About

by Paul Gavin

The primary objective of this site is to use my photographic know how to promote vintage Heuer watches made from 1964 to 1985. Accompanying these fine time pieces are a limited selection of other watch brands from the same era.

I discovered the world of vintage Heuer watches while researching a Jaeger Le Coultre Geomatic, which I inherited from my Grandfather. Trawling the world wide web I viewed thousands of watches and the one that stood out was a Heuer Carrera 2447 S. It is no accident that it became my first purchase and will always be symbolic of why I chose to concentrate on the Heuer brand.

Heuer watches from this era embody the modernism that began in the early 1960’s with simple, well proportioned designs that are aesthetically pleasing and functional. This was the time of Jack Heuer, who led the company into this new age by embracing contemporary design and advancements in technology. This ethos continued beyond the 1960’s and into the quartz and digital age. The Heuer watches from this period are his legacy and are much admired and sought after by enthusiasts from around the world.

It was inevitable that I found On The Dash, a web site created by Jeff Stein and THE definitive guide to vintage Heuer chronographs and more. This site and the enthusiasts who regularly contribute to it, disseminate brand knowledge in abundance. This generosity helps new collectors to understand the fine detail that make up each model produced by Heuer during this period, essential knowledge when trying to acquire examples that are original and authentic.

My interest in vintage watches started in January 2009 however my interest in photography has been with me for a lot longer than that. Combining these two passions was inevitable. Creative photography is my lifelong pursuit - always learning, always progressing and always striving for originality. It is not my profession but my passion and I produce images in the luxury of my own time.

I am always keen to hear from fellow collectors or those people trying to understand or identify a vintage watch. For me the fun element of this hobby is of primary importance. It’s a great distraction from the day to day pressure of life and if it was not fun then it would be yet another pressure that I certainly don’t need. I enjoy owing some amazing watches, wearing them and photographing them for me and others to enjoy. But most of all I enjoy the contact with other like minded people either by telephone, email, forum/OnTheDash or face to face. So if you have a question or just want to share an idea or image please don't hesitate to contact me using the contact form. I reply to all messages and offer my help and advice freely and when requested.

All the watches featured on this site are either in my collection or once were but now belong to others to enjoy. I sell a limited number of watches each year to balance my collection or if I have duplicates. I also sell some watch parts that are surplus to my requirements. I am an avid collector so I am always on the lookout for new and interesting pieces to buy. So if you have something you want to sell let me know.

For those interested in the technical stuff I use a Nikon D300 with Nikkor 55mm and 105mm AiS macro lenses (both manual focus), extension tubes, tripod and cable release. I also use a Cannon G12. All images are processed using Photoshop, currently CC.