Heuer - Autavia – “Jo Siffert” – 1163

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Location: United States

Year: --

Reference number: 1163

Accessories: Watch Only

Condition: Good

Material: Stainless Steel

Color Dial: White

The Heuer Autavia reference 1163T, popularly known as the “Jo Siffert,” is one of the most important and recognizable vintage racing chronographs produced by Heuer. Introduced in 1969, it features a white dial with contrasting black chronograph registers, blue accents and a rotating tachymeter bezel. The bright reverse-panda design stood apart from the predominantly black Autavia dials of the period.

The nickname comes from Swiss Formula One and endurance-racing driver Jo Siffert, who became closely associated with Heuer during the late 1960s. Siffert wore the white-dial Autavia and helped introduce Heuer watches throughout the racing paddock, selling them to fellow drivers and team members. His relationship with Jack Heuer became one of the earliest examples of a watch brand formally partnering with a professional racing driver. TAG Heuer’s own archive confirms that the 1163T was Siffert’s preferred configuration and that collectors subsequently adopted the “Siffert” name.

The 1163T was part of Heuer’s first generation of automatic chronographs. Its tonneau-shaped stainless-steel case places the winding crown on the left side and the chronograph pushers on the right, a distinctive arrangement created by the modular Chronomatic movement architecture. The dial includes a 30-minute recorder, a 12-hour recorder and a date aperture at 6 o’clock, with no conventional running-seconds display.

Several executions were produced during the reference’s relatively short production run. Early examples used the Calibre 11 or improved 11-I, while later versions were equipped with the faster-beating Calibre 12. Dial details, hands, hour-counter markings and movement specifications therefore vary according to the individual Mark. The extremely rare earliest examples feature “Chronomatic” above the Heuer shield, while later dials use the more familiar Heuer, Autavia and Automatic Chronograph layout.

Specifications

• Brand: Heuer
• Collection: Autavia
• Nickname: Jo Siffert or Siffert
• Reference: 1163T
• Introduced: 1969
• Production Period: Approximately 1969 through the early 1970s
• Case: Stainless steel
• Case Diameter: Approximately 42.5mm
• Case Thickness: Approximately 13.5mm, depending on execution
• Lug Width: 20mm
• Bezel: Bidirectional rotating tachymeter bezel
• Dial: White with contrasting black chronograph registers
• Accents: Blue chronograph hand and blue dial details
• Movement: Chronomatic Calibre 11, 11-I or Calibre 12, depending on production variant
• Winding: Automatic
• Movement Architecture: Micro-rotor base movement with modular chronograph mechanism
• Frequency: 19,800 vibrations per hour for Calibre 11 or 21,600 vibrations per hour for Calibre 12
• Power Reserve: Approximately 42 hours
• Crystal: Domed acrylic
• Caseback: Stainless-steel screw-down caseback
• Crown: Left-side winding crown
• Pushers: Right-side chronograph pushers
• Date: Aperture at 6 o’clock
• Chronograph Displays: Central chronograph seconds, 30-minute recorder and 12-hour recorder
• Original Bracelet Options: Gay Frères stainless-steel bracelet 
• Functions: Hours, minutes, chronograph, date and tachymeter
• Special Features: Reverse-panda dial, blue racing accents, left-side crown and association with Formula One driver Jo Siffert