Heuer Bundeswehr 1550 SG „3H“ – Flyback Chronograph

This exceptionally well-preserved Heuer Bundeswehr Reference 1550 SG from the 1970s impresses with its absolutely flawless black dial and superbly preserved stainless steel case, showing hardly any signs of wear and still retaining its complete, characteristic matte finish. A remarkably beautiful example of this legendary military flyback chronograph.

The history of the Heuer Bundeswehr dates back to the 1960s, when the German armed forces required reliable, highly legible chronographs for their pilots. Heuer supplied a robust pilot's chronograph specifically designed to meet the demands of military service. The Reference 1550 SG was worn particularly by pilots of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) and is now regarded as one of the most iconic military chronographs in Swiss watchmaking history. Its functional design, featuring a generously sized stainless steel case, a bidirectional rotating bezel and large chronograph pushers, was entirely focused on optimal legibility and ease of operation – even while wearing flying gloves.

The absolute highlight of this example is undoubtedly its flawlessly preserved black dial. The matte surface is in exceptional condition, without any visible damage. Over the decades, the large luminous Arabic numerals have developed a wonderfully even patina. The two recessed subdials, the historic Heuer logo and the finely executed minute track emphasize the functional character of this military instrument watch. Particularly interesting is the red "3H" symbol above the 6 o'clock position. It stands for hydrogen-3, better known as tritium, and indicates the use of this luminous material. Today, this so-called "3H" version is among the most sought-after variants of the Heuer Bundeswehr.

Equally impressive is the outstanding condition of the approximately 43 mm stainless steel case. It shows hardly any signs of wear and still retains its complete, characteristic matte finish. The distinctive case contours and substantial lugs are exceptionally well preserved, perfectly reflecting the robust character of this professional pilot's watch. The black rotating bezel with its white 60-minute scale is also in excellent condition. Considering that this military timepiece was originally designed for daily use under demanding conditions, such an exceptional state of preservation is particularly remarkable.

The screw-down caseback retains the clearly visible military engraving "BUNDESWEHR" and the NATO Stock Number "6645-12-146-3774". These markings document the model's original military purpose and provide a direct connection to its history.

Inside beats the manually wound Valjoux Caliber 230, a high-quality column-wheel chronograph movement featuring a flyback function. This allows a running chronograph measurement to be instantly reset and restarted with a single push of a button, without having to stop the chronograph first. This feature was particularly useful for navigation and timing tasks in military aviation.

Condition Report
Dial: flawlessly preserved - original tritium luminous material on the hour markers and hands - signed: "Heuer", "3H" and "T Swiss".

Case: exceptionally well preserved - hardly any signs of wear - intact military engravings on the caseback - rotating bezel in excellent condition - width between the lugs: 20 mm.

Movement: manually wound Valjoux Caliber 230 - timegrapher results: rate +16 s/day, amplitude 275°, beat error 0.1 ms.

Int.Exe.: 16226