Heuer

• cal. 12 automatic lever movement, 17 jewels, mono-metallic balance • two-tone gilt dial, applied baton indexes, oval black subsidiary dials for 30-minutes and 12-hours registers, central chronograph hand, aperture for date at 6, outer minute and 1/5 seconds track, outermost tachymeter scale • 18k yellow gold polished case, round pushers to the band, crown at 9, screw-down engraved back • case, dial and movement signed • with an 18k yellow gold Gay frères bracelet marked 1-71, 750, GF, Swiss made

Heuer was very much involved with timekeeping technologies along with Formula One and the Carrera was the watch he developed specifically for the motorsport.

The present Heuer Carrera chronograph in 18k yellow gold was given to the legendary Swedish Formula One driver Ronnie Peterson by Jack W. Heuer, the great-grandson of Edouard Heuer, founder of the Heuer watch brand, on the occasion of the signing of a sponsorship agreement with Heuer in Bienne.

Ronnie Petersen was known to be a gentleman on the Formula One circuit and raced with peers such as Mario Andretti, Nicki Lauda, Emerson Fittibaldi, James Hunt, Clay Regazzoni, Joseph Siffert and Jacky Ickx, most of them sponsored by Heuer.

The reference 1158 in gold, known as the ‘Pilot’s Watch’, was initially intended to be exclusively for the Ferrari pilots, however its huge popularity convinced Jack Heuer to produce additional pieces.

The Carrera model, launched in 1964, was made in three main series, first with the “Carrera” case, then with the “Compressor” case and finally this series’ with the “Autavia” case, referenced 1158. The first series of reference 1158 was fitted with the Heuer calibre 11 movement and had round registers. The present watch represents the upgraded version, made in 1972, with the Heuer calibre 12 and a new dial-layout.

Less than five hundred pieces of reference 1158 in 18k yellow gold is known to have been produced.

Included in this lot is a Société de Banque Suisse 100g 999,9 fine gold bar, the “Prix Rouge et Blanc Joseph Siffert”, which was an award created for outstanding bravery. The present lot is one which was awarded to Ronnie Peterson for his performance at the Nürburgring, Germany G.P. in 1972.