Heuer Camaro

Much ado has been made about Heuer in recent months.  With the buzz growing beyond just the initiated collectors, early examples of the Carrera and Autavia have enjoyed massive attention.  And for good reason; in addition to exceptional build quality and superlative manually-wound movements, these 1960s chronographs are intimately intertwined with Motorsports history with many of the greats choosing to strap Heuers to their wrists when they took to the track. This excitement has helped shed the light on the rarer and less well-known offerings from Heuer like the Heuer Camaro.  While some get all weak in the knees for panda or exotic dial executions, many prefer the simple, matter-of-fact design of the Reference 7743ST ('S' for silver, 'T' for Tachymeter.)  With its bright silver dial, printed outer tachy ring, running seconds at 9:00 and 30-minute counter at 3:00, the 7743ST boasts a balanced, legible layout that is very pleasing to the eye.   As with all Camaros, the 7743ST was fitted with a hand-cranked Valjoux chronograph movement, in this instance, the venerable Valjoux 7730. With its uncluttered and clean feel, the 7743ST feels like a purpose-built piece of racing kit.  Fitted with a brown rally strap with steel Heuer-signed buckle, this classic chronograph will make you want to dance through The Corkscrew at Laguna Seca every time you put it on.   About the Camaro: Heuer launched the Camaro in 1968, before the introduction of the first automatic-winding movement, the Chronomatic, was fitted into the Monaco, the Autavia and the Carrera lines the following year. Last seen in the 1972 catalog, the Camaro had one of the shortest production runs of all the models from the 60s and 70s, leading to their relative rarity today. In a sense, the Camaro is a blend of the early manually-wound Carreras and the later Monacos, with the combination of a square cushion case and straight lugs, evocative of a Monaco, and manual calibers and dials similar to Carreras. Larger than a Carrera but without the heft of a Monaco, the Camaro is as comfortable on the wrist as it is stylish. Despite a case measuring 37mm, the Camaro wears larger than the numbers might suggest as is typical with square and cushion case watches. The hand-crank Valjoux movement lends itself to a thin case, allowing for a lower profile than the Calibre 11-driven chronos of the 1970s. The case features a variety of finishes, notably the signature Heuer sunburst finish on the top of the case, beveling down into a polished outer perimeter and the polished finish continuing onto the sides of the case and lugs.  Coming in an array of dial and movement combinations, the Camaro offers an incredible opportunity for any fan of vintage Heuer.