1960s Heuer Autavia Ref. 3646 'Andretti' Retailed By Gübelin

Why This Watch Matters

An "Andretti" Autavia with Gübelin sprinkles on top – we can't complain.

The Full Story

Heuer introduced the earliest Autavia wristwatches in the early 1960s, and they featured a screw-back case in nine different variations through the production range. With "big eye" registers, the very first of these Autavias have come to achieve some extremely strong auction results.

By the late 1960s, those big eyes were brought down to a more standard proportion in both the two and three register iterations of Heuer's flagship sport chronograph. In 1966 and 1967, Mario Andretti was awarded two ref. 3646 Autavias by the auto publication Motor Age featuring the magazine's logo on the dial at six o'clock. Mr. Andretti frequently wore both of these watches in the following decades on his rise to become one of the greatest drivers in motorsport history. As a result, the second execution case, third execution dial iteration of the ref. 3646 has been nicknamed the "Andretti" by Heuer collectors. The story of these two "Andretti" Autavias and more of Mario's watches are told in our Talking Watches With Mario Andretti.

The "Andretti" we have is actually more similar to Mario's than most second execution case, third execution dial ref. 3646 Autavia. Rather than a Motor Age logo at six o'clock in the case of Andretti's pair, our watch features a Gübelin retailer signature.

With roots tracing to 1854 and, to this day, never leaving the hands of its original family, Gübelin is a Swiss-based retailer of jewelry and watches. Starting in Lucerne, the brand slowly expanded into Zurich, Geneva, St. Moritz, and even New York City by the middle of the 20th century. This Autavia was originally sold in a Gübelin boutique and the brand name is present on the dial to flaunt this. Dual signed Heuers are not very common, especially screw-back Autaivas. Collectors tend to gravitate towards these retailer-signed dials because they give the watch another level of rarity. In fact, some collectors only seek out dual-signed dials.

The Fine Print

What We Love And What You Should Know

Things We Love:

- "Andretti" Autavia variant
- Gübelin retailer signature
- Excellent overall condition

Things To Know:

- Light scratches on case
- Wear on the four o'clock pusher

This Autavia is in overall excellent, attractive condition. The case is strong with scratches and some nicks along the edges and sides. The pusher at four o'clock has some visible wear. The facets or bevels on the lugs are visible. The caseback text and engravings are present and visible. The caseback also shows signs of a previous polish and has a few deeper scratches. The numbers are visible between the lugs. The rear of the lugs show some scratches from strap removal and placement.

The dial has developed a very light patina throughout, and the hands and hour markers have developed a similar light patina. The white sub-registers are clean with only a very light patina. The lume on the hands has developed a pleasing patina. The lume on the dial has developed patina close to matching the hands and shows signs of degradation. The hands and hour markers have developed patina.

The bezel shows some light wear especially around the edges but the ridge is well-preserved overall. The dial, case, movement, and crown are signed by Heuer. This watch was photographed on a 175mm/6.9inch wrist.