1968 Heuer 2446 Rindt with factory order Tachymeter dial.
I'd like to introduce you to something very special. A 1968 Heuer 2446 Rindt with factory order Tachymeter dial. This might just be the most special watch that I hold in my hands this year!
It's easy to become blasé about the history of some of the watches that come across my desk. I love them all, or else I wouldn't have bought them in the first place. But in a collection of hundreds of watches, it's easy to lose sight of the excitement of stumbling across something that truly is one of a kind.
We hear the phrase 'one of kind' all the time and I've used it myself on more than one occasion. (I told Mrs Watch Collector she was marrying 'one of kind' on our wedding day and unfortunately she now agrees with me, but for all the wrong reasons!) But I hope you'll agree this is the kind of watch that makes you stop whatever it is you're doing in your busy life to just take in its sheer brilliance.
The name Jochen Rindt hopefully needs no introduction to fans of motor racing. This brilliant German born Austrian formula 1 racing driver was revered and loved for his fearlessness behind the wheel. He became the only world champion to be posthumously awarded the drivers championship in 1970 after being killed in a practice round of the Italian Grand Prix of that year, just a few races short of being crowned world champion. His skill and achievements, although cut tragically short, make him one of the most famous of drivers from an era that arguably stands as one of the most iconic periods in this most glorious of sports.
His choice of watch for most of his career was the Heuer 2446 and he collaborated with the famous old Swiss brand to produce this, a Heuer 2446 Rindt, complete with factory ordered tachymeter dial.
Any 2446 is a great watch but this is piece from c.1968 is, I believe, one of the most outstanding examples to come to the market for a long time. Not only is the watch in excellent, authentic condition, it also features the original, incredibly hard to find, Tachymeter dial which was supplied as a special factory order. To complement that, it comes complete with the original, beautifully preserved, Heuer bracelet which again is hardly ever seen. Together I think they represent perhaps the best example of this stunning watch to be found anywhere in the world.
The tachy dial, as already mentioned, was a special factory order and has many subtle differences from the standard dial. As a result of the tachy scale being placed on the dial edge, the hour markers are slightly different and obviously the placing of the unique triangle shaped lume plots is different which also results in slightly shorter minute hands than seen on the standard 2446. In addition, the bezel is the 1-to-12-hour marker type as preferred by Rindt himself.
The movement itself is the famous Valjoux 72 manual winding chronograph, a choice that was popular amongst other famous chronographs of the period and it remains as true today as it was over 50 years ago.
At a perfectly proportioned 38mm, the stainless steel case remains the same as the standard 2446 but the simply stunning condition of this piece is something to behold. Whatever you're doing today, I urge you to take a few moments to take a look at this little piece of history. A timepiece that perfectly capture the joy of motor racing and watch collecting at perhaps the height of their respective powers.