Lot 98

Heuer

Sternzeit Reguliert

A large military flyback chronograph used by the Bundeswehr Artillery for astronomical positioning, with leather case and astronomical yearbook for determining direction in 2000, book on astronomical direction and positioning with theodolite, star finder, safety glasses in Bundeswehr case and reduction scale for geographical longitudes

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This military flyback chronograph is actually a measuring instrument. The chronograph is regulated for sidereal-time and was part of the supplementary equipment "surveying theodolite"; it was used for the determination of time during azimuth evaluations (determined angle sizes). Sidereal-time comes from the fact that the Earth makes a full rotation in its axis every 23 hours, 56 minutes and 3,5 seconds. Sidereal-time is used when determining a location's exact co-ordinates on the Earth's surface. It was for this purpose that this watch was regulated to sidereal-time. As it also keeps normal time, "STERNZEIT REGULIERT" (sidereal-time regulated) was printed on the watch's dial face to prevent it from being mistaken with the standard chronograph, and it also has its own stock number.
The exact number of "STERNZEIT REGULIERT" Heuer watches is unknown. However, all watches mentioned so far have serial numbers ranging from 4698 to 4720, so the estimated number of watches is likely to be very small, possibly between 30 and 50.
Source: "Militäruhren" by Konrad Knirim, Bottrop 2002, p. 576.
The Bundeswehr’s Heuer flyback chronographs were produced according to the specifications of the different units of the troop, so that several variations of the model exist.
This watch is one of those models that only very rarely appear on the market - it is also in outstanding condition.