The Heuer Skipper blue series is one of the most fascinating watch series to me. The picture shows a Heuer Skipper 73464 1st exec, the nice Heuer Skipper 1564 and the Heuer Skipper 15640 blue. What a nice trio!

Why almost completed? One blue-faced Heuer Skipper is missing and it could be that I will never get a chance to get one – the Skipperrera. This is the first execution Heuer Skipper housed in the 2447 Carrera case. During my research I found a handfull of collectors that own one. So – this is the grail I am searching for.

Here is my story which may be interesting for watch collectors and those new to the hobby and may even help you so you do not make some of the same mistakes that I have made.

Long story short: It starts with a thread in a watch forum and I was interested in some old Omegas and their caliber. Somebody shows his collection of Omega and Heuer (in fact it was Laurent aka noodia and later the boxes from Andreas aka Tiga/Dogen) – and the interest for Heuer vintage watches started.

Then I read a lot about the 60s and 70s Heuer watches and their history eventually discovering the Heuer Skipper – at this point I knew I had to have one.

At that time (around 2010), information about the Heuer Skipper, the Heuer Mareographe and the Regattas built by Heuer was very scarce. Jeff from onthedash.com was the main source of information for everything about Heuer watches. But the site mainly featured the dashboard stopwatches and many other Heuer wristwatches, with only scant coverage of the Heuer Skipper and other regatta watches.

However, the Chronocentric forum on Jeff’s onthedash site was a unique place to meet other Heuer fans, discuss discoveries and gather knowledge. Who doesn’t remember the discussion about the Skipperrera was made by ‘Krusty the Clown’, because no one knew about this watch and thought it was unimaginably real? 😉

My enthusiasm for the Heuer Skipper led me to start collecting and compiling all the information I could find about it. Based on this research, I created the Skippergrid, the first complete overview of all Heuer Skipper executions. During a visit to Tag Heuer, I also stumbled upon the second execution of the Heuer Skipper 73464 by chance, as well as the first version of the Easyrider Skipper.

This research captivated me, and so I investigated not only the Heuer Skipper, Heuer Mareographes and Heuer Regattas. My field expanded to include the Heuer Regatta/Yacht Timer and all other yachting and regatta watches from the golden 1960s and 70s and beyond. Always in the vintage sector.

As I am an open-minded person, I enjoy sharing all my research findings. And what better way to do that than via a website? That is why I have been sharing my knowledge on heuerchrono.com since 2013 and continue to work on it as time allows.

Why the name heuerchrono? My enthusiasm for almost all Heuer watches from the 1950s to the 1980s gave me the name. The first meeting with other Heuer fans in La-Chaux-de-Fonds in 2013 was a key experience. We were passionate about the Heuer brand and we got to meet Jack Heuer, who was thrilled by our enthusiasm.

The Heuer community is a special group of watch enthusiasts from all over the world. We are united by our love for vintage watches such as the Heuer Autavia, Heuer Carrera, Heuer Skipper and many other wonderful models. Many members of this community have become long-standing friends, and we always look forward to seeing each other again.

Sadly, buying a Heuer Skipper started with a big mistake. After some months of searching I bought one that seemed cheap at the time from Chronotrader (the trading platform of OTD).

In the confidence inspired by the great community I was taken in by an unfair dealer who sold me a lemon – and he was not unknown, did a lot of dealing but I did not ask for any reputation because I thought I did a great find! My first mistake and hopefully my last.

Mark my words: only trust people you know and that does not include everyone in a community. I have since found out that the dealer has a reputation for selling parts watches with wrong hands, wrong bezel and wrong movementparts.

So it become my first project, a Heuer Skipper 15640 restoration. The case and the dial were ok, fortunately. I found NOS hands, the missing special minutewheel for the modified calibre 15 movement required for the Skipper and a NOS Bezel and the watch was complete. It was a different time; nowadays, the search would certainly take years.

My next purchases were great examples from trustworthy enthusiasts. I learnt my lesson and took the time to study examples offered with pictures from a safe source. I asked more questions and did my research before sending the money. I suggest you do the same and if you are buying a Skipper I am sure you will find all you need to know on this specialist site to buy with confidence.

Here are some other useful links to further information information that will help you to find out, if all ok with your purchase and to read tons of stuff about the Heuer watches. You will find a buyers guide that I have here.

And just let me give one and the most important thing:

Be patient to find your grail, doublecheck all parts with a safe source and ask honest people who have experience and knowledge!