Orange Diver ref. 980.007

This is my favorite vintage Heuer diver. The bright orange dial is just very cool. And the big full size 42mm case makes this a very visible watch thats get a lot of comments when you wear it.

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 (http://classicheuers.blogspot.com/2009/01/heuer-844-french-made-diver.html) all text is in French: 200 METRES / Professionel. On this Swiss Made watch the print on the dial says: 200 METRES / Professional. The depth rate is still French, but professional is now in English..

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.

If your movement fails, and you don't have a spare or the parts needed I got the solution for you. A automatic ETA 2824 is a straith fit. The base is the same, so the hands, dial and stem will fit. If you are a little handy, you can do the swap yourself in no time. I have done it without problems.

The caseback is just plain, without the HEUER shield logo. They are stamped with ref.number and serial number. Later Heuer divers have more well made case backs with the HEUER logo in the middle. The screw in crown is unsigned.

It made it as "covergirl" in this 1981 Heuer catalogue....

Issued Heuer split second timer

Lovely blued steel hands..... a very nice touch.

This is a issued Heuer stopwatch from the 1950's. I thought I had bougth a cool military issued Heuer, but some research of the GPO engravings on the back led me to the British Post service "General Post Office". Not as exciting as a war veteran, but still kind a cool.

The markings on the back says 6 GPO, BAU 53, 60107. 53 stand for 1953, the year it was issued. There is a website about GPO Watches, check out: http://www.britishtelephones.com/clocks/watches.htm

My watch is number 6, described as:

"Watch No. 6 is an 8-hour, high-grade, keyless, lever stop-watch of the permanent-motion type with a continuously operating seconds hand at the bottom of the dial, and two stop-start centre seconds fly-back hands with an associated revolution register at the top of the dial. The centre-seconds hands make one complete revolution in 100 seconds over a scale marked in half-second divisions and the revolution register integrates the revolutions of the upper centre-seconds hand up to a period of 3000 seconds. i.e. 30 revolutions."

This Heuer split stopwatch, was issued for the accurate measurement and timing of the electro-mechanical call timing equipment.

The movement is a lovely finished Valjoux 57. Fully signed, and with a very loud ticking sound. The second hand at six, is constantly running, even if the stopwatch is not engaged.

The bridge and case is signed Ed.Heuer & Co, Switzerland.