2447NST Heuer Carrera Second Execution

There is no objective reason early Carreras should not be held in exactly the same esteem as manual pump pusher Daytonas. But that’s particularly the case for this, the 2447NST. NST here denotes a black dial with tachymetre, which really completes the minimal Carrera aesthetic by tying in Heuer’s motorsport history more literally. It’s properly rare as Carreras go. A racing chronograph without a tachymetre scale is like GT3 without a wing (yes I went there): it may seem superfluous and cluttering, but is fundamental to the very core of what its underlying design is trying to be. Jeff Stein, who wrote the book figuratively in vintage Heuer, covered it in an article titled ‘Chasing the Grails.’ It’s a Heuer grail to the Heuer guy. That says enough.

The three-register 2447 Carrera was penned by Jack Heuer himself. Jack observed that, post WWII, many chronograph dials were cluttered with their artillery telemetre multi-scales and others to the point of being illegible. He created a unique case and crystal design aimed toward maximizing dial real estate. That huge and uncluttered mass was made to be legible, and later marketed to be legible at speed (hence the racing connection). An inner tachymetre scale just feels at home in this design in a way that not all executions of this configuration do because the rest is so stark and bare. The same can be said of panda contrast. This is a Carrera variant which is very true to the core of what the Carrera stands for historically, not just the minimalism and long-legged 36mm case we love, but F1 golden era.

The NST is one of the most collected Carreras and hardest to come by in great condition, but still an undisputable value relative to Daytona or even the more exotic UG Ninas. At peak, they were in the 35s. Today, they’ve settled right around 20-25K and, speaking plainly, could easily justify considerably more. I’d take an NST Carrera over just about all other Carreras barring the wild stuff like Volvo, Indy 500, or Shelby Cobra signed dials. That these trade hands for 1/3 a good 6239 is equal parts criminal and an excellent opportunity for those who know.

Even cooler, this one comes from the grandson of the original owner. Which in this day and age we never see. The lugs are strong with great defined edges. Its dial sports some light patina commensurate with daily wear but even better for it. It comes on a vintage Heuer signed Gay Frères, which you just love to see, and reasonably priced, from a well-regarded Chicago retailer.