Borna Boschunjak
It’s not often that you don’t get the opportunity to bring your camera into the archives of watch brands. And almost often, led by the brand’s own heritage director, you don’t get nearly unlimited access. But that was exactly the polite tags Heuer and Nicholas Biebuyck gave us before the opening of the 2025 Formula One season in Melbourne. I don’t ruin it much, and I have no reason – is it better to tell you these stories than the brand’s chief historian and Bonafide Formula 1 and racing enthusiasts?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2jivlt16cc
But as a Formula 1 nerd, I can’t help myself enough, but at least bring a highlight to you. Heuer’s Motorsport timing efforts began with Rally-Master Dash Mounted Stopwatches, but the story begins with the late 1960s Autovia worn by Jochen Rindt and Jo Siffert. The former is the only driver to win the Formula 1 Championship after death (which we claim not to repeat).
Early cars like the 3646 evolved into references. In 1163, it coincides with another watch story of a competition worn by Sifart and the world’s first automatic chronograph, but it is a story of another time. Biebuyck will instead focus on the 1163 differences in the chronomatic brand that will carry the “automatic chronograph” and will begin conquering the circuit brand that will take place over the next decade, led by Maverick CEO Jack Heuer.
And how does Jack Heur achieve that? That’s where the Carrera 1158 CHN comes in. With this, Jack Hoyer established a relationship with Ferrari, beginning as technical as it developed in the early 1970s as Hoyer provided essential timekeeping equipment and increased demand for Ferrari. Not only did Ferrari request a timekeeping tool for free, but he also asked Hoier to pay the driver to 25,000 chf each. Jack, the smart businessman he was, took them to the Heuer factory, offering drivers a free solid Carrera each. Of course, that watch is 1158 CHN, and will become a respected property in the paddock, and will inspire many futures (TAG) Heuers, including the recent Carrera Glassbox.
Formula 1 will likely have grown in popularity in the 1970s, but Heuer hasn’t been so lucky thanks to the nasty quartz crisis that always pops up when talking about the last decade. By 1979, Heuer had made some quartz watches during this period and was indeed in 1982, despite having finally fallen into Piaget’s hands. This ownership was short-lived. A year later, in 1986, the acquisition had fruit in the form of the tag Heuer F1. This is a colorful piece covered in resin that almost saved the brand, and is now a staple in a permanent collection. If you look closely, you will see that this watch was already planned before the Heuer and tag were merged. The strap shield was originally intended to be called “Heuer,” so there was plenty of time to reprint the dial with the correct logo.
This is all a taster of knowledge shared by Biebuyck, told on stories about Jacky Ickx, Ryan Gosling, Lewis Hamilton and more, as well as the actual watches that those icons wore. Get some snacks and enjoy your watch.
