Heuer Autavia "Viceroy"

Heuer Autavia 1163V, Viceroy Configuration, 1975

1. DESCRIPTION & SIGNIFICANCE

The 1163V is the automatic Autavia, built around Caliber 12. The movement dictates the layout: crown on the left, pushers on the right. It reads as wrong to anyone raised on modern chronographs, and that is exactly what tells you what is inside.

The Viceroy name comes from a 1972 promotion run by the Brown and Williamson Tobacco Company. Buyers mailed in proofs of purchase from a Viceroy carton plus $88, and a Swiss automatic chronograph came back. Heuer dealers were asking around $200 for a comparable Autavia that same year. The offer closed December 31 and was never repeated. Watches identical in specification were also sold through regular dealer channels before and after the promotion, so the Viceroy name describes a configuration, not a specific receipt.

The configuration is defined by its dial and hardware: black dial with polished markers on white inserts, all twelve numerals on the hour register, brushed steel hands with red tips and red inserts, and a bi-directional ratcheting tachymeter bezel.

This watches' serial number 247094 falls in the 246xxx to 247xxx batch, which Heuer production records place in 1972, the year of the Viceroy promotion. The year is probable rather than certain.

2. CONDITION & COMPONENTS

• Overall Grade: Pre-owned vintage. Please inquire for a full graded condition report.

• Originality: Correct Viceroy dial, hands, and bezel configuration for the 1163V. Please inquire for verification of individual components.

• Key Wear / Parts Notes: Please inquire. Character marks and micro-scratches consistent with a fifty year old chronograph should be expected. Review all photographs before purchase.
  

3. MOVEMENT & PERFORMANCE

• Caliber Engine: Heuer Caliber 12 automatic chronograph, micro-rotor, crown at left with pushers at right.

• Service History: 1-year warranty
  

4. DIAL & HANDS

• Variant & Condition: Correct Viceroy black dial, present and legible. Polished markers set on white inserts, with all twelve numerals printed on the hour register.

• Hand Set: Brushed steel hands with red tips, red inserts, and a lume strip, correct for the Viceroy configuration.
  

5. CASE, BEZEL & CRYSTAL

• Dimensions: Case 42mm, lug-to-lug (47.2mm),between lugs (20mm), Case thickness (15mm)

• Case & Lugs: Stainless steel Autavia case. Please inquire for polishing assessment.

• Components: Left-hand winding crown with right-hand chronograph pushers, as dictated by Caliber 12.

• Bezel & Crystal: Bi-directional ratcheting tachymeter bezel. Crystal condition, refer to photos
  * Case designed by Schmitz
  

6. STRAP & ACCESSORIES

• Hardware: Head only. The watch ships without a bracelet, fitted on a leather strap.

• Fit & Wear: Delivered on a leather strap. No original Heuer bracelet is included.
  

7. COLLECTOR NOTES

• Provenance & Box/Papers: Watch only. No box and no papers.

• Vintage Disclaimer: This is a vintage, pre-owned timepiece with decades of history. It is an honest, used object and is not cosmetically perfect. It displays character marks, micro-scratches, and component aging consistent with its era. Please perform due diligence by carefully examining all high-resolution photographs and macro images provided to ensure this piece fully meets your personal condition standards before making a purchase decision.

Timegrapher reading (view)

• Rate: +15 s/day
• Amplitude: 256°
• Beat error: 1.0ms

Measured September 25, 2026, Dial up, fully wound.

Vintage movements typically run 200 to 280° amplitude; the rate matters most for daily wear. A reading is a snapshot on the date shown.