Certina
workmanship, modern techniques and true sportsmanship. This philosophy led to the development of the DS (double security) concept, which has made Certina timepieces extremely robust since 1959. Certina can always be trusted as a reliable partner – whether on the wrists of exceptional sporting talents or as a dedicated partner of the Sea Turtle Conservancy. The watch brand is immortalized with the symbol of the turtle on every timepiece.
Certina DS Concept: A safe and reliable watch
The Certina principle of Double Security celebrated its premiere more than 60 years ago. Since 1959, the Swiss watch manufacturer has strived with its DS Concept to produce timepieces that are up to all challenges of life. And because life is constantly evolving, the demands on modern timepieces have also changed. To account for this change, the concept of Double Security has been gently updated over the years and adapted to the latest technical standards - its innovative power remains unbroken.
Certina's Double Security, which caused a stir as early as the late 1950s, has long since been elevated to standard – all Certina watches of the current collection proudly bear the abbreviation in their name.
Since its founding in 1888, Certina has been manufacturing high-quality Swiss watches
Count on me
For over 130 years, Certina has been dedicated to sophisticated Swiss watchmaking. It was in Grenchen in 1888 when the brothers Adolf and Alfred Kurth opened a high-quality watch factory - that was the beginning of a great story. A short time later, complete watches were also produced. From 1906, they were called «Grana», which goes back to «Granacus», the Latin name of Grenchen. Quality and robustness were already the decisive values for the two founders, who later also started producing their own movements and developed their first mechanical digital watch in 1936.
The company, which had shortly before been converted into a public limited company, made an important step forward in 1938 and now had 250 employees. The new brand name Certina was derived from the Latin word «certus», which means «safe, reliable». This illustrates the high standards placed on the watches produced under this name. The name change initiated the conquest of the international market. The opening of the first branch in Germany in 1948 is particularly characteristic of this.
The ingenuity of Erwin and Hans Kurth led to the development of the "Double Security" – DS – concept in 1959. The shock-resistant suspension of the movement, the reinforced case, as well as extra-thick Plexiglas and special gaskets in the crown, winding stem, and case back make the watches particularly robust – even under extreme conditions. Scientific and technological projects characterized the following years. Certina was actively involved in many experiments, demonstrating its technical know-how. The DS concept is always at the cutting edge of technology and will continue to improve in the future.
A legend on the wrist
In 1960, the Certina DS accompanied a Swiss expedition to the summit of Dhaulagiri (8,167 m above sea level), where the watch proved its high reliability in the face of temperature and altitude differences. In 1961, the Blue Ribbon was launched, the most robust watch in the world with an extremely flat automatic movement. From the depths of the ocean, Certina watches soared to dizzying heights when they accompanied a Japanese expedition to Mount Everest. During this expedition, Japanese skier Miura, wearing his DS-2 Chronolympic, overcame an altitude difference of 1,000 meters in one of the most daring ski descents of all time. In 1971, Certina introduced the Biostar, which displayed the human daily biorhythm. In 1976, the DS DiaMaster adorned the wrist of the famous American boxer Muhammad Ali.
Swatch Group – Innovative and successful
The introduction of quartz movements shook the world of the watch industry. In this time of economic crisis, companies had to be inventive and adaptable to survive in the market while maintaining their personnel and production capacities. Certina was one of these companies. As a member of ASUAG, CERTINA merged with SSIH and became one of the founding members of the SMH Group, Société Suisse de Micro-Électronique et d’Horlogerie, later the Swatch Group. From now on, Certina will represent the sports watches of the mid-price segment.
Certina watches proudly bear the "Swiss Made" seal, as true representatives of Swiss watchmaking. The brand's remarkable innovative strength remains unsurpassed in the 21st century: for example, with the launch of the high-precision Precidrive® quartz caliber and the automatic Powermatic 80 movement with an 80-hour power reserve. Or with the presentation of COSC-certified quartz chronometers, which have been setting new standards in many of the house's collections since 2017, as well as with the innovative NivachronTM hairspring, whose magnetic field resistance caused a stir at its premiere in 2019.
Certina products are affordable and offer excellent value for money. The company is proud to be in Switzerland – after all, the quality of Swiss watches is known all over the world. Certina traditionally holds a high status in Nordic and Central European countries. In addition to Europe, the Middle East, Russia, and China are now among its most important markets.
Certina and sport
For many decades, Certina has supported various racing series and gained many well-known sports personalities as friends. The Certina brand is traditionally interested in sustainability and is committed to the Sea Turtle Conservancy to protect sea turtles. The Certina brand is proud to support the environmental and sustainability goals of the STC and provides the public with exclusive insights into the migration of sea turtles with the online event "Tour de Turtles."
Excellent quality - from the very beginning
The DS concept had to prove its suitability as early as 1960, when the first model with the newly developed system, the Certina DS, accompanied an international expedition to the first ascent of the 8,167-meter-high Dhaulagiri in western Nepal. The watch mastered all hardships without problems, from strong temperature fluctuations to significant altitude and pressure differences. The incredible strength of the DS concept is also demonstrated in the greatest depths: the four scientists who lived in residential tanks for two months under NASA observation as part of the underwater experiment Tektite achieved top marks with the DS-2 Super PH 500 M models they wore. This once again proves that these models are perfectly suited for demanding underwater missions.
Doubly secure under the sign of the turtle
Today's and yesterday's Double Security is based on scratch-resistant sapphire crystal and a reinforced case back with a sophisticated sealing system. The watch has three O-ring gaskets, making it shock- and water-protected, and providing increased shock resistance and water resistance to at least 10 bar/100 meters.
The turtle shell was chosen by Certina as a symbol for DS watches as early as the 1960s, due to their astonishing robustness and durability. Even today, its characteristic silhouette can be found on almost every Certina timepiece and in the brand logo. Its appearance is a reminder of the extreme resistance that characterizes these watches. The turtle shell brand is closely associated with the wet element – whether through its involvement in underwater research projects in the past, its current partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy, or simply its love for the sea.
Certina is a brand that always causes a stir. It dedicates itself to all disciplines of modern timekeeping: ladies' and men's watches, quartz and mechanical models are represented in the collection and offer a lot of individuality – whether maritime, urban, sporty or with an authentic vintage character. They all share one claim: to offer quality and precision that you can always and everywhere rely on.
