In the 1960s and 70s sporty chronographs were all the rage and Heuer was the brand to beat, with some of the most renowned racing drivers of the day regularly seen sporting Heuer’s iconic Carrera, Monza and Autavia models. Nowadays, however, many vintage Heuer chronographs remain out of reach of many enthusiasts.

Enter the "Poor Man's Heuer.' 

During the same time that Heuer was producing their own watches, they were producing watches for other brands under different names right alongside them. Brands such as Zodiac, Clebar, and Sears (under the name 'Tradition') all sold watches that were nearly identical to Heuer's own, right down to the Valjoux movements inside them.

This Dugena variant is reminiscent of Heuer's Carrera, featuring a twin-register dial layout, Tritium luminescent hands and indices, and the venerable hand-cranking Valjoux 7733 movement - all enclosed in an iconic 36mm case. However, this example also features a seriously cool exotic dial with a matching chronograph handset that may have inspired some of the 'louder' dials seen on later Carrera models.

This funky example easily stands out to us as one of, if not, the coolest 'Poor Man's Carrera' variants - and one you are not likely to see surface often.