Heuer Diver 980.032 L back in service

1980s Heuer 980.032 L after restauration.

I started with a non running basket case missing it's bezel. I had to find a replacement vintage ESA movement (not easy). The original movement was rusted solid. No chance to make it running again. I found the right movement and swithed the name plate so the new movement was signed Heuer.
Then I had to get new minute and hour hands, the original was rusted to pieces. I got hold of two new ones of the black correct type. Problem was that the lume was way to white. 20 minutes in the kitchen oven at 200 C and a quick dip in coffee made the lume match the dial perfect.
A NOS bezel was next part missing. I got one throught Chronotrader, I had one for ref. 844, and traded it for the one I needed. At last I put on a jubilee bracelet, and the watch was ready for use again.
I think a sad looking basket case bought very cheap on Ebay turned out to be a nice classic Heuer in the end.

Heuer 980.032L diver project

This diver have had a hard life. The bezel is completely missing, and the movement looks very bad and corroded. The dial is miscolored in the middle.

The good news is that the case looks ok. The crystal is scratch free, and the Heuer signed original crown is in place.

My plan is to bring this one back to life. I think I can rescue the movement if I totally dismantle it and give it a good clean. I do have some spare parts if I need to replace some parts.

The big 42mm diver are very popular among heuer collectors and this ref. 980.032 L is quite rare.

The bezel will be harder to find, but I have some ideas about how I can solve this problem. A NOS bezel would look wrong on a watch like this with a lot of patina.

I will update you readers when I start to work on this project.

Stay tuned....

Aged with beauty - Heuer ref 5402

This is a very old Heuer chronograph. It was not difficult to find out how old it was. It has a engraving on the back with the year 1940. The copper colored dial has a lot of patina and adds a lot of charater to this old clunker.

The pin like blued hands match the art deco style dial perfect. The ultra thin hands give the watch a special look. I has a sort of 1930s art deco feeling. Very cool.

Inside ticks a unsigned Landeron 13. This is the correct movement for a Heuer from this age. This is normal for Heuer chronographs made earlier than 1945. Heuer did not sign most of their movement and case back prior to 1945. This watch seems to be all original and untouched for many years.

The snap on case back has a mystery engraving "G.H.R.P. from the SOO STAFF 1940". If anyone knows the meaning please make contact.

Shown at left in a Heuer 1945 catalogue.

The mystery is solved. This is a railroad watch from Soo Line Railroads in the US. The Soo Line Railroad (reporting mark) is the primary United States railroad subsidary of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP), controlled through the Soo Line Cooporation, and one of seven U.S Class 1 railroads.

Great find from Sweden

This a nice old clunker. I think this is a ref. 2457 as pictured in a 1946 Heuer catalogue. I got these pictures from Classic Heuers reader Michael Carlson from Sweden. He got this nice watch from his old uncle. He bought it new in Germany in the 1940s. The movement is most likely Valjoux 72, or it might be Valjoux 71. I am not 100% sure. I need a better picture to be certain. The caseback is stamped 14K and 585 gold. The movement is not signed, this is probably not a problem. Early Heuers did not have signed movement. It was not until after 1945 that all movement was signed. Ref 2457 is pictured on the left 1946 Heuer catalogue.

Ref. 16061 Super rare 19870's LCD chronograph

This is one rare beast. A typical late 1970's LCD chronograph. The case is square like most chronographs of this type.

The ref. 16061 is a eletronic LCD chronograph with splitsecond and memory. I also shows date, day and moth at the push of a button.

This was not a cheap watch back in 1979. A period catalogue shows a 195.00 USD price tag.

For that price you get a minarel glass and a steel bracelet.

Heuer Verona ref 110.213

This is a rare Heuer. The Verona is a more dress type of chronograph. Not as big and colorfull as many of Heuer's more well known chronographs from the 1970's.




The ref. 110.213 is all grey with steel and black hands. I think it's a elegant watch. I bet it will look nice together with a nice suit.
The movement is the famous Heuer calibre 12 Automatic chronograph.
Verona was never sold with bracelet. It was sold with a black leather strap.



The Verona is listed in a 1978 Heuer catalogue.