Certina

Brothers Adolf and Alfred Kurth opened a movement and supplies factory in Grenchen, Switzerland in 1888. Complete watches first appeared in 1906 under the brand name Grana, short for Granacus, the Latin name for Grenchen. The name Certina, from the Latin certus meaning certain, was registered in 1924 and appeared increasingly on timepieces through the 1930s. By 1938 the company had 250 employees; by 1955 it reached 500 employees producing 1,000 watches daily. In 1959, Hans and Edwin Kurth developed the DS (Double Security) concept, suspending the movement inside a reinforced case. DS watches proved their durability during the 1960 first ascent of Dhaulagiri (8,167 m). The company participated in underwater research including Sealab II (1965) and Tektite (1969). In 1971, Certina introduced the Biostar - the first watch displaying biorhythms - and joined ASUAG's General Watch Co. By 1972, the company employed 900 people producing 600,000 watches annually. Certina became part of the SMH Group in 1983 (later Swatch Group) and relocated headquarters from Grenchen to Le Locle in 2003.