This is one of just 200 examples of the Heuer Ferrari Chronosplit that were made between 1977 and 1978, and all of them were sold exclusively through Ferrari dealerships.
Relatively few examples of this watch seem to have survived to the modern day, likely due to the fact that quartz watches have never had the same enduring allure as their mechanical forebears.
The Heuer Chronosplit watch family included a number of models, but the Heuer Ferrari Chronosplit was produced in very limited numbers – just 200 were made and they could only be bought through Ferrari dealerships. Image courtesy of TAG Heuer.
In more recent years, these early digital quartz watches are gaining in popularity thanks to their retro/vintage appeal, and increasingly due to their rarity. Events like Radwood are only adding fuel to the fire, and there are watch collectors out there who focus on collecting these primordial digital pieces.
The Heuer Ferrari Chronosplit was based on the Heuer Chronosplit that debuted in the mid-1970s. This was a combination LCD/LED solid-state quartz watch that, rather unusually, featured two movements – one for the upper display and one for the lower.
The 1970s were a difficult time for the traditional Swiss watchmaking industry, as exceedingly cheap electronic quartz watches flooded the market and very nearly put the old guard out of business.
Most of them experimented with this new watchmaking technology, for better or worse, and Heuer released a number of quartz-powered wristwatches that were typically priced well below their automatic mechanical pieces.
This Heuer Ferrari Chronosplit comes with its original box and papers, and importantly, it’s also in full working condition.
We don’t see many examples of the Heuer Ferrari Chronosplit coming up for sale and when they do they typically sell for prices well into the four figure range. The example shown here comes with the original box and papers, and it’s in full working condition.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Iconic Auctioneers on the 5th of June with a guide price of £9,000 – £11,000. If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Iconic Auctioneers
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
