Service: Certina Kim 23-36

A beautiful, simple and understated watch. This Certina has the 23-36 movement, which is a simple, but beautiful little runner.IMG_6429Β Some of the luminous compound has come off the hands, and it needs a service. Joris from the Netherlands sent this in.

IMG_6431

Very nicely finished and a clean design on top of that.IMG_6433

A polished bottom plate – I like this a lot.IMG_6440

I like the finishes throughout.IMG_6441 IMG_6445

All ready for the cleaning machine. The mainspring is still fine, so I will leave that in.IMG_6447

Coming back together, and looking great.IMG_6448

I just love the simplicity and great finishes.IMG_6453

Bottom plate ready for the dial.IMG_6721

And look at that. Amazing looks, amazing performance!IMG_6722

John from obsoletewatchandclockparts.com re-lumed the hands on this one, and he did a great job!IMG_6723

Wow. Simply wow.

9 thoughts on “Service: Certina Kim 23-36

  1. Googling Certina Kim watches I came across this blog.

    My interest stems from finding that very same model that belonged to my father-in-law stashed away in a trunk in my wife’s parents house in the Faroe Islands.

    Her parents are long gone and we have owned the house for the past twenty years and, although I have seen the watch before, never showed any interest until now when the time has come to sell and clear the house.

    A quick wind to see if still functioned and sure enough it has been ticking away all day so it appears these were made of stern stuff.

    This has an expanding metal strap but I’ve no idea of the particular model apart from the name Kim and the numbers 4101 140 followed by 7010181 on the back.

    Can’t tell if the hands are blue but they are certainly the same as those pictured above with the luminescent still in place on the hands.

    Any further info appreciated but it seems the watch has a new lease of life.

  2. @ Peter:
    – I have not received the watch back yet, so can’t measure it, but the guy who sold it to me had measured it at 32mm. The lug width is 16mm, and overall it just felt and looked too small on my wrist.
    – I haven’t a clue why the model is called KIM, and would appreciate it very much if anyone would be able to tell me that.

    @Cirrus:
    While I had seen Certinas before, I did not know anything about them when I bought this one. I just fell in love with it, and at €40 I thought it would be a goog gamble. The seller had told me the watch ran, but was a bit slow. When I received it however, the watch had stopped completely. I contacted the seller, and he very gracefully paid me back €15, so the selling price came to €25. Together with the costs of cleaning and reluming I still consider it a good buy. I can only hope my girlfriend will appreciate it as well πŸ˜‰

    @Scott
    The blued hands were an added bonus, as the seller’s photographs did not reveal that. They seemed an odd sort of anthracite grey/black, which would have been ok as well. But this is much nicer πŸ™‚

    I have bought a blue Hirsch Camelgrain strap (see http://www.hirschag.com/en/hirsch-bracelet-assortment/camelgrain-2/) for it, which I’ hoping will complement the hands in an understated way.

  3. I like the look of it! Now two questions if I may:
    a) Joris (or anyone) – you said it was small – how small? 33-34mm? Or … ? I tried to google it but found only similar, not this one.

    b) Why “KIM”? πŸ™‚

    • I first came across the name Certina in one of Chris Bonington’s books; either Annapurna South Face (1971) or Everest South West Face (1973), when I read them in the 1980’s: Certina supplied the watches for the expedition. I didn’t see them in the shops until quite recently.

      I saw a very nice divers model in El Corte Ingles in Jerez; so tempted!

  4. That’s a bonny watch, which if available today, would come with a glass case-back to view that movement. I like the blued hands, and the no nonsense simple dial: so easy to tell the time.

  5. I bought the watch because I fell in love with the clean and understated dial. It’s nice to see that the movement is just as lovely executed.

    I had hoped I would find the watch large enough to wear it myself, but when I received it (before sending it in to Christian), I decided it would look better on my girlfriend. So I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the watch will be back in time for Christmas…

    Thanks again Christian for your services \o/

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