There have been rumors that Bo Derek wore a Heuer dive watch, but now OnTheDash is happy to share the story and the photo.
Of course, we start with the photo, taken on a beach in 1979 and provided by Bo’s father to Jack Heuer, then CEO of Heuer Leonidas.
Jack Heuer tells the story,
“I met Bo Derek’s father, Paul Collins in 1979, at Hobert “Hobie” Alter’s home in Southern California. Hobie is the inventor of the Hobie Cat catamaran, and Paul was working for him at the time.
After the meeting, Paul kindly offered to drive me back to the Los Angeles Airport, and during the long drive we got to know each other much better. At the airport he asked me if I could get him one of our Ladies Heuer skindiving watches, which he wanted to give his daughter as a present for her 23rd birthday. I sent him shortly thereafter from our office in New Jersey a catalog and he chose the smallest model we made, which I delivered him as promised with a nice discount in the fall of 1979.
Shortly before Christmas, I received from Paul a Christmas card thanking me for the favor. Enclosed with it was a color slide of Bo Derek–wearing only our watch!”
The watch is a Heuer Reference 756, automatic diver watch, with a 28mm steel case half red / half black bezel. Dial is marked, “Ebauche Suisse” (Swiss movement). You can read more about this model (the watch, not Bo Derek), and see lots of photos, in this posting on the Classic Heuers blog.
Thanks to Jack Heuer for sharing the story and this very special photo. That must have been a Christmas card to remember!!
Jeff Stein
April 30, 2013
