Hi
@hejsam , this my current position on the issue:
1) Although rare, I have seen several non-date examples over the years, and it would be difficult to explain why multiple diver bezels may have been lost entirely. Damaged, perhaps, but lost completely? Extremely unlikely, in my view.
2) While it is true that a high percentage of DS from this period included a date function, the diving bezel version of the subject dial was also produced without a date function, as was the absolute lowest production variant of all – the Amagnetic. So, why would Certina have decided to only make the 5801-112 (date version of this special dial), but not the 5601-112 (non-date version)? It makes no sense to me at all.
3) Based on pictures I've seen, the top of the case on the 5801-112 appears to be identical to the top of my case (non-dated version).
4) The reference number of mine is 5601-112. So either non-date versions were made and housed in the reference 5601-112 case, or the dial (with or without movement) must have been transplanted from a 5601-113 to a 112 case, a possibility that I find very difficult to believe. Even if an original diver's bezel was damaged, why transplant the dial and movement to another case reference?
Based on the above points, and Occam's razor, I conclude that there were both date and non-date versions produced. And with with all due respect to
@Fadershan I see no compelling evidence to the contrary.
Cheers!
These are the discussions which bring a thread further and create an added value!
Therefore, I would like to share my thoughts as well.
I share many of the observations and opinions of
@Tony C. and
@Fadershan .
Both derivations could be correct. However, it might also be possible that the watch was never produced except in the diver version.
I think everyone has to make up his own mind.
My personal thoughts are the following.
What speaks for the fact that the watch was produced by Certina in this way as a normal one.
(Withdate - 5801 112)
In the meantime, a lot of normal watches with this dial and date have appeared. From therefore this could be an indication that the watch was produced like this.
(Withdate and nodate 5801 112/5601 112)
Certina used to think in dial types. There were always four different types which were produced in different versions and were on the market for a certain time (the special dials which were tested in small series on the market are another story which I do not explain now).
So, it would be possible that this dial was used in a normal watch
and in a Diver (as also happened with the first diver watch from the DS line).
In the 1960s, watches with date were much more popular than those without. And yet Certina has always produced some of the models without date.
What speaks against the watch being original.
(Withdate and nodate 5801 112/5601 112)
currently, there is no advertising brochure or other pictorial or written evidence that I know of that the watch came on the market like this (and I have seen a lot of material).
(nodate - 5601 112)
The number of known watches is very small.
As I said, the demand for nodate was very low and it is possible that it was abandoned (the low interest is also shown in the diving watches where probably 1 nodate comes to 20 with date).
I know of at least two old Certina watchmakers, which have saved at the sinking of the old Certina (early 80s) enormous amount of material from destruction. In the following years, this material was used to create an incredible number of watches which were then put on the market. In the end, even parts were assembled which did not belong together (sometimes such a Frankencertina still appears in the www).
In the past years, I have seen a lot of replacement dials for this diving watch (mostly from the same sources). It's possible that many of them were used for watches before...
So, now everyone has to decide for himself what he thinks of these models…
But one thing is for sure. they all have one thing in common - they are beautiful!