Time for a Watch Story Part II

May/June 2019 edition
Issue #5 AutoMobilia Resource Magazine
Marshall Buck

In issue #2 of AutoMobilia Resource, I wrote about one of my finds of sorts last year during “car week” in Monterey, California at Laguna Seca. That is where I met watch collector, and vintage car fan, Eric Iskin with a wonderful Heuer that had been awarded to race driver John Morton. Well… Eric has two other special race related timepieces!

I’ll let Eric tell about these.…
“The two watches were won by Tony Adamowicz in 1968 and 1971.  I acquired them from a friend who watched Tony race in the 1970s, and then helped him revamp his career in vintage racing in the 1990s. Tony sold both to him, and I bought them years later. I was fortunate to meet Tony at Infineon Raceway and reunite him with his Heuers a few years ago.​

The Heuer with the red and blue bezel is the model 2446c Autavia GMT Chronograph. It’s complete with original box, papers, “beads of rice” bracelet, and even the original case back sticker, and…. a letter signed by Tony to my friend, from whom I acquired it.  This particular example was won by Tony, for winning the “11 Hours of Kyalami” in South Africa in 1971, driving the Porsche 917.  From what I understand, he was the only American to drive the 917 to victory.  

The other Heuer was also awarded to Adamowicz for being the “SCCA Driver of the Year” in 1968, driving a Porsche 911 to victory in the Trans Am class.  It is a model 3646 with Motor/age logo on dial and engraved on the reverse to Tony for his accomplishment.

​As an avid collector of watches, and a vintage car and automobilia fan, Eric says he is “fortunate to be the custodian of these items that transcend the worlds of the watch, automobilia, and auto racing!”  I couldn’t agree more.

​Regarding the often touchy “V” question of values… without the added race provenance, but with the original bracelet, box, papers, and sticker, the 2446c is around a $22K watch.  The other Heuer, also without the race provenance and inscription to Tony is around a $6K watch. But when you add in the provenance, the values do climb up. As I wrote before, owning an item that combines the worlds of fine collector watches + automobilia + auto racing history = Priceless. Owning two or more?  Well that’s the stuff dreams are made of.  


Marshall Buck

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