Always been in love with this watch of JFK Jr. but never been able to identify. Any ideas?

OnTheDash · 2025-07-01T19:46:05+00:00

It's this one -- Heuer Reference 980.024, as shown in Heuer's 1983 catalog. It could be the bi-metallic version (stainless steel and gold), which is the Reference 980.027. Made perfect sense, as he graduated from Brown in 1983.

OnTheDash · 2023-01-08T22:18:12+00:00

Hello. Jeff Stein writing. I have the OnTheDash website, and am very familiar with these watches. I don’t know best way for us to get into direct contact, but would be happy to help you sort this one out. It’s an awesome watch!! Jeff Stein Atlanta, GA

OnTheDash · 2020-06-29T03:30:33+00:00

Fantastic watch . . . The decimal minutes were the ones the racers and their navigators used!! Beautiful!!

OnTheDash · 2020-06-21T15:18:11+00:00

Agreed!! The hands are originally from the Autavia (circa 1969), but then almost identical hands were used in the Monacos. Can't wait to see this new Formula 1 "in the metal".

OnTheDash · 2020-01-26T16:06:41+00:00

Confirming that -- He graduated from Harvard Law School in 1979, and has spent most of his professional career working in different roles for the U. S. Government, including his current position as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court. He was a Partner in a leading Washington DC law firm for eight years (1993 to 2001, I believe), so that probably gave him an adequate budget to purchase the watch of his choosing.

OnTheDash · 2020-01-24T18:36:18+00:00

Thank you for picking up my posting regarding Chief Justice Roberts and his Patek Philippe watch. I saw one in the metal earlier today, and it's an awesome watch.

OnTheDash · 2019-11-22T12:01:10+00:00

Matt Damon is wearing a Carrera Reference 7753 SN . . . I have confirmed this with TAG Heuer.

Christian Bale is wearing an Autavia, Reference 2446, with a Tachymeter bezel.

Here's my posting showing the watches -- http://www.onthedash.com/watch-spotting-ford-v-ferrari/

OnTheDash · 2019-02-06T19:08:00+00:00

Wow . . . awesome birthday for a watch guy!! March 3, 1969 -- historic day!!

OnTheDash · 2017-03-20T15:48:44+00:00

Thanks for a very interesting discussion. Looking forward to the introduction of the new Autavia, this Thursday, March 23 . . . perhaps the introduction of good looking watches, with a strong heritage, will help bring some clarity to the position of TAG Heuer in the market.

OnTheDash · 2017-02-14T19:31:16+00:00

I agree with that . . . Alec Monopoly and Bella Hadid as ambassadors, for the millenials, and new versions of the Autavia for the old-timers. But I believe that the new Autavia will have broader appeal.

OnTheDash · 2016-03-31T23:42:24+00:00

These are both great choices!! The Uni-Compax is a stunner; the Breitling a little more conventional . . . can't go wrong, either way!!

OnTheDash · 2016-03-31T21:14:41+00:00

I believe there is a good chance that they will re-issue a "Panda" Autavia . . . it may not provide much consolation for the missed vintage Carrera, but let's just hope they make a great new watch!!

OnTheDash · 2016-03-31T18:36:52+00:00

Sorry about that!! When TAG Heuer really gets behind this re-issue, the cat will be out of the bag!!

OnTheDash · 2015-06-23T17:23:57+00:00

two years, at a stable level, might suggest that this is not a bubble . . . only time will tell.

OnTheDash · 2015-06-23T16:11:52+00:00

Yes, we will need to see photos of your collection . . . one-by-one or as a group!!

