Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Bonham’s and TAG to Offer a Unique Re-Edition of F1 Driver Ronnie Peterson’s Gold Heuer Carrera Ref. 1158 CHN
If you can't have the original, you can still get your hands on a unique 1:1 re-edition!
During the 1970s, Heuer was deeply involved in Formula One as the perfect communication tool to promote its racing chronographs. Some Carrera watches – rare ones with gold cases, under the reference 1158 CHN – were gifted by Jack Heuer to successful drivers. In 1972, Jack gave Swedish F1 Driver Ronnie Peterson such a watch – a watch that was recently auctioned. If the original one is now part of the brand’s museum collection, an opportunity to get your hands on a 1:1 replica will be offered by TAG and Bonham’s during the upcoming Monaco Auction “Les Grandes Marques”, with proceeds going to the Peterson foundation.
Ronnie Peterson or “SuperSwede” was a Swedish racing driver who raced in Formula One from 1970 to 1978 for Lotus, Tyrell and March Racing. Over his long career, he won 10 Formula One Grand Prix, reached 26 podiums and achieved the third place at the 1973 Drivers’ Championship. His career came to a dramatic end at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, after a fatal first-lap accident. Despite the dramatic conclusion, Peterson ended up second at the Drivers’ Championship of that year, behind his teammate Mario Andretti.
Back to watches. In 1972, a full gold example (case and Milanese bracelet) of the Heuer Carrera 1158 CHN was given to the Swedish pilot by Jack Heuer, when Ronnie won the Red and White Joseph Siffert Prize for his performance in the German Grand Prix on the Nürburgring circuit. The back of the watch was engraved with “Success Ronnie Peterson from Jack W. Heuer”.
This watch, which is now part of TAG Heuer’s collection and exhibited at the La Chaux-de-Fonds museum, was auctioned by Sotheby’s in May 2016, reaching an impressive CHF 225,000 result. The reference 1158 CHN in gold, known as the “Pilot’s Watch”, was intended to be exclusively for Ferrari pilots (as Heuer was one of the main sponsors of the Italian team), however, its huge popularity convinced Jack Heuer to produce additional pieces. Ronnie Peterson’s watch is now in the hands of the brand and won’t be auctioned again soon… unless something close appears on the market.
Commemorating Peterson’s career and in order to raise funds for the Ronnie Peterson Foundation – headed by his daughter, Nina Peterson – TAG Heuer has created a unique re-edition of this watch, to be auctioned on 11th May in Monaco at the “Les Grandes Marques” sale at Bonhams – lot 111, to be seen here, with an estimate of EUR 20,000 – EUR 30,000.
The watch itself, known as the ref. CBH2240, is a 1:1 replica in solid yellow gold, with the same 38mm diameter, the same Milanese gold bracelet, two black counters at 3 o’clock and 9 o’clock, a Côtes de Genève champagne colour dial, a date window at 6 o’clock, a bezel with tachymeter scale and a crown placed on the left. Inside is the modern Calibre 11 (not the vintage Calibre 11).
Alongside this watch, Nina Peterson is also putting a car on sale – the Formula 3 Ronnie rode to win the Monaco Grand Prix Supporting Race in 1969 (lot 110, listed here). This watch is offered on behalf of TAG Heuer and the proceeds of both lots will go to the Ronnie Peterson Memorial Foundation, honouring his legacy and supporting talents in motorsport. More details on Bonham’s website and on tagheuer.com.
