You, the watch lovers, have a hand in choosing the design for the next “reissue” TAG Heuer Autavia watch. A few decades ago, when TAG Heuer was just named Heuer, the Autavia helped to define what 1970s cool looked like. In a move that’s bound to get enthusiasts worked up, TAG Heuer is presenting “The Autavia Cup,” in which fans can vote for a historic Autavia model to be reissued in 2017. Together with aBlogtoWatch, TAG Heuer wants you, the enthusiasts, to vote on a special website (and also at the bottom of this post) from 16 choices that represent real and fantasy historic TAG Heuer Autavia models. You can vote on the official micro-site on March 17th, 2016, but start by voting in the poll box below. Starting March 17th, head over to the official Autavia Cup website.

UPDATE (18/04/2016):

Today, TAG Heuer has announced that “after more than 50K votes from the public and a tight competition, the winner of the Autavia Cup is:

The 2017 Re-issue will be the Ref 2446 Mark 3 (1966) also known as the ‘Autavia Rindt.'”

Scroll down to see all the rest of the sixteen contenders and let us know in the comments, what you think about the winner and/or what other model you would have preferred!

TAG Heuer is doing something really interesting here by allowing enthusiasts to weigh in on their choice for a watch that looks like a piece that could come straight off Mick Jagger’s wrist. It creates an interesting duality in their marketing strategy where you’ve still got the more “youth-oriented” marketing campaign TAG Heuer is known for (for better or worse), but also bringing the serious enthusiast community into the fold. A dynamic campaign that puts the power in the hands of the fans is something rare from a big Swiss brand, but it’s also a welcome move.

Getting to the 16 watches up for voting (all of these were designed or touched up by Paul Gavin of Heuer World), there is a “Heuer authenticity” to all of them, and I know there are going to be more than a handful of people who will start to salivate at the idea of a reissue Heuer Autavia with a panda dial. Right now, there is not a lot of information in regards to the movement and other specifications, though we do know that the older versions measured just about 42mm wide, still an appropriate size today. Take a look at and read about the watches, and we’ll tell you which one is our favorite as well as let you vote after you see them below. (All descriptions are provided by TAG Heuer)

“The ‘Mark 3’ Autavia uses the second execution case, with its narrower bezel, and the dial has applied steel markers with small luminous plots. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts. This version of the Autavia was worn by the Austrian Formula One world champion, Jochen Rindt.”

“The Reference 2446 with Tachymeter scale on the dial was a special order model, from the mid-to-late 1960s, using the second execution case (with its narrower bezel). In addition to the Tachymeter scale, the dial features complementary luminous triangles and applied metal markers, with the numeral ’12’ also in metal. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts.”

“The Reference 3646 with Tachymeter scale on the dial was a special order model, from the mid-to-late 1960s, using the second execution case (with its narrower bezel). In addition to the Tachymeter scale, the dial features complementary luminous triangles and applied metal markers, with numerals for ’12’ and ‘6’ also in metal. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts.”

“The ‘Mark 3’ Autavia uses the second execution case, with its narrower bezel, and the dial has applied steel markers with small luminous plots. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts. This version of the Autavia was worn by Mario Andretti, who won both the Formula One world championship and the Indianapolis 500.”

“The first version of the Autavia 30 chronograph features oversized registers and dauphine hands that are entirely covered with luminous material. The dial features luminous markers, with the numerals ’12’ and ‘6’ also in luminous paint. The first execution case has a wider bezel than the second execution case.”

“The ‘Mark 2’ Autavia continued to use the first execution case (with its wider bezel), but introduced an entirely new dial. This dial uses complementary luminous dots and applied metal markers, with standard sized registers (rather than the oversized ones on earlier models). Hands are dauphine shape, with polished metal edges and luminous inserts, and are narrower than the ones on earlier models.”

“The ‘Mark 4’ Autavia dial features painted luminous markers, at all 12 positions, with no numerals for the hours. This execution continues the second execution case, with its narrower bezel, and uses matchstick style hands, with luminous inserts. The Mark 4 is exceptionally rare, being the last of the screw-back Autavias, making a brief appearance before the introduction of the 2446C (compression case).”

“This version of the Autavia 30 features oversized registers, as on the earlier version, but these updated dauphine hands have polished steel edges and wide luminous inserts. The dial features luminous markers, with the numerals ’12’ and ‘6’ also in luminous paint. The first execution case has a wider bezel than the second execution case.”

“The first version of the Autavia 12 chronograph features oversized registers and dauphine hands that are entirely covered with luminous material. The dial features luminous markers, with the numeral ’12’ also in luminous paint. The first execution case has a wider bezel than the second execution case.”

“In 1968, Heuer redesigned the Autavia case, moving from a screw-back case to a snap-back compression case. The new case was slightly larger (at 40mm) and wide, angular lugs. The first execution of the Reference 2446C featured plain steel markers, with luminous plots, which matched the polished steel hands, with their luminous inserts.”

“Rather than the standard black dial of the Reference 2446C Autavias (and all the earlier Autavias), this model features a silver dial with black registers. The applied steel markers and polished steel hands, with luminous inserts, match those of the standard models, and the standard 2446C compression case is used. This model is exceptionally rare, and was mostly likely a test or prototype dial that never reached serial production.”

“This version of the Autavia 12 features oversized registers, as on the earlier version, but these updated dauphine hands have polished steel edges and wide luminous inserts. The dial features luminous markers, with the numeral ’12’ also in luminous paint. The first execution case has a wider bezel than the second execution case.”

“This Fantasy Autavia begins with a transitional screw-back case and a ‘Rindt’ dial, but changes the dial from black to white and the registers from white to black, to produce a ‘Panda’ version. The transitional case features plain lugs and the wide bezel from the early Autavias. The matchstick hands are polished steel with luminous inserts.”

“All standard Autavias of the 1960s featured black dials with white registers, so this Fantasy model uses black paint on the registers to create a ‘Black Out’ model. Features from the standard model include the first execution case (with its wide bezel), the luminous markers on the dial, and the all-lume dauphine hands. The black-on-black of this model evokes the early Carreras, which also features this ‘black-out’ look.”

“This Fantasy Autavia begins with the Mark 1 version of the Autavia 30, but changes the dial from black to white and the Big Sub registers from white to black, to produce a ‘Panda’ version. All other elements are from the standard Mark 1 Autavia, including the first execution case (with its wide bezel), the luminous markers on the dial, and the all-lume dauphine hands.”

“This Fantasy Autavia begins with the Mark 1 version of the Autavia 12, but changes the dial from black to white and the Big Sub registers from white to black, to produce a ‘Panda’ version. All other elements are from the standard Mark 1 Autavia, including the first execution case (with its wide bezel), the luminous markers on the dial, and dauphine hands with polished steel edges and wide luminous inserts.”

Again, official Autavia Cup voting begins March 17th with the beginning of Baselworld 2016, with a final four chosen by April 14th. Then, on April 18th, Jean-Claude Biver himself with announce the winning watch that we’ll get to see in a year at Baselworld 2017. Personally, number 11 stands out to me. The panda dial is just a winning look, and is one you don’t see all the time. But! This is a democracy, and we want to see what you guys think, so vote in the poll below. tagheuer.com