Heuer CARRERA 12 REF. 2448N Mkl

Rare Heuer Carrera 12 first series chronograph from the 1960s with black dial. We offer a fascinating and rare Heuer Carrera 12 first series ref. 2448N Mkl, equipped with the prestigious Valjoux 72 hand-wound chronograph movement, preserved in overall very interesting condition. It is one of the most attractive configurations of the first generation Carrera: 20 micron gold-plated case, black dial with three black counters and gold details, a particularly elegant combination and sought after by collectors of vintage Heuers. Specialist documentation identifies the ref. 2448N as having a 20 micron gold-plated case, steel caseback, black dial, black registers, gold-plated applied indexes, and Valjoux 72 caliber. The first execution of the reference is documented in the first half of the 1960s. The heart of this Carrera is the famous Valjoux 72, a three-counter manual chronograph movement, one of the most important and appreciated calibers in the history of 20th-century Swiss chronographs. In the Carrera 2448N Mkl (first series), the Valjoux 72 drives the chronograph with minute and hour displays, maintaining the characteristic three-register configuration. The movement visible in the photographs features the typical Valjoux 72 architecture and the bridge signed HEUER-LEONIDAS SA. One of the watch’s distinctive elements is the marking on the case: GOLDPLATED G20. This abbreviation identifies 20-micron gold plating, a feature documented for the ref. 2448. The caseback is made of steel. The case retains a beautiful appearance and a good amount of the original plating, free from marks or traces of time. The black dial is one of the most fascinating aspects of the piece. The letter “N” of the reference 2448N is commonly interpreted as “noir,” referring to the black configuration of the dial and registers. On the side of the case is the number: 81157. This number is particularly interesting for the purposes of correct identification of the piece and must be preserved as a fundamental element of the photographic documentation of the watch. The watch is presented with: vintage red Heuer tag; vintage Heuer box. The presence of these accessories contributes to making the set particularly interesting from a collectibles perspective. The box features vintage Heuer graphics with an Autavia illustration; for collectors’ purposes, it is therefore proposed as a contemporary vintage Heuer box, without stating that it was necessarily originally supplied with this specific Carrera. The red Heuer tag is visible in the photographs. The watch is in excellent vintage condition, considering its age. The case retains a significant presence of the original G20 gold plating. The dial retains a very pleasant appearance and is consistent with the aesthetics of Carreras of the period. The movement has been photographed and comes with visual documentation of its current condition. We recommend carefully examining all photographs, which form an integral part of the item description. A CARRERA OF GREAT COLLECTIBLE INTEREST, the Carrera represents one of the most important models in Heuer’s history. Introduced in 1963, it was conceived by Jack Heuer as an elegant and legible sports chronograph, intended for motorsport enthusiasts and competitions. The ref. 2448 with Valjoux 72 belongs to the manual tricompax Carrera family, and the 2448N variant with black dial and 20-micron gold-plated case is a particularly interesting configuration and less common than the more well-known steel versions.