Certina History:
The company that is now known as Certina S.A. was
founded in 1888 by Adolf and Alfred Kurth. They originally opened in Grenchen as
a movement supply factory for the watchmaking industry, and began with only five
employees. In this idyllic spot at the
foot of the Jura mountains between Solothurn and Biel, the brothers and their
three employees worked in an annex to the family home. Within a short time, success
allows various extensions to the workshop and new employees are taken on.
As business steadily increases, the brothers explore
the possibility of producing their own brand of watches, a dream that becomes
reality by 1906. Using the names "Grana",
short for "Granacus", the Latin name of Grenchen, the brothers
find business success in their line of watches.
The high-quality of their timepieces is immediately recognized and earns
the brothers awards and more importantly credibility. By the 1920s, Alfred
Kurth’s sons Erwin and Hans join the company and guide it through the difficult
time (pardon the pun) of the Great Depression.
While the Great Depression was difficult for Americans,
it was no better in Europe, and the Swiss, German and French watchmaking industry
suffered significantly. The Kurth brother’s
ability to procure and produce watch parts gave them security during this time,
and while the company was lean at the end of the period, they nonetheless persevered
and succeeded.
On the other side of the Great Depression, the Kurths
decided to attempt marketing campaigns to get their products noticed. It is during this time that they began using
the name “Certina” – from the Latin word "certus", which means “certain”
or “sure”. Early success of this name due
to its’ ease of pronunciation in any language pushed the company to use the
name on more models and throughout the 1930s the company increasingly uses the
brand name Certina. The brand was
officially registered in 1939 and after successfully surviving World War II, in
1949 Certina is chosen to be the main brand name.
Other marketing techniques led to different and
sometimes extremely unique watch styles.
For example, in 1936, the company developed the world’s first digital watch. Horologists, experimenting with different
display methods developed a spring-driven movement with rotating disks. These disks moved bearing inscribed numbers under
the dial to directly display the time, instead of using hands. These designs were later used by other
companies to make their own digital watches
Certina continued to expand and by 1955 the company
had 500 employees working between the factory and offices, producing 1,000
timepieces every day. Certina worked up a new business plan that expanded its
operations. In 1959, the company brings
out the first Certina watch with DS (Double Security) Concept. The Certina DS
is an extremely shock-resistant automatic watch with water resistance up to 20
bar (200 meters). This watch would set new standards for a whole generation of
wristwatches.
Timeline after the 1950s:
1961 The Certina DS accompanies an international
expedition on the first successful ascent of the 8,167-metre-high Dhaulagiri in
western Nepal. It overcomes all the challenges – from strong temperature
fluctuations to considerable height and pressure differences – with no problems
at all.
1965 The Certina DS takes part in the US Navy's Sealab
II underwater project, which involves scientists and divers working in a diving
station in different areas of marine research. The US Navy confirms that the
Certina DS is absolutely reliable under all conditions.
1969 The innovative DS-2 Super PH 500 M is part of the
Tektite underwater experiment, in which four scientists live in two underwater
residential tanks for two months under NASA observation. The Certina models
worn by the scientists achieved the very best scores.
1970 A
Japanese expedition to Mount Everest is accompanied by Certina watches, which
also stand up to these highly challenging conditions. During the expedition,
the Japanese skier Miura achieves one of the most daring ski runs of all time,
descending through 1,000 metres from an altitude of 8,000 metres, while wearing
a DS-2 Chronolympic.
1971 The Certina
Biostar is the first watch in the world to display a person's daily biorhythms.
At a glance it shows the wearer's physical, mental and emotional biorhythms.
1972 The
company increased workforce and employed 900 people producing over 600,000
watches per year.
1973 The Belgian rider
Roger de Coster wins the motocross world championships 500cc class for the
third time, proudly wearing his Certina DS 288.
1976 The ultra-robust
and scratch-resistant DS DiaMaster attracts attention everywhere – including on
the wrist of the famous American heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali.
1983 Certina joins the
newly founded SMH Group, which is led by the visionary entrepreneur and
watch-lover Nicolas G. Hayek. SMH becomes the world’s leading watch group, and
is renamed the Swatch Group Ltd. in 1999. Certina sport watches are in the
middle-price segment of the corporate group's range.
2002 Certina continues
to extend its involvement in motorsport, and can now be seen on the wrist of
the popular rallying world champion Colin McRae.
2004 The DS-3 1000m
recaptures the heritage of Certina’s famous diver's watches. This automatic
timepiece is water resistant to a record-breaking depth of 1,000 metres.
2005 As the official
sponsor of the Sauber Petronas team, Certina celebrates its debut in Formula 1,
a discipline to which it will remain loyal for many years. At the same time,
the brand is delighted at the 125cc class world title win by motorcyclist
Thomas Lüthi, whom it has sponsored since the beginning of his career. These
sporting successes are reflected in the launch of the DS Podium, whose sporty
design and precision make it one of the most popular and successful Certina
watch families to this day.
2013 On the occasion of
its 125th anniversary, Certina presents not only a completely new and fresh
corporate identity, but also three new watch movements. The Powermatic 80
automatic caliber is a highly precise movement with a power reserve of up to 80
hours, and the C01.21 makes a name for itself as an extremely reliable
chronograph; the innovative trio if rounded off by the Precidrive™ calibre,
representing a new generation of quartz watches whose precision is comparable
with that of chronometers
2015 Certina
is expanding its presence in motor rallying, as the official partner of
the Abu Dhabi Total World Rally Team, one of the most famous and most
successful teams in this sport. It is also entering into partnership with the
renowned ADAC GT Masters. As the official timekeeper in one of the most
exciting racing series in Europe, the brand is consolidating its reputation as
an authentic sport watch, which is at home at the world's major
motorsports events.