BY DHANANJAY PATHAK
Originally launched in 1962, TAG Heuer re-introduced the Autavia to much fanfare during Baselworld 2017. With the TAG Heuer Autavia 1972 Re-edition, the brand has once again referred back to a page in their rich historical catalog and has created a modern reincarnation of a 1972 Autavia model popularly known as the Viceroy Heuer. So, let’s have a quick look.
The dial on the TAG Heuer Autavia 1972 is nicely executed and features a twin register layout akin to its vintage inspiration, keeping it clean and highly legible. The reverse panda color scheme with red highlights looks quite attractive and stays true to the one found on the original Heuer Autavia Viceroy. The faceted applied hour markers give a nice sense of depth to the dial and feature small rectangular custard colored lume plots that give the watch a nice vintage vibe and should also help in improving low light visibility. The sword-shaped hour and minute hands are well proportioned and have also been applied with beige colored luminous paint similar to the hour markers. The sub-dials at 3 and 9 represent a 30 minute register and a 12 hour counter respectively and have a nice circular graining to them that adds to the visual appeal of the watch. Finally, there is a nicely bordered date window at 6 which has been thoughtfully placed and helps keep the symmetry of the dial intact.
The TAG Heuer Autavia 1972 Re-edition features a familiar stainless steel case which can also be found on the 2017 Heuer Autavia. It has a diameter of 42mm and a thickness of around 16mm, making for a relatively tall watch. The case is fully polished and is equipped with a bi-directional bezel with 12-hour markings. Water resistance is marked at 100 meters and the right-hand side of the case is flanked by the chronograph pushers at 2 and 4 along with a push-pull signed crown at 3.
The TAG Heuer Autavia 1972 is powered by the brands latest in-house column wheel based automatic chronograph movement, the Heuer-02. It operates at a frequency of 28,800 bph and offers a healthy power reserve of around 75 hours. The movement has been nicely decorated and can be appreciated in all its glory through the sapphire crystal exhibition case back.
The TAG Heuer Autavia 1972 Re-edition is a handsome looking sports chronograph which packs a good amount of vintage flair with some nice modern internals. The retail price on the watch is US$ 5,800. Visit TAG Heuer here.
