WHO loves Certinas ?

Frenchdude87 · Aug 28, 2024

And then there were 3 !

After a lot of thoughts i decided to cut deeply into the collection, only keeping the 3 i'm enjoying and wearing the most, and selling the rest so as to hunt for the next one...maybe a diver or a chrono...who know what might come up 🤷‍♂️

It does feel weard though...

Frenchdude87
OK, time for a STOTCC

Mainly DS and DS2 as you can see.
I love them all, though I'm probably gonna have to sell some of them for some personal and more mature (i.e boring) investment. But I do know for sure the few I'm certina of keeping

Which one's your favorite ?

Frenchdude87 · Sep 3, 2024

Choose your fighter

Anp200411 · Jan 11, 2025

My first post on this great thread. Attached is one of my favorite Certinas (also on my avatar). The presumed production no on the back (774xxx) would indicate that the watch is produced ca 1943, but the Certina script on the dial looks more like the 50s version. Model designation on the back is 43032-2, which some web sources say would indicate a KF330 movement (I do not have pictures of the movement). Any comments, have not seen a similar watch myself.

Anyway, especiallu fond of the elegant Bauhaus-style dial.

w154 · Jan 11, 2025

Anp200411
My first post on this great thread. Attached is one of my favorite Certinas (also on my avatar). The presumed production no on the back (774xxx) would indicate that the watch is produced ca 1943, but the Certina script on the dial looks more like the 50s version. Model designation on the back is 43032-2, which some web sources say would indicate a KF330 movement (I do not have pictures of the movement). Any comments, have not seen a similar watch myself.

Anyway, especiallu fond of the elegant Bauhaus-style dial.

It’s an attractive watch for sure. The date difference you noticed is because the dial has been repainted at some point.

Anp200411 · Jan 11, 2025

w154
It’s an attractive watch for sure. The date difference you noticed is because the dial has been repainted at some point.

Yes you are right - looking at the dial closer it certainly has irregularities pointing towards a redial. Still like it though & luckily this was an affordable Ebay find.

Anp200411 · Jan 12, 2025

Last year I happened to stumble upon a fairly uncommon Certina - Certina President Automatic with 25-651 movement imside. Looking online at Certina sales catalogues it seems to have been on the market only for about a year, ca 1971 - 1972.

Being a child of the 1970’s I rather like the design. Kinda like a dressier version of DS-2.

Virgil01 · Jan 12, 2025

Wow, verde nice! That’s my Certina ph100

Anp200411 · Jan 12, 2025

w154
It’s an attractive watch for sure. The date difference you noticed is because the dial has been repainted at some point.

Still wondering about the production number vs the script on dial. Production number 774xxx - if they are to be trusted, would point to ca 1943 production and the Certina script looks like a 1950’s version. The case/caseback/crown look like they are from the 40’s. Is it that somebody took a 50’s Certina dial, repainted it Bauhaus style and put it in a 1943 case?

w154 · Jan 12, 2025

Anp200411
Still wondering about the production number vs the script on dial. Production number 774xxx - if they are to be trusted, would point to ca 1943 production and the Certina script looks like a 1950’s version. The case/caseback/crown look like they are from the 40’s. Is it that somebody took a 50’s Certina dial, repainted it Bauhaus style and put it in a 1943 case?

I’d have thought the simplest explanation is that it’s entirely original to the early 1940s, but someone redialled the original dial in the 1950s or later.

Frenchdude87 · Jan 20, 2025

Hello fellow certina enthusiasts
I've recently narrowed down my certina collection to 3 pieces. I'm the current happy owner of 2 Certina DS 2 and One black dial DS (see profile pic 😉

Now I'd like to display my nice watches in their original boxes. The hunt is not that simple as I have trouble finding the correct box from the correct period.

For the DS 2 I found (see picture attached) that particular Red Box. Do you know if it's the correct one ?
For the DS, I have trouble finding something. I saw once or twice some kind of blue box resembling...but I'm not sure.

Can you guys enlighten me 😀 ?

Thank you so much

Capture d’écran 2025-01-20 à 21.14.10.webp

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Frenchdude87 · Jan 20, 2025

Found this one on the bay....for 400€ euros 😂😂😂
Could it be an original DS box ? It's so fancy i'd guess it's an expensive diver's box.

Capture d’écran 2025-01-20 à 21.21.39.webp

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Marbleu · Jan 21, 2025

Frenchdude87
Found this one on the bay....for 400€ euros 😂😂😂
Could it be an original DS box ? It's so fancy i'd guess it's an expensive diver's box.

