Certina Kurth Freres watches: Age determination by serial number
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Typical assignment (rule of thumb)
| Serial number (approx.) | Year of production |
|---|---|
| under 1 million | before 1940 |
| 1–2 million | early 1940s |
| 2–3 million | late 1940s |
| 3–4 million | early 1950s |
| 4–5 million | mid-1950s |
| 5–6 million | late 1950s |
| 6–7 million | early 1960s |
| 7–8 million | mid-1960s |
| 8–9 million | late 1960s |
| from ~10 million | 1970s |
This is the production year of the factory, not necessarily the sales year.
From the 1970s onwards, the dating becomes less precise.
Typical time periods (rules of thumb)
| epoch | Notes |
|---|---|
| 1974–1982 | Very early digital watches, often collector's items |
| 1983–1990 | First G-Shocks, early classics |
| 1990–2000 | F-91W, A168, widespread mass production |
| 2000–2010 | Edifice, Pro Trek, modern modules |
| 2010–present | Smart features, solar power, Bluetooth |
Certina was founded in Grenchen in 1888 by Adolf Kurth (Adolphe) (1863-1897) , though at that time it was not yet known as Certina. When his brother Alfred Kurth (1865-1937) joined the company, the name was changed, and it initially operated as Kurth Frères SA. In 1906, the two brothers chose to rename their company. The watches bear the name "Grana," a shortened form of "Granacus," the Latin name for Grenchen. The first wristwatches appear on the market—mostly for women, as men still rejected wristwatches at that time. During this period, the company is also a member of the Union Horlogère . In 1926, Erwin Kurth , a watch specialist and later director, joins the company. In 1929, the same occurs with Hans Kurth (1908–1999), who had completed a banking apprenticeship; both were sons of Alfred Kurth. In 1929, the brothers Hans and Erwin Kurth develop the company into a large enterprise, eventually employing 880 people.
In 1938, the Grana watch factory, with its 250 employees, celebrated its 50th anniversary. Searching for a new brand name, they chose "Certina," derived from the Latin "certus" (certain, sure). This name, easily pronounceable in most languages, enhanced the company's image, and the brand began expanding beyond its home country. By 1948 , its 60th anniversary, the company had 350 employees and opened its first international branch in Germany. In 1959, Hans and Erwin Kurth developed the groundbreaking DS (Double Security) concept, in which the The movement is enclosed in a kind of highly stable safe. Automatic watches at that time could withstand drops from 1.8 to 2.2 meters. The new Certina DS model series can withstand 6 meters, and at the same time, the water resistance increases to 20 atm (200 meters), placing these watches at the forefront of the market.
In 1960, a Swiss expedition equipped with the Certina DS successfully achieved the first ascent of the 8,222-meter-high Dhaulagiri in the Himalayas. The "Blue Ribbon" model, featuring a particularly slim automatic movement, was launched in 1961 ; its name refers to the Blue Ribbon award given to the steamships Queen Mary, Normandie, and United States as the fastest ships on the transatlantic route between Europe and New York.
The Certina Biostar was launched in 1971 ; it was the world's first Clock with a display of biorhythms.
In 1972, Certina was awarded the "International Diamonds Award" and the "Golden Rose" as the manufacturer with the greatest innovative strength. At that time, the company, with 900 employees, produced 375,000 watch components per day, using 53,000 rubies. Annual production amounted to 600,000 watches.
In 1979 , 20 years after its release, sales of the Certina DS exceeded one million.
In 1983, Certina joined the SMH Group, which had been formed from a merger of ASUAG and SSIH and, after the acquisition of numerous other watch manufacturers, is now known as the Swatch Group . Within this largest watchmaking group in the world, Certina is positioned as a specialist in sports watches. The brand is now involved as a sports sponsor, particularly in motorsports, especially motorcycle championships and the BMW Sauber Formula 1 team. Hans Kurth was the last chairman of the board of directors from the Kurth family.
Source: WatchWiki, AI
