How rare is this Carrera ?

abrod520

Nobody knows for sure about vintage Heuer production numbers, but the sheer rarity of examples of the 2447P (and even rarer 3647P) suggests that far fewer were produced than the Decimal-scale model (which were often sold via Fisher, a scientific instruments company) and the Tachymetre-scale model. The internet only seems to know of a small handful of 2447Ps, and only one 3647P!

Heuer didn't seem to make a whole ton of Carreras in the 1960s, period - or at least, very very few are seen coming to market compared with Autavias. This may be due to the crazy spike in Autavia values bringing more of them to market, though when a Carrera comes up for sale nowadays, we see them going for crazy money. Some models are more easily found than others - 2nd-execution silver-dial 2447s, for instance, or 3647Ns - but others are absolute hen's teeth. In the time since I jumped on my first-execution silver text 2447N in late 2012, I have seen only one other like it for sale...

As to why the pulsation dial, I doubt Heuer had any special reason for it other than that the Carrera was a versatile line of chronoraphs, and adding a pulsations dial would have been a logical extension of the brand. After all, Omega had been selling the Speedmaster available with a pulsations scale on the bezel, so why not? Of course, only a few short years later, electronic timing equipment would have been adopted as the norm for most professional timing needs, especially in the medical profession.

abrod520

Yep, reference 2447 was the 3-register Valjoux 72 and 3647 was the 2-register Valjoux 92. Also known as the "Carrera 12" and "Carrera 45" respectively, in regards to the maximum timing on the chronograph (12 hours or 45 minutes).

Then, the suffixes -

N - black dial (ex. 2447N)
S - silver dial (3647S)
T - tachymetre
D - decimal minutes
P - pulsations

The T,D,P dials came standard on the silver dial so a 3647T et al will be a silver dial with track. Special-order black dials with these tracks would be 3647NT etc.

Then there are the combinations of such with the panda dials, so a 2447 NST is a 3-register black dial with silver subdials and a tachymetre track on the dial.

Good visual reference here- a little educational, a little eye candy 😉
http://www.onthedash.com/Guide/_Chronographs//63.Carrera/a.Manual_(1960s)/

Hubert

I realize you asked @abrod520 , but I can't help to pitch in. My favorites from these vintage models are (in order of preference):
http://www.onthedash.com/Guide/_Chr.../Carrera_12/f.Reference_2447NS_(Black_White)/
http://www.onthedash.com/Guide/_Chr.../Carrera_12/g.Reference_2447SN_(White-Black)/
http://www.onthedash.com/Guide/_Chr...(1960s)/Carrera_12/e.Reference_2447N_(Black)/
http://www.onthedash.com/Guide/_Chr...60s)/Carrera_12/a.Reference_2447S_(Standard)/

abrod520

Oh, without question the first execution 2447N - thin hour markers, silver-printed dial script, plain lumed hands and unsigned big crown. (The unsigned crown was originally specified so that it could be wound while wearing driving/racing gloves (!) and was later de-emphasized, likely as the Autavia with its larger size and external bezel turned out to be the choice of professional drivers....

Unsigned crown (and please, witness the greatest lugs in the history of chronographs)

This is it next to my Autavia 1163T, which should illustrate why I think it's important to #savethecarrera :

The absolutely perfect dial proportions! - those lugs! that belong in a museum... Yeah, I know I sound biased since I have one, but I came across it mostly by luck. It's a whole story from which I shall spare the forum 😀