That's an aspirational price..😂
Good question, now that I think of it, I have no boxes with any of my Certina's.
Well if I do they are stored in a box behind a box of watch boxes that might or might not have been original to the purchased vintage watch so that doesn't help😁
Back to your question.
There are boxes around, but I don't think the standard quality was great to begin with or to be kept, most seem for ladies/dresswatches that survived.
The red box looks like such a box to me for a ladies watch or a dress example.
Second one. I have seen this with a DS watch model as from your profile picture before, it matches the advertising campaign from the 1960's. I'd say the advertising line in itself makes it a cool box.
In blue, other version:

For the DS-2's I've seen a box with a wood pattern that looks more early seventies that's nice here's an example:

Have a look at tradera, etsy, catawiki and chrono as sometimes I see boxes come-up for sale, but I don't need them;-)

In short I have not got a consistent answer, others might, but it reminded me of the topic and a good excuse to post my Certina 288:

Frenchdude87 · Jan 25, 2025

Marbleu
That's an aspirational price..😂
Good question, now that I think of it, I have no boxes with any of my Certina's.
Well if I do they are stored in a box behind a box of watch boxes that might or might not have been original to the purchased vintage watch so that doesn't help😁
Back to your question.
There are boxes around, but I don't think the standard quality was great to begin with or to be kept, most seem for ladies/dresswatches that survived.
The red box looks like such a box to me for a ladies watch or a dress example.
Second one. I have seen this with a DS watch model as from your profile picture before, it matches the advertising campaign from the 1960's. I'd say the advertising line in itself makes it a cool box.
In blue, other version:

For the DS-2's I've seen a box with a wood pattern that looks more early seventies that's nice here's an example:

Have a look at tradera, etsy, catawiki and chrono as sometimes I see boxes come-up for sale, but I don't need them;-)

In short I have not got a consistent answer, others might, but it reminded me of the topic and a good excuse to post my Certina 288:

Thanks for your answer. I asked aroud and it semms you're right. The wooden one is for DS 2 and this one is for DS
Only 140€ on ebay lol

Capture d’écran 2025-01-20 à 21.37.49.webp

Frenchdude87 · Feb 11, 2025

My Certina DS-2 Endgame. My two mini-grails

Of course I could only share this personnal certina fact on this threar ^^

Tbh the Certina DS-2 was the watch that truly got me into vintage collecting about four years ago. Since then, I’ve bought and sold dozens – maybe even 20 or 30 of them. It’s the perfect vintage watch to start a collection: affordable, robust, and stunning, with an incredible variety of dials and colors.

This watch also taught me a humbling lesson about how easy it can be to buy and sell when the market is right. The DS-2 is a gateway into the vintage world, and I’ve especially been fascinated by its dials ever since. I’ve counted at least 50 variations, with particularly impressive shades of blue and green—each with five to seven distinct tones and finishes, maybe more. Also some very rare bull's eye dial.

Over the years, I was kinda obsessed with the DS 2 and I’ve hunted for the most beautiful and rarest dials I could find. And today, I believe (or at least I hope) that my DS-2 journey has come to an end. I’ve finally found the two colors I consider the most stunning, and of course in the best condition possible. Tbh I've rarely seen any dial as beautiful in other brands in general

ll it comes down to :
• A dark green fumé dial
• A deep petroleum blue dial

Both feature a sunburst finish, vertically brushed, slightly darker towards the edges, shifting endlessly with the light. It’s nearly impossible to do them justice in photos. The ones I’m sharing were taken indoors under artificial light, so they don’t capture their full magic.

With these two “mini grails,” I feel like my DS-2 hunt is complete. I’m even selling off the last few DS2 from my collection to put a dramatic conclusion to this hunt lol

That said, my overall Certina hunt is far from over. I still love a good DS and would love to own a ph200m in good condition (to me the nicest looking diver ever), and a black dial argonaut chrono is also somethong ! But when it comes to DS-2s, I think I’m finally at peace with these two pieces—both on the classic Certina Jubilee 6025 bracelet. Over the 6/7 watches I own, I guess the DS2s get at least 40 to 50% wrist time.

P.S. I have to admit a slight preference for the petroleum blue one. It just goes with everything, and on top of that, the case is completely unpolished, nearly NOS, which adds to its charm ^^

Here are some photos

TimeODanaos · Feb 11, 2025

Really well done, @Frenchdude87 ! Those two are just beautiful: WIGH.
The only trouble is, they so clearly outshine your red dial version, and you really should move that one on now. My friend Mr Dibs and I could help if you needed...

Frenchdude87 · Feb 12, 2025

TimeODanaos
Really well done, @Frenchdude87 ! Those two are just beautiful: WIGH.
The only trouble is, they so clearly outshine your red dial version, and you really should move that one on now. My friend Mr Dibs and I could help if you needed...

😂