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Crystal

DS thickened crystal

Probable

Part of the DS specification rather than an incidental choice: a crystal materially thicker than the period norm, contributing to both shock and water resistance. Measurable, which makes it one of the few specification claims in this catalog an examiner can check with a gauge.

Part reference

Brand
Certina
Material
Thickened acrylic on period examples; sapphire on modern production
Introduced
1959

Documented variations

Classification

FactoryDocumented as shipped from the factory for this reference and period.PeriodNot original to this watch, but correct for its production period.ServiceFitted by the manufacturer's own service network. Not a defect.AftermarketThird-party part. Affects originality, not authenticity.ModifiedGenuine parts in a configuration the factory did not sell. Affects originality and value, not authenticity.CounterfeitDeceptive reproduction intended to pass as genuine.UnknownEvidence on file does not settle the question.

  • Thick crystal consistent with the DS specification

    FactoryProbable

    Whole production

    Noticeably thicker in section than an ordinary crystal of the period, and visible as such from the side.

  • Generic thin replacement crystal

    ServiceProbable

    Whole production

    A common and understandable repair — generic acrylic crystals are cheap and available where the correct thick part is not. The watch is intact and has lost part of the specification its caseback claims. A service finding, and one worth recording precisely because it silently contradicts the turtle.

Documented on these references

Provenance of this record

Sources & Evidence

Secondary sourceCollector research

Certina collector research on the DS lines, the turtle emblem and vintage references

Specialist Certina collector resources and communities

Accessed
2026-08-19

Cited for

This referenceProbable

Last verified: Not yet reviewed