Heuer - Silverstone - 110.313F NOS - Men - 1970-1979

The displayed watch is an automatic Heuer Silverstone chronograph. It is an iconic vintage watch from the 1970s, known for its cushion-shaped square case and the brown fumé (smoked) dial.

Main characteristics
Brand: Heuer (before it became TAG Heuer).
Model: Silverstone, named after the famous Formula 1 circuit.
Reference: The original vintage version with a brown dial like the one in the image is often identified as Ref. 110.313F.
Movement: It houses the legendary automatic Chronomatic movement (Caliber 11 or its successor Caliber 12), one of the first automatic chronograph movements in history. A distinctive feature of this movement is the crown for winding placed on the left side of the case.
Design: Polished and brushed stainless steel case with a domed sapphire crystal and a date window at 6 o’clock. I note that, considering the current condition and complete with official warranty, in my view I would define it as NOS (NEW OLD STOCK).
The link between the Heuer Silverstone and the world of motor racing is deep and intentional, dating back to the “golden era” of Formula 1 in the 1970s.

The Name: The watch takes its name from the legendary Silverstone circuit in Northamptonshire, England, home of the British Grand Prix and a byword for international motor racing. Choosing the name of a circuit rather than a driver reinforced the brand’s association with the essence of competition and performance.

The Golden Era: Introduced in 1974 as the successor to the Monaco, the watch’s bold, angular design captured the spirit and the curves of the circuit. During this period, Heuer was the official sponsor of Scuderia Ferrari, and its watches were very popular among drivers.

The Iconic Driver: The blue-dial version, in particular, is often nicknamed “Clay Regazzoni” because it was frequently seen on the wrist of the famous Swiss Formula 1 driver Clay Regazzoni, who raced for Ferrari in those years. Regazzoni even won a Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1979.

The Caliber 12 is a historic and significant automatic chronograph movement, developed by a consortium of watch companies in the 1960s.

Movement details
Joint development: The movement was the result of a collaboration between Heuer-Leonidas, Buren-Hamilton, and Breitling, who worked together to be the first to commercialize an automatic chronograph.
Architecture: It is based on a base movement (Buren 1280) with an added Dubois-Dépraz chronograph module. A distinctive feature is the winding crown on the left side of the case, while the chronograph pushers remain on the right.
Variants: The Caliber 12 was the improved and faster version of the first Caliber 11 (Chronomatic), oscillating at 19,800 A/h, compared to the 21,600 A/h of Caliber 12.
Innovation: At the time, this modular architecture represented a remarkable engineering achievement, although competition with Zenith (which developed the integrated El Primero) was fierce. The journey is traced and insured.