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Quartz watches have always been far more accurate than mechanical models. Even so, this market segment shows considerable differences between inexpensive mass-produced pieces and high-quality quartz movements with above-average precision. One example of the latter is Certina's Precidrive line, which we introduce to our readers in this article.
From Grana to Certina: How a Swiss Watchmaker Became a Global Brand
What do companies as different as Ford, Harley-Davidson, Walt Disney, Delta Airlines, Apple and Google have in common? All of them started out as so-called "garage companies" on their founders' private premises and have since grown into brands known around the world. In a sense, the Swiss luxury watch brand Certina belongs in this category as well – even though garages were hardly a thing in its founding year of 1888. After all, only two years had passed since Carl Benz had presented his three-wheeled "Benz Patent-Motorwagen Nr. 1" to the public, widely regarded as the first modern, series-produced automobile with an internal combustion engine.
Yet – much like the founders of those garage companies – brothers Adolf and Alfred Kurth also began making watches on a very modest scale. They set up a small workshop in an annex of their parents' house in Grenchen, where they worked alongside three employees. The quality of their watches soon won over a steadily growing number of customers and earned them several awards. In 1906, the Kurths began using a brand name of their own for their watches for the first time: Grana, derived from Granacus, the Latin name of present-day Grenchen.
It was not until the 1930s that more and more models bore the name still known today: Certina. Derived from "certus," the Latin word for "sure" or "certain," it was officially registered as a trademark in 1939 and finally became the sole brand name in 1949. Today, the brand and its products are known worldwide.
Certina's Recipe for Success: Quality, Precision, Security and Sportiness
Certina's successful growth from a small Grenchen workshop into a globally active brand, which has since found its place under the umbrella of the Swatch Group, owes a great deal to its consistent positioning.
Most watch connoisseurs will instinctively associate this brand with sporty quality watches, valued by their owners as much for their high accuracy as for their rugged durability and reliability.
Over the past sixty years, Certina's DS system in particular has contributed to this reputation. DS stands for Double Security, signaling that these watches are so exceptionally robust that they lose none of their accuracy or functionality even under heavy stress.
All Double Security models feature a reinforced case, special gaskets at the caseback, crown and stem, and a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. Thanks to these features, they are not only highly shock-resistant but also water-resistant to a pressure of at least 20 bar, or a depth of 200 meters.
This concept, proven many times over, has set the benchmark for numerous collections from other manufacturers, so that today the luxury segment also includes many watches from other brands with broadly similar properties.
In 1959, when Certina presented its first watch based on the DS concept, quartz technology was not yet available for wristwatches.
The first Double Security models were therefore mechanical or automatic watches. Today, however, quartz watches built on the DS concept are also available – most notably the especially accurate Precidrive models.
Eight to Ten Times More Accurate Than Conventional Quartz Watches
The name Precidrive stands for an innovative technology that delivers exceptionally high accuracy. Precidrive quartz calibers are eight to ten times more precise than other quartz movements. Their maximum deviation is plus or minus 10 seconds – per year.
This means they easily meet the standards of the official Swiss chronometer testing institute (Contrôle Officiel Suisse des Chronomètres, or COSC) and thus qualify for a COSC chronometer certificate.
Incidentally, every buyer of a Precidrive watch can enter a number code from their chronometer certificate on the manufacturer's website and view online the results their watch achieved during chronometer testing.
This testing takes a total of 15 days and includes a series of accuracy tests at various temperatures and in different positions. On Certina's Precidrive models, the COSC certificate is not just a prestigious seal of quality but also brings the buyer a tangible benefit: for all its chronometers, the safety-minded brand offers an extended warranty of three years in total from the date of purchase.
Podium, Caimano & Co.: Precidrive Variety for Everyday Wear, Sport and Adventure
If you would like to wear a Certina Precidrive on your wrist, you can choose from a wide range of models.
The lineup ranges from striking chronographs with a sporty design to rugged dive watches, classic dress watches and elegant women's watches.
The Certina Quartz DS Action Precidrive from the Aqua collection is especially popular: on the one hand, it offers classic dive watch design and water resistance up to a pressure of 30 bar, or 300 meters; on the other, it has a distinctive design character of its own and comes in several color variants. With the Precidrive caliber, the manufacturer has once again significantly improved its already successful DS Action line, not only visually but also technically.
The DS Action is the perfect companion for almost any situation, looking just as good on land as underwater – and it is increasingly worn as a business watch at the office, too.
Understated dress watches include the DS 4 and the Caimano, both of which – like the DS Podium from the Sport collection – impress with clean, legible dials and display the current date in addition to hours, minutes and seconds.
The DS 2 Precidrive follows a similar concept but adds an individual splash of color. The seconds hands, the numerals of the minute track and, on models with a leather strap, the contrast stitching are available in yellow or green, for example; there is also a choice of dial colors and designs.
The Podium, the Precidrive DS 2 and the DS Action are all available as chronographs in addition to the three-hand version. Whether explicitly built for sport like the Action or more classic like the Caimano or the DS 4, the combination of the Double Security concept and the Precidrive caliber means wearers can always count on the high precision and robustness of these watches.
