When one thinks of vintage Heuer, thoughts of racing chronographs such as the Autavia, Carrera, Monaco and so on come to mind. But before this, there were watches such as this, the Ref. 346. Housed in much more traditional round cases, these Heuers are much rarer than its later more sporty siblings and much more of an acquired taste.

This Ref. 346 was produced in the 40’s and is one of the most stunning vintage Heuers I’ve come across. Of course, the star of the show would have to be the stunning dial that has aged and developed an insane salmon patina. As many of you will know, this year (2019), the hottest trend in the modern watch world has been the salmon dial, and to have a vintage one in that same tone, is just fantastic. I have no idea how this dial has managed to age in such a way without any damage to the dial, but this is extremely rare and unique.

On top of this, while Heuer produced a range of models in round cases like this, the rarest version is the oversized 38mm case, as you see here today. The large case, really makes this watch stand out and with a rare Valjoux 71 movement powering it, you will not find another example like this.