRL?
Looks too wide to me and not tapered enough, could be camera angle though. Lume colour is impossible to judge without knowing the lighting conditions and the camera settings. Hard even then, better to have it in the hand in natural light. I would also want to see photos showing the full length of the lugs which are very important on Carreras, and I don't think the crown should be signed. For a watch primarily intended for wearing the hands, lume & crown don't matter too much but do affect purchase price and eventual resale value. Mine has some lume missing on the hands and a bit of light spotting on the dial but neither is visible on the wrist and I have no intention of selling it so I don't care. Love it to bits.
Yours looks lovely, and since you will keep it and it doesn't bother you, that's perfect! I took some pics from The Dash and HeuerWorld (I do hope that's ok?), showing hands etc... And the one I showed looks bit different, the length of the lume on the hand are "longer"??
Here is another one I found on Ebay...I don't think the dial is so nice? But the hands on these and the ones I posted before are the correct ones, and not like the one I posted from the start?
I think the hands are all right, and a signed crown wouldn't be out of place on a watch in this range. This is about where I think they were starting to add them. I agree that we'd love to see a full picture of the watch including the length of the lugs
In my view it has got to be cheap before I'd consider it. If you can get to see it (it's in Sweden I think) it's possible that you take the same view I do of mine, but I would not pay much -- and remember you will be in for at least EU400 for a service. Do you know about the Heuerpriceguide website? https://www.heuerpriceguide.com/carrera-1960s-price-guide (recently made much more readable )
Crown is the signed 32 tooth version, which I understand to be transitional between the unsigned crown (also 32 tooth) and the common signed crown which is 24 tooth. I’d be fairly certain it’s original.
Interesting. My 7753NS has the 32 tooth signed crown, serial 106258 from the first batch of 7753. Owned from new so I know the crown has never been replaced. Lugs carefully out of focus because I did not take of it
Good morning from a cold and dark Sweden! The watch that I am looking at is on an auction, so I really appreciate your help guys! So I will let you know!
And I forgot to comment regarding the webpage regarding prices etc - I found it before and its really helpful!!
Hi guys! Here is another picture in daylight! Any comments on this? I have mixed feelings, but I kind of like the watch, even if its a bit worn??
A lot of those marks you see are on the crystal and can be polished out. Or, a crystal replacement won't be too expensive either. I think it looks all right
Well... The auction ended, and I skipped this watch! I did some more research before the auction and I think that the hour/minute hand are not original, different length of the lume? And I tried to get feed-back from the auction house regarding this and other questions, but they only replied that the watch was: Case: very good and super impressive Dial: very good Movement: very good, running I didn't get any answers to my questions and no more pictures... Left is an image from Hodinkee, and right is the watch in question:
Could be service hands. The 3647 was the most popular V92 model so it's unlikely the hands would've been sourced from a 3646 Autavia or 9220 Camaro.
Right @abrod520! Actually it was @MRC that woke me up regarding the hand etc.. And also the auction house wasn't "on top" of this watch, think they just wanted a bid... Didn´t really want to answer my questions and no extra pictures, and they had more Heuers up for bid, and some didn't get any bids! Anyway - it went for 2500€ plus premium (only one bidder, and on site). So what do you think Guys - right or wrong price??