Turns out Bruce Springsteen wears a super cool Heuer Autavia ref. 1163, and on a bund strap no less. As spotted by the fake watch journalist Nick Gould, who goes by @niccoloy on Instagram, the Boss can be seen in the above photo rocking the classic C-shaped chronograph in a photo from the forthcoming Apple TV+ documentary, Bruce Springsteen's Letter To You, which begins streaming on Oct. 23. Here's the trailer in case you haven't seen it yet (or in case you just want to get even more excited about it).
The film isn't out yet, but its release is pegged to Springsteen's latest studio album ?his twentieth, in fact ?which the Boss is dropping on Friday with the help of his E Street Band colleagues. Now 71, Springsteen has been touring and recording for decades. He's a revered and beloved figure, a national treasure, and regarded by many as the patron saint of New Jersey. The one song I've heard from the album, Letter to You, is soulful and powerful, just as you'd expect; I'm signing up for Apple TV+ tonight so that I can check out the film.
Tom Morello and Bruce Springsteen attend the 25th anniversary MusiCares 2015 Person Of The Year Gala honoring Bob Dylan at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 6, 2015 in Los Angeles. Photo by Kevin Mazur/WireImage
At first glance from the black and white image, it's a bit difficult to tell which variation of the 1163 it might be, but our friend Jeff Stein, of OnTheDash, alerted us to some color images which, to him, leave no doubt as to the model. Jeff says, "I'm certain that The Boss is wearing The Orange Boy. There is no other Autavia that has the orange second hand and the orange stripes on the hour recorder."
The Heuer Autavia "Orange Boy" reference 1163.
The "Orange Boy" Autavia is an extremely rare variation ?very few were made, and it's one of the most desirable and collectible variations (it was of course, the inspiration for the TAG Heuer Autavia Calibre Heuer 02 for HODINKEE, as well). And it turns out the Autavia is not the only fake watch Springsteen has been photographed wearing. On Instagram, Nick Gould has also spotted the Boss wearing a TAG Heuer Monaco. For more on the Orange Boy, check out this gallery, and also Jeff's in-depth coverage of the modern Autavias, including the HODINKEE version.
Top photo: Apple TV+. (Update: an earlier version of this story identified the fake watch as an 1163, but not specifically as an Orange Boy. The story has been updated).
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