Early Certina DS, but I think it’s wrong

Engee · Nov 27, 2019

I’ve been learning a little about Certina watches recently. I like the designs and the brand has an interesting history. I’m looking for an early DS and have seen this on a popular auction site but am fairly convinced it’s wrong. It has a 25-45 movement and “patent pending” on the inside of a plain case back. All of this points to an early version of the watch, 1959 or 1960 at the latest, but the dial and hands seem later. I would have thought it should have dauphine hands and numerals at the quarter hour.

Am I right that the dial and hands are a later replacement, and if so, what would you put as a maximum bid for it as it is, with a view to finding the right parts at some point in the future? The body looks to me to be in very nice condition, if perhaps a little over-polished.

Thank you, as ever, for your contribution to this thread.

Spruce · Nov 27, 2019

I recently bought a 1966 version. It runs perfectly and I’m happy with it and use it as a vintage beater. It’s not as slim as some watches of that time but still pretty good.
Such research as I’ve done suggests that the watch was marketed as DS ‘double security’ by being both waterproof and shockproof by virtue of a rubber/plastic mounting.
The problem I’ve had is that in mine, and I imagine in most of these 1960s DS watches, the rubber mounting (in yellow, below) has ossified to the extent that my watchmaker has advised against a full service in case the mounting cracks and can’t be replaced. To be fair, I wanted one of these but only paid €190 plus a set of NOS hands to replace the mismatched hands I bought it with.

View attachment 880056

Engee · Nov 27, 2019

Spruce

I recently bought a 1966 version. It runs perfectly and I’m happy with it and use it as a vintage beater. It’s not as slim as some watches of that time but still pretty good.
Such research as I’ve done suggests that the watch was marketed as DS ‘double security’ by being both waterproof and shockproof by virtue of a rubber/plastic mounting.
The problem I’ve had is that in mine, and I imagine in most of these 1960s DS watches, the rubber mounting (in yellow, below) has ossified to the extent that my watchmaker has advised against a full service in case the mounting cracks and can’t be replaced. To be fair, I wanted one of these but only paid €190 plus a set of NOS hands to replace the mismatched hands I bought it with.

View attachment 880056

As I thought, the baton hands came in a few years after the patent was awarded. The asking price for the one I’m looking at is a bit higher which may be right for an early version, notwithstanding the need to replace dual and hands.

Bill Sohne · Nov 27, 2019

Hi

All of the early DS I have seen have been dalphine hands and non stick markers .....

Will dig your a few pics ...

Best

bill

ConElPueblo · Nov 27, 2019

Spruce

I recently bought a 1966 version. It runs perfectly and I’m happy with it and use it as a vintage beater. It’s not as slim as some watches of that time but still pretty good.
Such research as I’ve done suggests that the watch was marketed as DS ‘double security’ by being both waterproof and shockproof by virtue of a rubber/plastic mounting.
The problem I’ve had is that in mine, and I imagine in most of these 1960s DS watches, the rubber mounting (in yellow, below) has ossified to the extent that my watchmaker has advised against a full service in case the mounting cracks and can’t be replaced. To be fair, I wanted one of these but only paid €190 plus a set of NOS hands to replace the mismatched hands I bought it with.

View attachment 880056

The rubber ring can be bought in cut-to-length sizes locally here. Very cheap. The difference is noticeable 👍

Spruce · Nov 27, 2019

ConElPueblo
The rubber ring can be bought in cut-to-length sizes locally here. Very cheap. The difference is noticeable 👍

Thanks

Early Certina DS, but I think it’s wrong

Engee

Spruce

Engee

Bill Sohne

ConElPueblo

Spruce

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