Okay, let’s set the scene: It’s a random weeknight and I’m texting back and forth with a good friend of mine (Andrew, or @t_swiss_t on Instagram) about a watch that I was trying to land. I have the memory of an elephant (I think they have small memories, right?), so I don’t remember the exact words, but here’s the gist of it – he responds to my text with “that’s awesome, I’m doing the same with a 2447P.” I was well aware of the extremely rare variant of the 2447 Carrera that included a pulsations scale on the outside rim of the dial, but there’s no way he could have been talking about one of those, right? Turns out, he was. I went nuts, just like any Heuer collector would, and I needed all of the details.
He had tracked down a dealer that sold the 2447P almost ten years ago. Obviously the dealer no longer had the watch, but he had no issues giving my friend the contact info for the ultimate buyer. Andrew reached out to the current owner and learned that he not only still had the 2447P, but had four other Carreras as well. That fact alone would have been excitable to any watch nerd, but it got even better: the owner wasn’t really into watches anymore. As Andrew explained it, the owner had been pretty involved in vintage Heuer early in the 2000’s, but had since diversified into other interests and didn’t keep up with watches much anymore.
Among the other four Carreras, there was a 2447NST with a Volvo logo in the place where the Heuer shield was typically placed. I had read up on these oddballs a little bit in the past, but had never seen one for sale or had the opportunity to evaluate one before. As I dug into the history of the watch more, I learned just how rare and interesting it was. These watches were presented one year for the Volvo Board of Directors, and if you can get over a car logo being in the middle of the dial, they’re rarer than hen’s teeth. The addition of the Heuer shield to the 6 o’clock sub-dial is also a completely unique touch that’s found on this customized Carrera.
I was curious how the watch would look on my wrist with the Volvo logo instead of the Heuer shield, and I’ll be honest – it doesn’t change the look one bit. Add in the 2447 case (in my opinion, the best case from the 1960’s / ever), a reverse panda dial with tachy track, and the rarity factor? A keeper, for sure.
The Fine Print
The rarity of this watch may not even be it’s biggest asset – the condition is simply astounding. The case has probably been lightly polished in the past, but beyond that, there aren’t any flaws that can be pointed out. The dial and hands exhibit perfect (and matching) patina, the sub-dials are clean, and the movement is in great shape. Doesn’t get much better!