I thought I would post a recent 're purchase' which has a little story attached as the watch is familiar to a few.. right Jeff?

About 8 years ago I bought this cal.12 Autavia 1163V on a trip to New york...a beauty hey?

Well at the time Ebay was snooing with well priced Heuers so not a rarity... I had the movement re built and serviced and eventually sold it to a pal of a good friend.

Before I sold it it was listed on my site and a young Scandinavian chap was asking me about it's pusher and case combination as it was un familiar at the time. As well as talking to me he was also posting the questions and answers here at the same time as he was worried it was a fake....(the cheek) well Jeff I believe went to the 'the source' Hans and asked about the model. After some review it was identified as the watch that was offered by Heuer in the Viceroy cigarettes promotion of the 70's. Still listed in the OTD Archive.

Well fast forward to a few weeks ago....a friend told me he had seen an Autavia in a shop in London that resembled my original, it has a crease in the crystal at 2pm and was fitted with one of my original perforated straps. Well I always missed the watch so while on business in London a couple of weeks ago I dropped into the shop. The seller waxed lyrical about the watch, taking great pains to explain that it was a 'Vintage TAG'!!! and was still fitted with the original strap. Lol!!!!

It appears that the guy who bought it had given it to his wife and they had split and it had ended up for sale. I listened to the salesman's pitch politely... ignoring the miss information and nonsense and when he had finished we came to an agreement and I over payed for my original watch back again... Lol!

Now it is here to stay.... so when someone lists an Autavia as a Viceroy on Ebay or wherever just remember it started about 7 years ago with this one.... I am a very happy man today knowing that this little AUtavia is back with me.....

Have a great Christmas everyone and I sincerely hope that 2010 is a better year for all I know than 2009.

All the best!

Alistair