This Watch

A beautiful and wonderfully understated early 1950s Certina wristwatch, featuring a large 36mm all-stainless-steel case, original silver dial and Certina's excellent in-house calibre 324 manual winding movement. A particularly elegant example from a manufacturer that we feel remains one of the most underrated names in vintage Swiss watchmaking.

Dating to the early 1950s, this Certina is a lovely example of classic post-war Swiss watch design. The first thing worth mentioning is the case size. At 36mm, this was a genuinely oversized gentleman's wristwatch for the period, when the majority of Swiss dress watches were considerably smaller, typically measuring around 32–34mm. Finding an original, all-stainless-steel example of this size, especially with a proper screw-back case, is far less common than you might imagine.

The beautifully proportioned case features a polished bezel and elegant, sweeping lugs that flow naturally from the case sides. It has a lovely solid appearance without being bulky, and the overall condition is particularly impressive for a watch now over 70 years old.

The original silver/ivory dial is simply gorgeous. It features a particularly attractive combination of applied Arabic numerals at the even hours and gold-toned pointed hour markers between them. The original gold-toned dauphine-style hands, with their contrasting light-coloured inserts, add a touch of refinement, while the slender red centre seconds hand provides a lovely splash of colour against the otherwise restrained dial.

Notice also the gentle natural ageing to the dial, which has developed just a little character without losing its wonderfully clean appearance. Everything remains nicely balanced, with the simple Certina signature beneath 12 o'clock and a fine outer minute track completing the design.

Inside is Certina's calibre 324, a high-quality, manually wound, 16-jewel Swiss movement manufactured by Certina's own watchmaking operation, Kurth Frères. These were proper, well-engineered movements, produced during a period when Certina was building a reputation for quality, precision and reliability.

We've paired the watch with a lovely watchGecko deep teal-blue leather strap with contrasting stitching and a warm tan underside. The combination works particularly well with the silver dial and polished steel case, giving this classic 1950s wristwatch a surprisingly contemporary appearance.

Certina was founded in 1888 by Adolf and Alfred Kurth in Grenchen Switzerland. Here they made movements and supplies for the watch industry. Shortly afterwards they started making their own watches and grew their workforce from 3 to 250 in 1938 when they celebrated their 50th Anniversary. By 1955 they had 500 employees and were producing 1000 watches a day. This expansion continued in 1971 when they were producing 600,000 watches every year with a workforce of 900. In 1983 Certina became a member of the Swatch group which they continue to this day

The watch comes fully serviced by our on-site workshop and with our 12 months, non-waterproof service cover.

What we think

We have always had a soft spot for Certina. It is one of those manufacturers that perhaps doesn't have the immediate recognition of Omega, Longines or some of the more celebrated Swiss brands, yet the quality of its vintage watches can be every bit as impressive.

This particular example really does tick an awful lot of boxes.

Firstly, the size. Finding an attractive 36mm stainless steel wristwatch from the early 1950s isn't easy, and this one has lovely proportions. The elongated lugs make it particularly comfortable and give the watch a little more presence on the wrist.

Secondly, the originality and condition. The dial, hands and case have survived remarkably well, retaining that lovely honest appearance we always look for in a vintage watch. The combination of the warm gold-toned furniture, silver dial and contrasting red seconds hand is especially attractive.

And finally, the simplicity. No unnecessary complications, no excessive dial printing, just an exceptionally well-designed Swiss wristwatch with a proper in-house mechanical movement.

Sometimes the simplest watches are the most attractive, and this is certainly one of them. A beautiful, understated and rather uncommon oversized Certina that offers an enormous amount of vintage character and quality.

A lovely example from a genuinely underrated Swiss manufacturer, and one we feel is particularly deserving of a little more attention!

Spec Stuff