Carrera 12 Ref. 2447S

HEUER, CARRERA 12, REF. 2447S, second generation, Albino dial

ICONEEK price: SOLD

Iconeek is proud to introduce here a fresh to the market, original owner, Carrera 12 model by Heuer, produced in the 1960s. The Heuer Carrera was launched in 1963, soon after the Autavia making it the second named watch in the Heuer collection. With the Carrera, Jack Heuer wanted  to design a chronograph with excellent skills, on land, under water or in the air, and great accuracy because « Flighttime, traveltime, observation time etc can be precisely recorded up to 12 hours » (see Heuer Advert below). This case design is different to the Autavia and smaller too, measuring 36mm.

The Carrera 2447 is set with a three register dial with inner chapter ring and elegant 36mm diameter case housing the famous Valjoux 72 movement. Two executions were produced over  a period of 7 years,  the first generation having plain steel applied hour markers and plain steel hands with luminous tips and the second generation with shorter steel markers with black colored inset with matching black colored steel hands with luminous tips, such as the present watch. The model with its clear dial’s layout offers a great readability. According to scholars, the design of the case was inspired by 1960s modernist architecture and the name was inspired by a legendary car race through Mexico called Carrera Panamericana. The model was available in three variations: with 20 microns gold-plated case, under Ref 2448S, with 18K gold case, under Ref. 2456S, and in stainless steel, such as the present watch.

The model has a two-body construction: a stainless steel, water-resistant type, tonneau-shaped case with lapidated lugs and round chronograph pushers in the band, a screwed case back. The inside back is engraved « Heuer-Leonidas, Swiss, Stainless Steel ». Under the plexiglass crystal, we find a superb silvered dial, with applied steel baton indexes, luminous dots, outer minute and 1/5th second division, luminous steel Baton hands, three subsidiary guilloche dials for the 30-minute register at 3, the 12-hour register at 6, the constant second at 9. Under the screwed case back ticks a caliber Valjoux 72, mechanical, hand wound, rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, with straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorbers, self-compensating flat balance spring, column-wheel mechanism, engraved « MN »next to the balance. The chronograph bridge is engraved « Heuer-Leonidas SA ». Dial, case and movement are signed. The size between the lugs is 17.90 mm.

Collectors will immediately notice that the present is featuring the rare and much sought-after matt silver color dial with white registers, aka Albinos dial, a rare version, compared to the later brushed silvered models, which was more common and ran for a longer timeframe.

The Carrera is still one of Heuer’s most iconic designs, making this watch a superb acquisition for an aficionado of 1960s sports chronographs. The Albino dial is very rare,  finding one in this configuration with such an original and unrestored condition, is even rarer. A collectible item !

Condition: 8.5/10, in great, original and collectible condition, all functions working