Certina Argonaut 280

Why We Love It

This watch has a chiseled case that is characterized by a mix of brushed and polished finishes and makes for quite the miniature sculpture. Even more compelling is the combination of silver hour markers, patinated yellow plots, matte white dial, the striking blue logo and second hand. This watch is equal parts robust and beautiful, a mixture other watch designs can only hope to aspire too.

About the Brand

The Kurth brothers founded and operated their watch brand in 1888 originally under the name ‘Grana’ until 1939 when the name finally changed to Certina. They have always had a distinct aesthetic and have been reputed for their reliability and solid build (hence their mounting popularity with collectors). Throughout history the company had a number of firsts in the watch world that gave the brand some serious prestige and credibility including offering some of the first wristwatches ever, the invention of scratch-proof materials, and the world’s first watch that displayed human biorhythms all the while implementing compelling color-ways across their offerings. In the 1970s, Certina started making watches with their own in-house automatic movements In Biel/Bienne. Today, the company continues to make timepieces with the same exceptional qualities, design attributes, and performance.

Brand: Certina

Year: 1970s

Country of Origin: Switzerland

Material: Stainless steel

Dial: Matte finish with steel hour markers and patinated lume plots

Case Dimensions: 27.5mm W x 33mm H

Case Thickness: 10mm

Lug Width: 14mm

Movement: Certina in-house automatic movement

Features: Date complication, blue second-hand, pencil-style hour and minute hands, signed crown

Box / Papers / Accessories: No

Condition: This watch is in fantastic condition. There are no blemishes, marks, deteriorations, etc. on the dial. The case has been well preserved. The case back has some minor scratches typical with regular use. Having been recently serviced, the automatic movement’s timekeeping abilities are accurate and consistent with regular wear.