A look at Tag Heuer’s history will tell you that the Autavia was one of the most important line-ups in Tag Heuer’s collection over the years. The name ‘Autavia’ – a combination of ‘Aut’ from automobile and ‘Avia’ fro, Aviation – provides the first indication of the extent to which this range is influenced by automobiles and aviation. In fact, it made Tag Heuer a household name among motorsport enthusiasts. Of course, at that time, precision in time keeping was a mechanical exercise – an era before GPS – and therefore, an accurate timepiece was a necessity in aviation and motorsport.
But with time and the advent of more accurate timing equipment, the Autavia line-up came to halt in 1985. However, in recent times, given the massive rise in demand, the Autavia has made a comeback sporting the latest designs, finishes and materials.
The biggest change, in term of visibility, in the new line-up is the Isograph hairspring in the watch’s mechanism. Made of a carbon-composite, this lightweight hairspring is unaffected by gravity or shock, and is anti-magnetic. This line-up retains the cutting-edge technological appeal of its predecessors.
Available in seven references, with two case material options – Steel and Bronze – and various bracelet options, the 42mm Autavia with a classic design. While most of the variants of the watch are rather attractive, such as the Bronze with brown dial and brown ceramic bezel, my favourite of the line-up is the stainless-steel version with a blue dial and bezel.
The Autavia collection is powered by Tag’s Calibre 5 mechanism and has a power reserve of 38 hours. Expected to be available in India shortly, the Autavia collection is priced between INR 2.72 and 3.36 Lakh, and proves to be very desirable for aviation and automobile enthusiasts.
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