eBay’s Finest: Heuer Skipper 15640 Auction

If the ‘Hodinkee effect’ was real with respect to their old vintage watch features, then the Skipper may be its greatest beneficiary. Hodinkee released one of their very early collaborations with TAG to reissue the ‘Skipperera’ 7754, an extremely rare variety of the Skipper. Since that point in time, any variety of Skipper in good nick has been a tough find. Once in a blue moon eBay can still surprise with quality offerings new to the market. This is just such an occasion.

Before Hodinkee, the Skipper was known as a chronograph timing tool for yacht racing, hence the bright and playful palette on display. Heuer used to always produce with a specific end user in mind and tailor their designs appropriately. Ah, how we’ve fallen from grace. I digress. The watch featured an unusual 15-minute counter which is a useful interval in tracking the starts of yachting races. You won’t see another sub register like it. This 15640 was the first Autavia 11630 cased skipper. It featured a deep blue dial and lighter (faded bezel) with a red, white and blue register. This is a thing of extreme beauty and, today, rarity.

The majority of these watches were worn hard in period for their intended purpose. The bezel and dial on this example have seen some sun and are all the better for it. The watch shows a light and even wear throughout, but its calibre 15 seems to hardly have been touched by the years on it. Similarly, the case proportions are all there. It comes from a private party with strong feedback, but please do your own thorough research before buying on eBay.

Find this Skipper here on eBay Canada for auction starting at 8000 USD.