Saturday 28 May 2011

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.