Certina age determination 1938 to 1973 plus list of calibers
Certina case, movement and serial numbers
Some light in the number jungle
If you look at your vintage Certina watch from the back, you'll notice two numbers on the case back, especially if it dates from the 1950s to the mid-1970s and the case back hasn't been polished yet. These are the reference number and the serial number. However, there are also watches where the reference number is engraved inside the case and the serial number is engraved on the case back. You may have to open the watch to see both numbers. Often, the serial number is relatively faintly stamped and becomes difficult or no longer visible due to wear. Once you've identified the numbers, you can learn a lot about your treasure. Let's first look at the reference number:
There is evidence that there were three different systems of reference numbering, depending on the era.
Before 1958, a reference number looked like this: 8600-2. The first block represents the model and the last number represents the case material.
A reference number from the period 1958 to 1974 is also two-part, but consists of seven digits.
On the left you can see an example of a reference number from this period.
The first two digits indicate the caliber used. In this example, 87 stands for the Certina 29-064 (Valjoux 728). You can find the corresponding assignments in the "Caliber" and "Case Material" tables below. The second two digits represent the case material. Here, 01 stands for a steel case. The last three digits identify the corresponding model or case. In this case, the Chronolympic "Regatta" Chronograph. I haven't created a table for this yet.
From 1974 onwards, the reference number was composed as follows: 913.1301.41.
The first three digits represent the caliber used. The second block of four digits represents the model or case, and the last two digits represent the case material. I won't go into this system further here (for now), as my pages are less concerned with the period after 1974. If you need relevant information, you can find the complete list in the link below.
Please note that the following tables are still under construction and do not claim to be complete or correct.