Certina 288 Automatic “Certidate”
€895
DESCRIPTION
Certina is one of the most underrated brands in the vintage watch market. Despite being lesser known, the build quality can easily be compared with Omega, Longines and Zenith from the same era. In 1971, Certina introduced a new collection of watches with increased beat rate of 28.800 A/h (“Alternance per hour”), since the common belief was the a higher frequency would improve accuracy. To cope with the greater forces, the centre wheel was designed with a ball bearing with balls of just 0,3mm. This is one of the very few movement which uses a ball bearing for the centre wheel. However, as soon as the 288 models were launched, the Quartz crisis commenced and these movement became obsolete rather quickly, since everyone was convinced that Quartz was the future of watchmaking. Due to the quartz crisis, demand was low and the 288 models are quite rare and it is hard to find examples in well preserved condition.
The watch comes from the unsold stock of a former Certina retailer in Germany. We are pleased to offer such a historically interesting timepiece in this amazing, very well preserved condition. Although a brand new Rios Shell Cordovan strap has been fitted to the watch, the watch is complete with the original strap and labels. You won’t be able to come any closer than time travelling to the 1970’s and purchasing a brand new watch.
CONDITION
The watch is truly in New Old Stock condition. The case in in very good condition and has some scratches, which is not that uncommon since new old stock watches have been stored for decades and this wasn’t always done in the most optimal conditions. The dial is in excellent condition with no signs of aging. The hands are in very good condition. The movement has been fully serviced, which means the movement has been completely dissembled and all parts have been cleaned and checked for wear. After cleaning, the movement has been assembled, lubricated and adjustments were made to ensure proper functioning and accuracy.
| Brand | Certina |
|---|---|
| Model | 288 Automatic "Certidate" |
| Reference | 5806 810 |
| Year (approx.) | 1971 |
| Material | Yellow gold filled |
| Diameter | 36x40mm (without crown) |
| Crystal | Sapphire crystal |
| Lume | Tritium |
| Caliber | Certina cal. 25-681 (automatic) |
| Bracelet/Strap | Rios Shell Cordovan + original strap |
| Lug Width | 18mm |
| Box/Papers | watch only |
All watches are covered with a 12 month warranty from the date of purchase. This warranty includes the proper timekeeping of the watch the proper functioning of any complication the watch may has. For vintages wristwatches, the accuracy can generally be expected to be within 1 minute a day. For antique pocket watches, the accuracy can generally be expected to be within 1-2 minutes a day. Please note that we never guarantee any kind of water resistance for any watch we sell.
We understand that you want to enjoy your new watch without worries about the technical condition in the years to come. Every mechanical watch is a highly complicated and precisely made mechanism composed of many small and precisely interacting parts. In many cases, signs of wear or damage to these parts is not visible from the outside. To ensure optimal quality, all watches are fully serviced by a specialised and experienced watchmaker before being offered for sale. The movement is fully disassembled and all parts are cleaned and checked for wear and damage. After cleaning, the movement is reassembled and lubricated with various types of oils and greases. During assembly, adjustments are made to ensure proper functioning and accuracy. The case and bracelet are ultrasonically cleaned and the crystal is either polished of replaced. After assembly, all functions are tested and the watch is ready for many years of reliable service.
Our warranty voids completely when a third party opens or attempts to repair the watch. Please note that the following is also excluded from our warranty: damage caused by moisture and dirt outside or inside the watch, damage caused by impacts, such as dropping and knocking, or any external impact on the watch, damage caused by abuse, carelessness or ignorant handling and breaking, loss of or damage to crown, buttons, pushers, bezels, strap or bracelet and other case parts.