Heuer Autavia 113.603 IDF - Israel Defense Forces

This Heuer Autavia 113.603 IDF is a special edition of the Autavia chronograph from the early 1980s that was issued specifically to personnel of the Israeli Defense Forces, hence the designation IDF.

The Israeli military chose this automatic chronograph because it met the high requirements of military use, including robustness, reliability and readability.

The Autavia is characterized by its functional design. The black PVD case has a robust cushion shape, a unidirectional rotating bezel with hour and minute markers and a flat mineral crystal. The black dial with its contrasting hour markers and hands ensures better visibility, even in poor lighting conditions.

Like other automatic Autavias, this watch is powered by the reliable caliber 12, a precise chronograph function that was particularly useful in military operations for measuring time during maneuvers, missions or exercises.

Each IDF version of the Heuer Autavia is marked with a number indicating its military affiliation. This Autavia also has such a number on its case back (see pictures).

The IDF Autavia was produced in very limited numbers. Most of them were actually used by the military, so that only a few watches have survived in good condition until today.

Condition report
Dial: excellent condition - black glossy surface with even, authentic patina (visible only under a 10x loupe) - perfect grey sub-registers - original tritium in hands and markers - matching, evenly aged color of luminous material - signed "Autavia HEUER", "Automatic Chronograph" and "SWISS".

Case: black PVD case - natural signs of wear - original PVD coating with slight abrasion on the corners - deep engravings on the back - the reference number and the Israeli army military number are clearly legible - signed Heuer crown.

Bezel: greatly preserved MH bezel (minute/hour) with few, barely visible signs of wear - unidirectional (diver's bezel).

Movement: automatic Heuer caliber 12 - values on the timegrapher: rate: -8s/day, beat error: 0.3 ms, amplitude: 234 degrees - chronograph starts, stops and resets perfectly.

Bracelet: original Heuer PVD bracelet - natural signs of wear - natural abrasion of the PVD coating on the edges and inside the bracelet - natural stretch - signed Heuer folding clasp.

Summing-Up
Overall, the Heuer Autavia IDF is a historically significant timepiece that represents the brand's heritage in producing durable and reliable watches for military use. The association with the Israel Defense Forces makes the Autavia IDF a coveted piece for collectors interested in military history and vintage watches. Added to this is the honest and authentic condition, which makes this piece very rare and collectible.

IDF-Nummer: M-22xx

Int.Exe.: 6231513