Heuer

The present Heuer Autavia with reference 2446C dates back to 1970 and is in great honest condition. The movement is one of the most reputable chronograph calibers ever made, Valjoux Cal 72.

The watch’s reference contains the letter ‘C’ which stands for the fact that the watch is provided with an by Heuer adjusted compressor case. This is a case-sealing method that makes the case more water resistant when water pressure increases. The basis of the watch’s compressor case was made by EPSA, a very respected case builder which made compressor cases for dozens of brands over the years. The has been retained in very honest and original condition.

Mr Nigel Stepney was team manager and chief mechanic of JRM RACING in the FIA World Endurance Championship. He started in Formula One as a mechanic at Shadow in 1977, then followed Elio de Angelis to Lotus before moving to Benetton for the late 1980s and early 1990s and then to Scuderia Ferrari with Michael Schumacher, Rory Byrne and Ross Brawn. He was chief mechanic at Ferrari and later became race and test technical manager.

At the 2000 Spanish Grand Prix, Stepney was injured during a pit stop for Schumacher's car. This occurred when the German was signaled to depart while Stepney was still detaching the fuel rig. He suffered badly damaged ligaments to his ankle. On 1 February 2007, it was reported on the Internet that Stepney was unhappy with Ferrari's technical restructuring and that he wanted to leave the team, seeking a new challenge. Ferrari's spokesman Luca Colajanni reported on Pitpass' website that he had a contract until the end of the 2007 season and that he was therefore staying at Ferrari. On 23 February 2007, Stepney was promoted to head of the performance development, meaning that he would no longer have to attend races.