Heuer Solunar, retailed by Abercrombie & Fitch Heuer, Ref. 2447. Fine, center-seconds, water-resistant, stainless steel wristwatch with tide-indicator.
Case: Two-body, polished and brushed, screwed-down case back, inclined bezel, lapidated lugs. Some light scratches but no dings.
Silver with gilt Arabic numerals with luminous triangular markings, auxiliary sunk blue/orange dial for the tide indication. Luminous radium sword shaped hands. Well patinated, aging of radium to a light green.Some discoloration around Tide subdial.
Movement: AS 1188, rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, straight line lever escapement, monometallic balance, shock-absorber, self compensating flat balance spring. Works within COSC specifications
Circa 1950s
Diameter: 36mm Thickness: 13mm
More about Heuer:
The famous retailer Abercrombie & fitch founded in 1892 was an upscale sporting goods store which was patronized by Sport celebrities and Head of States such as Teddy Roosevelt, Ernest Shackleton, Ernest Hemingway and JFK. The company went out of business in the late 1970's and was later revived as a fashion brand in the 1990's.
The golden era of Abercrombie & Fitch was the 1950's when sports, fishing and hunting activities were expanding tremendously in the United States and in Europe. The company started to establish exclusive relationship with European makers, and among them with Heuer in Bienne.
In 1949, Heuer launched a new watch based on a request from Abercrombie & Fitch. The retailer needed a tide watch for fishermen, hunters and yachtmen. Charles-Edouard Heuer developed this unique combination for the US company and made a few signed with the name Heuer.
Three different type of Solunar are known:
- The earliest version introduced in 1949, is signed "Abercrombie & Fitch and Solunar Heuer" as the one we are selling with gilt numerals radium hands and triangle radium markers.
- A version introduced in the the late 1950's, is signed "Abercrombie & Fitch Solunar" with tritium applied arabic numerals and rail track minute marking.
- A similar version as the tritium watch but signed only as "Heuer Solunar" as per advertisement below.
Heuer Solunar are a rare species and less than five hundred are known to exist. It is a sophisticated watch with a unique complication which started an entire cult collection of Heuer watches such as the Seafarer, the Mareograph, and the Solunograph for Orvis.
