Heuer introduced the earliest Autavia wristwatches in the early 1960s, building on a motorsport history started by the first Autavia dashboard timers made in the 1930s. The wrist chronograph quickly became one of Heuer's flagship products during a period of massive growth and success for the brand. Heuer was one of the most popular and best-selling watch brands in the world in the 1960s. Its ties to the world of motorsport were paying off as racing took off in popular culture, specifically in the United States, one of the firm's strongest markets.
The Autavia was built for racing, with a tachymeter scale on the bezel, designed for helping drivers determine their speed and lap time at a glance.
