Vintage Certina watches.
Certina is a Swiss house founded in 1888, best known for its robust DS concept, which set a new standard for durability and water resistance. Its vintage automatics combine everyday toughness with clean Swiss design, and offer excellent value on the pre-owned market.
Frequently asked questions
What does DS mean on a Certina?
DS stands for Double Security, a Certina construction introduced in 1959 that reinforces the case and seals for greater shock and water resistance. DS models often carry a small turtle emblem.
Are vintage Certina watches good value?
Yes. They offer robust, dependable Swiss automatic watchmaking at prices below the better-known names, which makes them a rewarding choice for collectors.
Do your Certina watches come with a warranty?
Every watch is inspected before listing and covered by our 14-day returns.
Do you sell second hand Certina watches?
Yes. Every Certina watch we sell is second hand, and we use "pre-owned" and "vintage" to mean the same thing: someone owned the watch before you. The words differ only in age. Pre-owned and second hand say nothing about when a watch was made, while vintage conventionally means roughly thirty years or older. Our Certina stock spans both, and every listing states the year where we can confirm it from the caseback, papers or movement, and says so plainly where we cannot.
Are old Certina watches worth buying?
An old Certina in honest condition is usually better value than a new fashion watch at the same money, because the depreciation has already happened and you are buying a watch that has proved it lasts. What matters is the individual piece rather than the age: an original dial, a case that has not been over-polished, and a movement that has been serviced or is priced to allow for it. We inspect and test every Certina watch in London and describe wear in plain English rather than cropping it out of the photographs.
What makes a Certina watch a classic?
A classic watch is one whose design has stopped dating, and the test is simply time: a shape that looked right thirty years ago and still looks right now. In practice that means restraint, a legible dial, proportions that suit a wrist rather than a trend, and a case shape that was not chasing the fashion of its decade. The classic Certina designs are the ones that keep reappearing in our stock precisely because people kept them and wore them, which is the most honest evidence a design has lasted.
What is the difference between a vintage and an antique Certina watch?
Antique conventionally means a hundred years or older, and vintage roughly thirty years or older, so almost everything described as an antique wristwatch is really a vintage one. Wristwatches only became common after the First World War, which is why genuine antique examples are mostly pocket watches. Our Certina collection is vintage and pre-owned rather than antique, and each listing gives the year or era we have been able to confirm.
