My manual wind DS with the flat caseback. Ebay find, a rather beat up (but not cracked) crystal and quite a bit of dirt on the case, which after about an hour of elbow grease revealed this rather nice dial, some deterioration around the edges and inside the numbers 3 and 9, a reasonably consistent patina.
My manual wind DS with the flat caseback. Ebay find, a rather beat up (but not cracked) crystal and quite a bit of dirt on the case, which after about an hour of elbow grease revealed this rather nice dial, some deterioration around the edges and inside the numbers 3 and 9, a reasonably consistent patina.
Nice! How is it running?
This is not what I have experienced over five years of DS collecting. Sure, some will have high asking prices for ordinary DS models, but in open auction it would have to be quite special to net €600. Manual winding ones in good condition will end up at around €150, automatics perhaps €200. Only the special dials will be worth more and black dials are usually less than €600, unless it is a cross hair technical dial.
I only see any sort of "rapid" price rise for really, really special models and even those aren't rocketing anywhere compared to more popular brands. The single item I have noted the highest increase in value of during the last few years are GF bracelets in very good condition. These used to be around €150, now they are three times that. If you can find them at all.
A lot has changed in 5 years (I've only been collecting these for three, I fully admit). It's quite difficult to find classic DS turtleback automatics in good condition, and I haven't seen one go at open auction recently. Here's some from C24 in various states (and even given that these are generally at +20-30% over Ebay prices, it's hard to imagine they would go for massively lower than asking)
https://www.chrono24.com/certina/gents-automatic-wristwatch--ds---double-security---id18595896.htm
https://www.chrono24.com/certina/ce...ent-pending-serviced-movement--id23278107.htm
Even this one with quite serious dial dial degradation, no turtleback, and an asking of $450 has 30 watchers on Ebay (so I'd guess it will go for 325-350).
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/224072586989?hash=item342bc456ed:g:ejMAAOSwpNlfBV4t
I sincerely wish I could get a DS turtleback automatic in good condition on open auction for 200 Euros! Bristols, sure, but even those seem to be going up now. But this is good news for you and anyone else who has these on hand!
I sincerely wish I could get a DS turtleback automatic in good condition on open auction for 200 Euros!
You must look in the wrong places.
When looking at my "finished auctions" on the auction sites I frequent, pretty much every single DS is within the price bracket I mentioned. I follow Certina auctions on a number of sales sites daily and if something interesting comes up for sale I will monitor how it progresses.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/154926196308?hash=item2412522654:g:qgYAAOSwbkRiRfsi&nma=true&si=sFCqtxogH8Lktm63Z2bnsVFMVVM%3D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Early, correct crown, really clean dial, excellent case. Looking at how clear the texture on the turtle shield on the caseback is, I would say that this will look fantastic after a clean up.
€142. Sold on eBay in an open auction for everyone to see.
If a DS has a higher asking price, it better be a pretty great specimen.
The non-turtleback DS for sale you link to will probably remain unsold at that price. Sellers can ask whatever they like and this one will likely sit for a long time before moving - at a lower price. BTW, you are aware that the earlier Patent Pending references, all things being equal, are more expensive than the ones with the turtle?
@Fadershan, you got this one for around €170 recently, how did it turn out? It looks like both dial, hands and case are excellent, but the crystal, naturally, needed changing?
Top DS' are in demand and command a fair bit of a premium. But look at this one, which has a period box, some paraphanelia, a great looking (later) bracelet and an excellent case - and see how much it ended at, probably due to a degraded dial:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Ne...83.l44720.c10&nordt=true&rt=nc&orig_cvip=true
$358... The bracelet alone will be $200.
In short - I cannot recognise any trend supporting your claim about the general price level and that is something we all should be happy about. DS' remains an attractive and fairly cheap entry to the solid vintage everyday/sports watch, far cheaper than similar Omegas.
My experiences are in the middle: Sometimes I get a DS automatic in quite good condition (little polished, maybe unpolished, clean dial and movement, but should be overhauled at some point) for 150€ (10.11.2020), then again one for 250€ (10.02.2022) - this one with revision. Another one with oxidation spots for 150€ (10.08.2017), a fourth one with very nice patinated dial for 140€ (19.03.2019). Then another one with GF strap (but without GF buckle) for 130; this one has a heavily patinated dial (17.06.2017). Also, one with gold cap (from a very reputable source) for 250€ (09/19/2019). My only DS with manual winding cost 150€ (Cal. 25-36, turtle, case in relatively good condition - (28.07.2020). You can see that my DS activities (also?) happened in the last five years. Seven watches in five years is not much; considering the time I spent looking (and not counting it as learning time), maybe I would have been better off economically if I had bought these déesses for 400€ each, and worked something respectable during the time it took me to search.
That last one is very nice indeed, and I'm sorry I missed it! A bit of spotting on the dial, but that seems relatively common in these models, and certainly doesn't detract from its appeal. You can't beat the original bracelet.
That first one, on the other hand, is a very different story, looks like corrosion on the lugs (though I hope it's only heavy hand cheese), who knows what the movement looks like, since we have no pictures--as we all know, that's a real dive into the dark.
Middle one, again, hard to judge without better pics and a view of the movement.
This is not necessarily an either/or. There are still great deals out there, as well as overpriced pieces and everything in between. Again, to be clear, I'm only speaking about turtleback DS automatics, which is what I've been after (and yes, I'm aware of the pat. pending value, I just prefer the turtles). I genuinely hope OF folks are able to get the nicer ones as they come up, and then we can all share in their enjoyment of these lovely (and still, imho, undervalued) watches.
