This is my NOS (New Old Stock) Heuer 3000 Chronograph ref 232.206. The 3000 series was one of the last Heuer design to be launch. 3000 watches can be found with Heuer only, or with Tag Heuer logo. A few have a mix of the two logos.
These early quartz chronographs has a rather interesting movement. In the automatic version, the movement is a very high quality 40 jewels unadjusted LWO 283. This is a scarce early transitional model which is an ETA 2892-2 with piggyback Dubois Depraz module. This movement was used in Heuer and Tag Heuer produced from the early 80's and shortly after the start of the Tag-Heuer in 1985. The quartz version has the same mechanical chronograph modul from Dubois Depraz mounted on a ETA 555.112 quartz movement.
My watch has the very rare original grey leather strap and buckle. Most of these chronograph was delivered with a bracelet.
The 3000 chronograph family shown in a 1984 Heuer catalogue.
One of my colleagues in his 50's came up to me one day at work and said he had found a old watch in a drawer that might be of interest for me.... He knew of my love for Heuer. And out of his pocket comes a Norwegian issued Heuer Bund. Do you want this old watch? He asked..... yes I did :-) He would not accept any money for it, but said ok to a symbolic sum after some persuasion. He got the watch when he was serving his time in the Norwegian Airforce as a photographer in the late 1970's. It was a gift from a friend that worked with supplies. He got it when they was phaseing some of them out.
My friend was stationed at Rygge Air Base in the late 1970s. Based at Rygge was the 336 Squadron with their Northrop F-5 Freedom Fighters. The first F-5 arrived at Rygge in 1965 and stayed in active duty untill 2000 when the squadron was closed. My Heuer came from Rygge and was most likely worn by a F-5 pilot.
The back is stamped LUFTFORSVARET and a number that ends with /76. This indicates that it was issued in 1976. The majority of these watches have the word “Bundeswehr” engraved on the back as they were issued to German servicemen from 1968 until the late 1970’s (Bundes Wehr means ‘Federal Defence’ in German). 
In a regular chronograph calibre the chronograph mechanism must be stopped before it can be reset. In a flyback chronograph, the mechanism can be reset while it is still running, making it particularly useful for timing consecutive short interval events. This is achieved by the addition of a additional lever in the chronograph mechanism. When the reset button is pressed the flyback lever lifts the coupling clutch from the chronograph centre wheel allowing the mechanism to reset.
A Norwegian F-5 over the snowy mountains.
The famous "Tiger" F-5 from the Norwegian Airforce. 
This is what it looked like after I removed the blued steel hands.
Secondly, the sliding gear spring was broken. This spring provides pressure on the sliding gear to ensure that the chronograph finger can advance the chronograph mechanism when engaged.
With the movement, Valjoux 71, cleaned and back up and running, it was just a matter of straightening the centre second hand and the old movement was in great shape again.
The old blued steel hands had some rust damage, but I think they add a nice patina to the watch. So I did not replace them.
This watch even has the very rare original two piece bracelet from NSA in Heuer Monaco style. This is the only Camaro I have seen with this bracelet. I also have a period vintage brown rally strap with a genuine vintage Heuer gold buckle. The buckle has the sun symbol on the inside, a proof for a genuine vintage buckle and not a re-issue.
NSA bracelet in Monaco style.
Heuer 1971/72 catalogue with the two register Valjoux 7734 driven Camaros.
The result is nice and looks correct. The oval pushers and vintage crown add nice detail.
The case is stainless stel with a screw in case back. The watch is signed four times, dial, movement plus outside and inside of the case back. The serial number is stamped between the lug, but no ref. number can be found anywhere. It's very difficult to find informations about these automatics, they do not appear in any catalogue I have seen.
I have a few of these small Heuers, all with different dials. This one has a lot of patina, but I like it. I makes me think of this little machine's almost 60 year long life.....
The Viceroy model (Reference 1163V) is recognized by the tachymeter bezel, the economy dial with red dots by the applied markers and white elements incorporated into the markers, brushed steel hands with red tips and luminous inserts.
As you ca see on the picture above, the writing on the dial is a mix of English and French. On the French made ref. 844 (
The movement on these early diver is ESA 536.121. This is a quite fragile movement, and it's very common to see non working examples of these diver for sale on Ebay. The can often be picked up very cheap. But be avare, it's very difficult to find parts for this movement. Even a used replacement can be very difficult to find.
