73345 CHT Heuer Camaro

The Camaro was Jack Heuer’s attempt to capture the heart of the American muscle car market in watch form, strategically named after the eponymous Chevrolet in order to get a foot in the US market. Its cushion-case and traditional dial were a blend of the successful Monaco and Carrera lines, a confluence which is a bit of an acquired taste. With its unashamedly 70s aesthetic, the Camaro is today more an echo of a bombastic era of motorsport, when James Hunt openly referenced his huge balls and the Ferrari pit crew smoked while refueling.

The Camaro went through nearly as many variants as the Autavia, Carrera, or Monaco, yet is not quite as highly collected as those ‘big’ three. Many get weak at the knees for the panda or the rarer exotic dials. The Champion spark plug-signed dial is king of the genre for me personally. However, of the standard two-register Valjoux 7730 models, I can’t think of a more fitting aesthetic for this design than the CHT here—that being gold on gold with the only contrast provided by black subdials.

Compared to the Carrera, its case wears slightly bolder at 37mm vs the Carrera’s 36mm. Camaro production ran just four years, not a terribly strong seller despite the marketing. However, that run was long enough to make it the last of Heuer’s manually wound chronographs. That alone should mean something. I think of it as a Monaco ‘lite’, physically lighter and more diminutive in presence, yet of a Carrera DNA and 70s style at a glance. Plus, who among us doesn’t love a hand-wound, two-register chronograph in 2022?

This example weighs in with a lovely overall condition. Its case is lovely and full, those straight lugs sharp as ever. Its vertically grained dial is extremely well-preserved, as are the tritium applications in all areas. The movement appears clear of any serious problems, seller notes serviced a few years ago and said to be running well. It comes as a naked watch from a private collector out of Canada who goes by @wristwatchmtl on Instagram.

Find this 73345 CHT Camaro here on Chrono24 for 3000 EUR.