What are we looking at?

A 1986 HEUER ref. 510.500, from an interesting period in the company’s history.

Lemania had been part of the consortium that acquired Heuer in 1982. By 1983, the Lemania-powered 510.50X series had replaced the Valjoux-powered Pasadena in the catalogue. The change of movement reflected the change in ownership, and these chronographs continued into the TAG Heuer years, remaining in the range until around 1988.

The 510.500 was made with both Heuer and TAG Heuer branding. This example carries the HEUER name and dates to 1986, the year the company became TAG Heuer.

The design has plenty to recommend it. A broad steel case frames the black dial, with orange chronograph hands adding colour and the inner tachymeter scale giving the dial depth. The bracelet meets the case closely, creating an integrated-bracelet look that suits the proportions particularly well.

What do we need to know?

The dial is flawless, with beautifully aged tritium in a creamy vanilla shade. The date disc has aged to a matching colour, giving the dial a consistent warmth. Against the black background and orange hands, it is a particularly attractive combination.

The stainless-steel case remains sharp, with well-defined lines. It has received some minor polishing in the past.

The original HEUER bracelet is full length at 21 cm and retains its HEUER-signed clasp. It is an important part of the look of this reference, continuing the shape of the case without a pronounced gap between the two.

The creamy tritium and matching date disc are particularly pleasing. A small detail, admittedly, but collecting vintage watches is mostly an accumulation of those.