Wristwatches · Wristwatch
Certina Mayfair Date, Lady's Dress Watch, Fumé Blue Dial, circa 1970s
- Maker / attribution
- Certina (maker)
- Date
- c. 1970s
- Historical period
- Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Wristwatch
- Stock no.
- vws4143
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, Vintage Watch Specialist (vws4143)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Certina Mayfair Date - Lady's Dress Watch - Fumé Blue Dial - c.1970s (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by Vintage Watch Specialist (dealer), United Kingdom (stock number vws4143), this is a wristwatch by Certina, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1970s. The Atlas places it in the Quartz Revolution period (1969 – 1990) of its Wristwatches collection. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — Vintage Watch Specialist
A charming 1970s Lady's Certina Mayfair with a fumé blue dial and stainless steel cushion case Certina was founded in 1888 in Grenchen, Switzerland, and built its reputation on precision, durability, and innovation. The brand became especially known for its robust sports watches, introducing its “DS” (Double Security) concept in the late 1950s to improve shock and water resistance. Certina watches were used in demanding environments, from mountaineering to underwater exploration. Today, the brand remains respected for producing reliable, well-engineered timepieces with a strong heritage in tool watches. What's on Offer A stylish 1970s Certina Mayfair that may be modest in size, but more than makes up for it with charm and character. Perfectly suited to a more slender wrist, it wears with a quiet confidence that’s often lost in larger pieces. The cushion-shaped case gives it a soft, sculptural presence, while the dial is the real highlight—a beautiful blue with a subtle fumé-style gradient, gently darkening towards the edges and shifting in tone depending on the light. Slim baton markers and a neat date window keep things clean and practical. There are light signs of wear, entirely in keeping with its age, but it remains a very presentable and honest example. Powered by an automatic movement and fitted to a brown leather strap, this is an easy, wearable vintage piece with genuine appeal.
Historical context
Quartz Revolution (1969 – 1990)
Seiko's Astron begins mass quartz timekeeping; traditional industries contract sharply.
Quartz and digital watches transformed the market after 1969. Swiss employment collapsed, Japanese and Hong Kong production soared, and the Swatch (1983) helped the Swiss industry recover; mechanical watches survived as luxury goods.
Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Modern Mechanical Horology
Atlas type guide
Wristwatches
Bracelet watches were worn by women from the early nineteenth century — Breguet made one for Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples, in 1810–12 — but the wristwatch only became a man's instrument with military use and aviation in the early twentieth century. Between the World Wars it overtook the pocket watch; the 1920s and 1930s brought rectangular Art Deco cases, water-resistant cases and the first automatic winding systems.
After 1945 the wristwatch became a carrier of identity — dress watches, sports and dive watches, chronographs, calendars — produced by Swiss, American, Japanese, German, Soviet and Chinese industries. The quartz revolution after 1969 and the mechanical renaissance since the 1990s, including the rise of independent watchmakers, complete the story.
What to look for
- The reference number (between the lugs or inside the case back) and serial number, the starting point for dating.
- The calibre: its maker and number are often stamped under the dial or on the bridge.
- Originality of dial, hands and crown — refinished ('redial') dials are common.
- Case material marks: 18K/750, 14K/585, stainless steel, gold-filled, plated.
Dating clues
- Wire-lug cases: before c. 1925.
- Water-resistant screw-down cases: from 1926.
- Quartz movements: from 1969; sapphire crystals widespread after c. 1980.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Related records
Wristwatches · 1900–1999
Wristwatch by Certina, Switzerland, 1900–1999
Nordic Museum Foundation
Wristwatches · originally sold in December 2025 (per the lot record)
Certina DS-2 Chronograph Automatic, ref. C024.462.18.041.00, originally sold in December 2025
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · originally sold in January 2026 (per the lot record)
Certina DS Super PH 500m, ref. C037.407.18.050.00, originally sold in January 2026
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · c. 1965-1970
Certina wristwatch, ref. 5801, Ds, circa 1965-1970
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva
Wristwatches · 1970
Wristwatch by Heno, Switzerland, 1970
Museum Rotterdam
Wristwatches · 1960–1986
'Tri-Compax' calendar chronograph wristwatch in gold case, by Universal, Geneva, Switzerland, 1960–1986.
Science Museum Group, London
Wristwatches · 1969–1970
Beta 21 Quartz wristwatch movement, made in Switzerland, 1970.
Science Museum Group, London
Wristwatches · c. 1969
Omega Speedmaster Moonwatch, ref. 145022-69st, c. 1969
Antiquorum auction archive, Geneva