1960s Heuer Carrera 45 (Ref. 3647S)

The Carrera was released the same year as the Daytona and chronographs share both the Singer-made dials and the Valjoux72 movement. They are both named after races famous races too – the Carrera for the extremely dangerous Carrera Panamericana race through Mexico, but the Carrera has many features that set it apart from its contemporaries.

Heuer’s Carrera line was designed with legibility in mind. The goal was to create a chronograph that was sleek and uncluttered. Heuer had patented a new steel tension ring to hold the crystal in place. In order to keep the dial as clean as possible, this ring was painted to feature the 1/5 second demarcations. This along with the basic baton markers helped to create the simple, minimal look Heuer had in mind. The case, manufactured by Piquerez, features sharply beveled lugs that add to the overall streamlined look of the design.

The ref. 3647S seen here was originally called the Carrera 45 because the minute register measures forty-five-minute increments.