A Rare Icon of 1970s Racing to Wear on Your Wrist

All watch brands have a signature watch: the Rolex Submariner, the Jaeger-LeCoultre Reverso, Audemars Piguet Royal Oak. The Autavia is TAG Heuer’s, a beloved racing watch from the heyday of the Heuer solo brand. The wristwatch began as a clock for cars and planes (Autavia is a portmanteau rendition of automotive and aviation), and by the 1970s it was an essential part of the kit for race car drivers. This was the golden age of Le Mans and Steve McQueen, and Heuer chronographs were lock step in the glory of it all.

Despite all that, a 2003 reissue wasn’t a success. While Monacos from the same era (and their contemporary reissues) continue to go strong on the collector market, the new Autavias were off the market in two years. It may have been the company's choice to adopt a fixed bezel, or that the modern interpretation with squared-off pushers, a new logo, and not-quite-legit Caibre 11 movement just wasn’t special enough. Why own a facsimile when you can get the real thing?