To understand where the Autavia came from you need to cast your mind back to the early 1930s, when Heuer introduced a dashboard timer using the Autavia moniker. The name was chosen to appeal to the two sectors that Heuer thought would garner the most interest, namely automotive and aviation, which were highly exciting and emerging areas of modern life and technology at the time, amalgamating the AUT/AVIA. For their first named wrist chronograph, Heuer was still appealing to the same market and used the tagline "those for whom life and a taste for adventure are one and the same" and the design cues were a simplified and scaled-down interpretation of those early beautiful dashboard timers, with contrasting sub registers for improved legibility. This stunning chronograph came to market in 1962 and appeared with a two (3646) and three (2446) sub register layout, priced at $99 and $119, and were powered respectively by the Valjoux 92 and 72 movements which have become so famous today amongst collectors. The two sub dial layout on the 3646 allows for the additional attractive design feature of the Radium applied 6 over the 2446 version which is appreciated by collectors. There is no doubt that the design of these first Autavias has aged well and though they will celebrate their 60th anniversary in 2022, they are likely to look just as cool in 2062! With many 1960s chronographs looking similar with their layout, it is the combination of the "big subs" with the "all lume" hands that really stands out, and makes them the pinnacle of Heuer collecting much as the "Broad Arrow" hands make the 2915-1 Omega Speedmaster the pinnacle of Omega collecting. In this blog I concentrate on the two sub register variant the 3646.