You would be forgiven for forgetting that the Autavia was originally conceived as a type of dual purpose motorsports and aviation watch. The big Autavia releases of recent years are very much in keeping with the Heuer racing tradition. But, of course, the -avia in Autavia is a reference to aviation, and TAG Heuer has reinvigorated this historic mark with a new collection of traditional pilot?s watches bearing the Autavia name. Designed with a vintage aesthetic, these new Autavias have state of the art movements, a budget friendly price point, and plenty of dial and case material variation throughout the range.

TAG Heuer Autavia Isograph
Case Material: Stainless steel, bronze

Dial: Blue, black, grey (steel); green, brown (bronze)

Dimensions: 42mm

Crystal: Sapphire
Water resistance: 100 meters

Movement: Calibre 5

Strap/bracelet: brown leather strap, stainless steel bracelet

Price: $3500-$4300

Let?s break the collection down a bit. We have a total of five distinct references in stainless steel, with three dial colors (blue, black, and grey) on a strap, and two (blue and black) on a bracelet. The blue and black dialed watches have matching ceramic bezels, but the grey has a striking steel bezel. The presentation of this watch in particular is winning me over, with the color tone of the bezel matching up nicely with the innermost section of the smokey dial. It?s a nice effect.

The evolution of the Autavia

In addition to the steel cased watches, TAG is also in...