Certina DS hands - expertise sought

Spruce · Apr 30, 2020

(My apologies if this is an unnecessary thread, but after appending this post to the 'WHO loves Certinas' thread, I started wondering if I should have started a separate thread)

I’m intrigued by the different types of Certina DS hands and wonder if someone can clarify.

These two recent posts of 60s watches all show very attractive dauphine hands.

My mid 60s turtle backed automatic has stick hands. I am assured by both the OF member (based in Italy) who sold it to me, and by my watch repairer that all the features are original (although I have swapped my hour and minute hands for nicer originals taken from a spare parts watch in Poland).

I look out for these watches and browse various sites including Chrono 24, which has a good selection, all of which are sold by European sellers; French, German, Dutch, Italian, Polish etc., and all of which (currently) seem to have stick hands.

So, two queries, if anyone is able to assist. Did Certina change the types of hand on the DS and, if so, when? And second, if the hands weren’t changed, were thewatches designed to be sold in different markets, for example dauphine inScandinavia and stick hands in Central Europe?

Thanks in advance,

Robert

Tony C. · Apr 30, 2020

Your photos are not showing. Make sure that you are posting them correctly.

Spruce · Apr 30, 2020

Tony C.
Your photos are not showing. Make sure that you are posting them correctly.

Thanks

Tony C. · Apr 30, 2020

Stick hands were used, but the ones you show are not correct. They were (i.e. should be) wider. Examples:

There were relatively narrow hands used on some variants:

I do not believe that the hands were connected to the various markets.

Spruce · Apr 30, 2020

Thanks Tony,

I thought it might clarify my interest if I posted 4 of the five watches currently offered on the website I mentioned and to which I referred, in general terms, above

ConElPueblo · Apr 30, 2020

As a rule of thumb, dauphine hands were used mostly on early models while stick hands were used on the later ones. Sword hands are uncommon and found (I believe) only on a few dial variations.

The stick hands should - in my very humble opinion - only be of the sold type, ie. without the band that runs through yours. Certina used the same movement family across the board on a series of very similarly sized watches, so swapped ones are very common to see. It would appear that the minute hand is a tad short as it should reach almost to the edge of the minutes track.

I would say that your stick hands are from a later reference, perhaps a Certina Club?

Tony C. · Apr 30, 2020

Spruce
I thought it might clarify my interest if I posted 4 of the five watches currently offered on the website I mentioned and to which I referred, in general terms

Yes, there were more narrow hands used on some models, but yours are not correct. The hour hand is clearly too short, etc.

Spruce · Apr 30, 2020

Thanks for all the above. I’ll have to think about looking for a set of hands.

ConElPueblo · Apr 30, 2020

If you don't find any, let me know. I probably have a pair lying around.

Spruce · Apr 30, 2020

Thanks very much. I’ll pm you if I can’t find any

Milos Columbo · Apr 30, 2020

Hi
I back up the statements made. if you browse through the catalogues on vintagecertinas.ch you will see that the change from dauphine hands to these we talke about happened between 1964 and 1965.
in the 1965 Certina DS catalog (also on vintagecertinas.ch) you can find a picture of some of the used hands.

Bildschirmfoto 2020-04-30 um 17.44.23.png

(screenshot from vintagecertinas.ch)

I found out that the hands which are on the watch with dial A (above) was often used as a replacement hand.
Probably back in the days some watch owners wanted more modern hands and many Dauphine hands were changed to these by watchmakers (Imho)....

JimJupiter · Apr 30, 2020

I think I can help, I got a collection of hands a few years ago. Happy to help out. Just chose a style 😉

MaxChu2020 · Apr 30, 2020

Spruce
(My apologies if this is an unnecessary thread, but after appending this post to the 'WHO loves Certinas' thread, I started wondering if I should have started a separate thread)

I’m intrigued by the different types of Certina DS hands and wonder if someone can clarify.

These two recent posts of 60s watches all show very attractive dauphine hands.

My mid 60s turtle backed automatic has stick hands. I am assured by both the OF member (based in Italy) who sold it to me, and by my watch repairer that all the features are original (although I have swapped my hour and minute hands for nicer originals taken from a spare parts watch in Poland).

I look out for these watches and browse various sites including Chrono 24, which has a good selection, all of which are sold by European sellers; French, German, Dutch, Italian, Polish etc., and all of which (currently) seem to have stick hands.

So, two queries, if anyone is able to assist. Did Certina change the types of hand on the DS and, if so, when? And second, if the hands weren’t changed, were thewatches designed to be sold in different markets, for example dauphine inScandinavia and stick hands in Central Europe?

Thanks in advance,

Robert

Here's my original vintage mechanical certina from the early 1970s...notice the hands. Not sure if that helps with your inquiry, but good luck.

Tony C. · Apr 30, 2020

MaxChu2020
Here's my original vintage mechanical certina from the early 1970s...notice the hands. Not sure if that helps with your inquiry, but good luck.

Thanks, but the thread is focussed on the DS model line. Yours is a Bristol.

Spruce · Apr 30, 2020

JimJupiter
I think I can help, I got a collection of hands a few years ago. Happy to help out. Just chose a style 😉

Thanks for this 😀

Spruce · Jun 27, 2020

Now with correct-aged hands, and with thanks to the OF members who helped me source them.

Certina DS hands - expertise sought

Spruce

Tony C.

Spruce

Tony C.

Spruce

ConElPueblo

Tony C.

Spruce

ConElPueblo

Spruce

Milos Columbo

JimJupiter

MaxChu2020

Tony C.

Spruce

Spruce

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