Baselworld 2016: TAG Heuer - 7 days before the Fair: The Autavia Cup is ON!
Baselworld 2016: TAG Heuer - 7 days before the Fair: The Autavia Cup is ON!
The first participatory event of its kind showcasing TAG Heuer's rich heritage. The goal? to collectively choose the historic Autavia model to be reissued in 2017.
This is an original project, a community initiative, a spontaneous consultative approach with customers, collectors, enthusiasts, boutique clients, etc. A first among watchmaking brands in terms of preserving and showcasing their heritage.
On Thursday 17th March 2016, the first day of the BASELWORLD international trade fair, TAG Heuer will launch a major online operation, "THE AUTAVIA CUP", the aim of which is to choose the historic Autavia model to be reissued in 2017.
What do you think? Which is your favourite? TAG Heuer will be asking all fans of the brand to choose THEIR OWN favourite historic Autavia model from a selection of 16 watches that represent the first generation of Autavias produced by the company in the 1960s.
The principle is simple: the first round takes place on the dedicated website, autaviacup.com, have a look at the side-by-side pairs of photos showing the 16 watches and vote online before 31st March 2016 for your favourite in each pair. The second online round will follow, to determine the 4 finalists before 14th April, the operation deadline.
On Monday 18th April 2016, a TAG Heuer internal Products Committee led by Jean-Claude Biver, CEO of TAG Heuer and President of the LVMH Group Watch Division - himself a watch collector - will reveal online the watch chosen from among the 4 finalists as the one to be reissued and presented at Baselworld in 2017.
Choose your favourite historic Autavia and bring it back to life… Get involved from Thursday 17th March 2016, the opening date for this year's BASELWORLD trade fair.
The “Mark 3” Autavia uses the second execution case, with its narrower bezel, and the dial has applied steel markers with small luminous plots. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts. This version of the Autavia was worn by the Austrian Formula One world champion, Jochen Rindt.
The Reference 2446 with Tachymeter scale on the dial was a special order model, from the mid-to-late 1960s, using the second execution case (with its narrower bezel). In addition to the Tachymeter scale, the dial features complementary luminous triangles and applied metal markers, with the numeral “12” also in metal. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts.
The Reference 3646 with Tachymeter scale on the dial was a special order model, from the mid-to-late 1960s, using the second execution case (with its narrower bezel). In addition to the Tachymeter scale, the dial features complementary luminous triangles and applied metal markers, with numerals for “12” and “6” also in metal. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts.
The “Mark 3” Autavia uses the second execution case, with its narrower bezel, and the dial has applied steel markers with small luminous plots. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts. This version of the Autavia was worn by Mario Andretti, who won both the Formula One world championship and the Indianapolis 500.
The first version of the Autavia 30 chronograph features oversized registers and dauphine hands that are entirely covered with luminous material. The dial features luminous markers, with the numerals “12” and “6” also in luminous paint. The first execution case has a wider bezel than the second execution case.
The “Mark 2” Autavia continued to use the first execution case (with its wider bezel), but introduced an entirely new dial. This dial uses complementary luminous dots and applied metal markers, with standard sized registers (rather than the oversized ones on earlier models). Hands are dauphine shape, with polished metal edges and luminous inserts, and are narrower than the ones on earlier models.
The “Mark 4” Autavia dial features painted luminous markers, at all 12 positions, with no numerals for the hours. This execution continues the second execution case, with its narrower bezel, and uses matchstick style hands, with luminous inserts. The Mark 4 is exceptionally rare, being the last of the screw-back Autavias, making a brief appearance before the introduction of the 2446C (compression case).
This version of the Autavia 30 features oversized registers, as on the earlier version, but these updated dauphine hands have polished steel edges and wide luminous inserts. The dial features luminous markers, with the numerals “12” and “6” also in luminous paint. The first execution case has a wider bezel than the second execution case.
The first version of the Autavia 12 chronograph features oversized registers and dauphine hands that are entirely covered with luminous material. The dial features luminous markers, with the numeral “12” also in luminous paint. The first execution case has a wider bezel than the second execution case.
In 1968, Heuer redesigned the Autavia case, moving from a screw-back case to a snap-back compression case. The new case was slightly larger (at 40 mm) and wide, angular lugs. The first execution of the Reference 2446C featured plain steel markers, with luminous plots, which matched the polished steel hands, with their luminous inserts.
Rather than the standard black dial of the Reference 2446C Autavias (and all the earlier Autavias), this model features a silver dial with black registers. The applied steel markers and polished steel hands, with luminous inserts, match those of the standard models, and the standard 2446C compression case is used. This model is exceptionally rare, and was mostly likely a test or prototype dial that never reached serial production.
This version of the Autavia 12 features oversized registers, as on the earlier version, but these updated dauphine hands have polished steel edges and wide luminous inserts. The dial features luminous markers, with the numeral “12” also in luminous paint. The first execution case has a wider bezel than the second execution case.
This Fantasy Autavia begins with a transitional screw-back case and a “Rindt” dial, but changes the dial from black to white and the registers from white to black, to produce a “Panda” version. The transitional case features plain lugs and the wide bezel from the early Autavias. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts.
All standard Autavias of the 1960s featured black dials with white registers, so this Fantasy model uses black paint on the registers to create a “Black Out” model. Features from the standard model include the first execution case (with its wide bezel), the luminous markers on the dial, and the all lume dauphine hands. The black-on-black of this model evokes the early Carreras, which also features this “black-out” look.
This Fantasy Autavia begins with the Mark 1 version of the Autavia 30, but changes the dial from black to white and the Big Sub registers from white to black, to produce a “Panda” version. All other elements are from the standard Mark 1 Autavia, including the first execution case (with its wide bezel), the luminous markers on the dial, and the all lume dauphine hands.
This Fantasy Autavia begins with the Mark 1 version of the Autavia 12, but changes the dial from black to white and the Big Sub registers from white to black, to produce a “Panda” version. All other elements are from the standard Mark 1 Autavia, including the first execution case (with its wide bezel), the luminous markers on the dial, and dauphine hands with polished steel edges and wide luminous inserts.