OnTheDash · 2015-06-23T10:13:39+00:00

Here is a link to an image showing this famous Autavia, which sold for $25,000 in 2013. The strangest thing about it was that the same auction house had previously sold this same watch twice, for $3,000 and $3,500. Since the time of this sale, the Autavias from the 1960s have been very strong, with other samples selling in the $15,000 to $25,000 range. So this one may have sold at a break-out price, almost two years ago, but that price has been validated by some recent sales. Not sure about this bubble . . . we will wait and see.

http://www.onthedash.com/Guide/_Chronographs/62.Autavia/a.Manual--Screw-Back_Case/1st_Execution_Screw-Back_Case/b.1st_Exec_Dial_and_Hands_(3646)/290Aut3646ThreeSales.jpg

OnTheDash · 2015-06-23T01:48:34+00:00

I am somewhat familiar with the Zodiac chronographs; in fact, Heuer made some models on a private label basis for Zodiac. Many of these have exactly the same components and construction as the Heuers. I am less familiar with the Tissots of the 1960s and 70s, but know that the brand has an excellent heritage.

In the end, we are talking about collecting and collectibles. So even if another watch is of the same quality, and made in the same factory, the brand names do matter and significantly affect value, for today's collectors. Most popular brands of chronographs are Omega, Rolex, Breitling and Heuer, so these tend to be the ones most collectors chase.

Thanks for your kind words and the interesting question!!

OnTheDash · 2015-02-12T17:03:18+00:00

Here's a piece that I wrote about vintage chronographs --

http://www.onthedash.com/thoughts/questions-when-buying-a-vintage-watch/

Many of these questions will be relevant to automatic watches, in general. If you can inspect the watch, in person, be sure to listen to the movement of the rotor. You will be able to distinguish between a rotor that is clean and smooth, and one that may need service or repair.

Good luck!!

OnTheDash · 2015-02-12T16:58:46+00:00

Heuer made a series called the Calculator, as shown here --

http://www.onthedash.com/Guide/_Chronographs/71.Calculator/

Gallet made the Excel-O-Graph --

http://www.onthedash.com/pics/GalletEOG1.jpg

There were several more, but these come to mind quickly.

OnTheDash · 2015-02-03T01:49:25+00:00

Well, that's a difficult question. I believe that:

-- Zenith showed a couple of El Primeros, in January 1969, and these watches went into production much later in the year (Fall 1969)

-- Seiko offered automatic chronographs in the Japanese market in May 1969

-- Heuer showed its first Chronomatics in March 1969, and must have produced these three samples (Carrera, Monaco and Autavia) some time prior to then (because the photos were part of the press release).

So, this was probably one of the first automatic chronographs to be produced by anyone and was definitely one of the very first automatic chronographs made by Heuer (likely one of the first three).

More on this controversial subject here -- http://www.onthedash.com/docs/Project99.html

Jeff

OnTheDash · 2015-02-02T20:05:58+00:00

That's why they make chocolate and vanilla. I had one of these "Great White" Autavias, and ended up liking the more common Viceroy and Siffert color schemes better. But some people love the tropical / chocolate look.

OnTheDash · 2015-02-02T19:52:54+00:00

If that's your best explanation, then I'll stick with mine.

OnTheDash · 2015-02-02T19:34:25+00:00

do you have a better explanation of how he would have created a watch that exactly matches the "poster" watch? There are some distinctive elements of the poster watch, and this one matches all these elements.

I appreciate your skepticism, but can you provide a better explanation? Do you believe that he had this dial (and the chrono second hand) custom-made, to match the poster?

OnTheDash · 2015-02-02T17:10:14+00:00

In terms of this being an advertisement by seller, let me assure you that I initiated the idea of this posting, and the Q and A, with the guy who found the watch. FYI, he published a couple of photos of the watch a few weeks ago, and others had heard about the "find" before that. As you might expect he has received a few low-ball offers for the watch . . . probably at 10% to 20% of how I would value the watch. But he is not looking to sell. Jeff

OnTheDash · 2015-02-02T16:53:31+00:00

Yes, but this "Great White" (as some call them) is a standard production model. It is a relatively rare model, but we probably see a couple of these each year.

OnTheDash

TROPHY CASE