Launched in 1963, the Heuer Carrera was named after the Carrera Panamericana, an exhilarating and extremely dangerous road race that took place in Mexico during the 1950s. With the Autavia and the Monaco, the Carrera name would become legendary at Heuer, and it all begins with this first generation model.

Symbolic features of the watch include the square hour markers at 3 and 9 o’clock, the inscription “SWISS” that was not surmounted by a –T– like in the following execution, and the signature “Ed Heuer & Co SA” on the movement. The watch features a very rare matte silver dial often referred to as "eggshell white" and a faceted screw down caseback, both typicall to early execution models.
The present example is a well-preserved early first execution reference 3647 with two registers. It was nicknamed Carrera 45 because it features a 45-minute register as opposed to the 12-hour register of the Carrera 12. This double register wristwatch was advertised by Heuer as ideal for football enthusiasts and professionals.