The Mexican rally Carrera Panamericana inspired Jack Heuer to create the first motorsport chronograph: the Heuer Carrera.

How Jack Heuer Launched his First Motorsport Chronograph in 1963
Its name alone conjures visions of racecars and rallies: the Heuer Carrera is more intimately associated with auto racing than any other wristwatch. Now this iconic chronograph celebrates its 55th birthday. We tell its story ? and the tales of the heroes and triumphs, emotions and dramas that accompanied this chronograph on the world?s racetracks.
The 1960s ? How It All Began
The Heuer Carrera?s story begins in 1963 and thus in an era inspired by faith in technological and global progress. The ink on his diploma in production engineering from the Federal Institute of Technology (ETH Zürich) had scarcely dried when 26-year-old Jack William Heuer joined his family?s business in 1958. Heuer had already traveled extensively, familiarized himself with the American market and enlarged the company?s sphere of activity. He soon began developing his vision for the future of the Heuer business. Long a major name in time measurement for sporting events, the firm built some of the world?s finest stopwatches, time-measuring equipment and chronographs. Timepieces from Ed. Heuer & Cie were deployed at ski and automobile races, and even kept time at the Olympic Games. Jack Heuer was pleased to see that the majority of the participants in the Monte Carlo rally relied on Heuer?s dashboard chronographs....