18k gold Heuer Carrera Calibre 12 Manufacture — “the racing car driver’s watch”

Yesterday, at Sotheby’s Important Watches auction held in Geneva, a unique Heuer Carrera reference 1158 chronometer in 18k gold, once owned by Swedish Formula One driver Ronnie Peterson, was sold for a record breaking price. Estimated to be in the 10,000-20,000 CHF range, it ended up fetching 225,000 CHF, that’s almost $300,000 CAD.

The reference 1158 in gold, known as the ‘Pilot’s Watch’, was initially intended to be exclusively for the Ferrari pilots, however its huge popularity convinced Jack Heuer to produce additional pieces. There are less then 500 pieces of reference 1158 in 18k yellow gold is known to have been produced.

The back of “the racing car driver’s watch” with a message from Jack Heuer

The watch, a gift by Jack Heuer to Peterson in 1972, is the Reference 1158 then known as “the race car driver’s watch.” At the time, the list price was CHF 950. The watch case is engraved with the words “Success Ronnie Peterson from Jack W. Heuer.” The watch comes with a Société de Banque Suisse 100g 999,9 fine gold bar commemorating the Prix Rouge et Blanc Joseph Siffert award Ronnie Peterson won for his performance at the 1972 German Grand Prix at Nürburgring.

Gold ingot commemorating the Prix Rouge et Blanc Joseph Siffert