Reviewing Heuer Autavia 2446 “Jochen Rindt”

Reviewing Heuer Autavia 2446 “Jochen Rindt”

Once the bug bit me, the only remedy was to track down “the watch”. I absolutely had to find a Heuer Autavia 2446. To me, within the pantheon of rotating bezel 60’s sports chronographs, the Autavia has always acted the part of Zeus.  Specifically, the 2446 2nd Execution screw-down case models reign supreme. There’s just something about these watches and I’ll do my best to explain the fascination. Plus, the buying experience was an adventure, which always ups the lust factor! For deal-seekers, I apologize because “affordable” #TBT takes a decided respite in pit-lane this week as we take a look at the undeniably fantastic vintage Heuer Autavia 2446 “Jochen Rindt”.

Vienna… It’s one of the first places my then-girlfriend, now wife, visited after we met. We found the city to be so architecturally beautiful over such a vast space and rather enchanting with its multitude of ornate reminders from the last real Empire in Europe. Contrastingly, during my European tenure, it’s also the one European city where I’ve experienced the snootiest, worst customer service; Paris, your reputation is undeserved in my opinion. Back to the positives: of course, you also have the famous schnitzels, which would make the city a runaway favorite candidate for a Fratello South office (if Robert-Jan or the rest of the team are reading this, they’ve now completely lost their concentrative abilities). So, overall, Vienna is a remarkable place, but it now stands out to me for another reason: it’s where I “located” the Heuer Autavia 2446.

Reviewing Heuer Autavia 2446 “Jochen Rindt”
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To be fair, I could have found the Heuer Autavia 2446 . In fact, I actually came upon the watch about four hours before I stumbled upon the Breitling 765 CP. I remember it clearly; I woke up in a fog after having slept little. The day before was a long one filled with meetings and was capped off with a massive steak and copious amounts of wine. Foolishly, I mentioned that my experiences with both products in Austria had previously been disappointing, so my local colleague was determined to erase the past; he didn’t disappoint. So, returning to the following morning, I did the normal and checked listings on my favorite sites and there it was, listed in the USA…the “Rindt”. The fog had lifted and the hunt was on… Now, I ask that you stick with me, as I’ll take you on the inner workings of an eBay negotiation. It was a new experience for me, but it’s probably not so rare.