1980s Heuer Automatic Chronograph (Ref. 510.500) 'Lemania Cal. 5100' W/ Box

Founded in 1860 in St-Imier, Switzerland, Heuer remains one of the most respected and beloved names in vintage watchmaking. From the Carrera and Autavia to the Monaco and Camaro, the brand’s unmistakable shield logo became synonymous with purpose-built chronographs and motorsport-inspired design. Beyond these celebrated icons, however, Heuer produced several equally compelling references that remain comparatively underappreciated today.

The ref. 510.500 is a perfect example of this. Produced for only a short period during the 1980s, shortly before Heuer’s acquisition by Techniques d’Avant Garde and transition into TAG Heuer, it shares its distinctive tonneau-shaped case and flat-link bracelet with the black PVD-coated Pasadena. The stainless-steel construction gives the ref. 510.500 is a character all its own, highlighting the case’s bold, utilitarian architecture.

At its heart is the highly regarded Lemania cal. 5100, an automatic chronograph movement celebrated for its durability, legibility, and unconventional central chronograph-minute display. Its technical dial is brought to life by vivid orange chronograph hands, oversized luminous markers, a 24-hour register, and an outer tachymeter scale, delivering the unmistakably functional aesthetic of a great 1980s tool watch. Complete with its original box, this seldom-seen Heuer offers a compelling combination of robust engineering, period design, and important pre-TAG history.