Joseph Siffert (July 7, 1936 – October 24, 1971) was a Swiss racing driver who raced in Formula 1 from 1962 to 1971. Siffert has finished on the podium on six occasions, including two wins. His victory at the 1968 British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch is regarded as the last F1 win by a privateer.
Siffert was killed during the 1971 World Championship Victory Race, due to smoke inhalation and non-functional trackside fire extinguishers.
Jack Heuer and the Autavia
A 1969 agreement between Jack Heuer and Jo Siffert facilitated Heuer‘s first official entry point into F1. In exchange for running the Heuer logo on his race car and suit, Siffert was paid a small retainer and given rights to sell Heuer timepieces. Siffert was often spotted wearing a Heuer Autavia (ref. 1163T), which became known as the “Siffert” Autavia.
TAG Heuer Jo Siffert Editions
To observe the 25th anniversary of Siffert’s fatal accident, TAG Heuer released the S/el Jo Siffert edition (ref. CG211S.BA0423) in 1996.
As a nod to the unofficial “Siffert” Autavia, the Autavia Jo Siffert Collector’s Edition was created as a collaboration between TAG heuer and the now-defunct Calibre 11 blog. The exclusive chronograph was made available exclusively on Calibre 11 on February 21, 2018, with a limited run of 100 pieces.
André Le Marquand
Through sponoring Siffert’s son, Philippe Siffert, André Le Marquand released a Jo Siffert limited edition watch around 1996. A feature can be found on page 20 of the March 1997 issue of Europa Star:
ANDRE LE MARQUAND SPONSORS SECOND GENERATION RACE CAR DRIVER
Race car driver Philippe Siffert was deeply moved by the actions of his sponsors André Le Marquand in commemorating the memory of his father, the late great Jo Siffert. “The memorial service will be done with the greatest simplicity, reflecting the character of my father” said Philippe Siffert. For this occasion, André Le Marquand will issue a limited edition watch -250 pieces- commemorating the life of the elder Siffert, world renown race car driver who died on the track of Brand Hatch 25 years ago. “I can count on the moral and financial support of my sponsors André Le Marquand who has always stood by me and encouraged me to always work against all odds,” said Siffert. While sponsoring car racing is nothing new in the watch industry, helping to celebrate the heritage of a very special family is. And André Le Marquand is truly unique in this mission.
Features of the watch include “F1” and “JO SIFFERT” in red text on a black dial, and “25e Mémorial Jo Siffert 1971-1996 Série limitée” engraved on the case back. The release was limited to 250 pieces.
Related Pages
References
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-spokesman-review-jo-siffert/55938539/
https://www.brummellmagazine.co.uk/watches/swiss-ambassador-jo-siffert-and-tag-heuer/
https://tagheuerenthusiast.blogspot.com/2021/06/history-tag-heuer-sel-sel-leather-1987.html
https://watchesbysjx.com/2018/02/tag-heuer-introduces-the-autavia-jo-siffert-collectors-edition-by-calibre-11.html
https://timeandtidewatches.com/remembering-tag-heuer-autavia-jo-siffert-collectors-edition/