Category: CERTINA

June 12 2023

Certina Presents Its New DS Action Diver 43 Stealth

Certina, in addition to being one of the centuries-old Swiss watch brands with a long history, is also one of the most undervalued on the market, despite doing an excellent job offering excellent quality watches at very competitive prices.
The connection that the brand maintains with maritime life is a commitment assumed a long time ago, namely in the fight for the conservation of turtles and their habitats and it is in this sense that Certina is one of the specialist brands in the manufacture of diving watches, among which the DS model is found with numerous variants.

The latest addition to the Certina universe is the new DS Action Diver 43mm stealth. Enclosing a robust black PVD steel case measuring 43mm in diameter, 13.1mm thick and with a lug-to-lug distance of 51mm. On the outside, we can also find a unidirectional matte black ceramic bezel with a pip-lume at a 12-hour marker, sapphire glass front, screw-down crown and case back, the first with the brand’s signature protected by crown guards, and the second engraved with the silhouette of a turtle as is the tradition and 300m of water resistance.

On the lacquered black dial, hour markers and hands all filled with Super-LumiNova, a lollipop centre seconds hand, a date window at 3 o’clock and the inscriptions of the brand at 12 o’clock plus three lines and text on the opposite side at 6 o’clock.
Inside it comes equipped with the Caliber 80.611 automatic movement better known as the Powermatic 80, which reaches 21,600 Vph and offers up to 80 hours of power reserve.
The new DS Action is attached to a matching black nylon strap made from recycled material.

The watch is already available in the brand’s official boutiques and authorized retailers and can be purchased for €990.
We believe that our opinion on the quality of this watch was very clear in the introductory notes and therefore we can only say that despite its 43mm width, its full black colour makes it fit much smaller.

More information at www.certina.com.

General Specifications:

Brand: Certina

Model: DS Action Diver

Reference: C032.607.38.051.00

Dial: Black

Lume: Super-LumiNova

Case Material: Stainless steel

Case Dimensions: 43 mm Diameter, 13.1 mm Thickness

Crystal: Sapphire Glass

Case Back: Solid screw-down

Water Resistance: 300 Meters

Strap: Black fabric strap

Calibre: POWERMATIC 80.611

Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date, dive bezel

Winding: Automatic

Frequency: 21,600 vph

Jewels: 23

Power Reserve: 80 Hours

Price: € 990

Availability: Now

December 22 2021

Our Editors’ Choices Up To €2,000

MRSTATELESS CERTINA, DOXA, HAMILTON, LONGINES, NOMOS GLASHÜTTE 0

After yesterday we presented our editors’ first picks for different budgets, now it’s time to present their picks for a budget between €501 and €2,000. Although initially not implied, it was decided not to repeat brands, in order to maximize the range of available options.

Hamilton Khaki Field Murph Auto

As we know the Hamilton brand is probably the brand that more watches has placed in the seventh art and so it is not difficult sometimes to associate watches with certain films, Interstellar we hardly forget the scene where Matthew McConaughey in the role of “Cooper” gives to his daughter “Murphy” his Hamilton Khaki Field Murph before departing. The watch with a 42mm steel case comes with a black dial with Arabic hour markers and cathedral hands filled with Faustina-toned lume to accompany the accents on the dial, giving it a vintage look. Inside it comes equipped with the Caliber H-10 which offers an interesting 80 hours of power reserve and is offered with a black calf leather strap. Although it seems to me more consensual that the watch would be presented in a case between 38/40mm, I think that even so it is still a good option and that it complements well with my previous choice.

€ 910

Bruno Lopes.

Doxa SUB300T Professional

Doxa is one of those brands that you like it or not, almost like the ugly duckling, there are those who only see defects in it and then there are those who see enormous potential in it. Doxa is not exactly a first-timer on these journeys, with a huge history of proven diving watches, it was in 1967 through its SUB300T that this watch was chosen by Jacques Costeau to equip his crew, even preserving today the main lines of its retro design that sets it apart from the competition. After yesterday choosing the Baltic MR01 as my first option and having a dress watch connotation, it seems to me that the Doxa SUB300T with the traditional orange dial and rice beads bracelet is an inevitable choice, as today it seems essential that each collection has at least one diver watch.

€ 1,890

Ricardo Amaral.

Certina DS PH200M

Despite having an Omega Seamaster in my collection that I inherited from my father, I’ve been thinking for some time to acquire a new diving watch, as I don’t venture into the water with my vintage diver, whose tightness it must have lost long ago. One of my possible choices would be the Certina, not only for its rich diving watch past but also for presenting an incredible value-price ratio, confirming this was the launch this year of its incredible DS Super PH500M, a mechanical diver watch with 500m of water resistance for a price below €850. But my choice would be rather the DS PH200M because of its more retro design, namely its domed bezel and its black dial with gilt accents, complemented by a vintage mesh bracelet.

€ 900

Nuno Sampaio.

Longines Evidenza

What is the woman who never dreamed of having a Cartier Tank on her wrist? Rectangular watches that had another dimension in the past, conserved the elegance of their lines over time and that is why they are still seen today mostly as dress watches, I consider it essential for women to have at least one “tank” in their collection, of course, that a Cartier isn’t within the reach of all budgets, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other equally interesting options, like the Longines Evidenza, which despite having a quartz movement, as many Cartiers, comes with a dial with Roman numerals, small seconds at 6 o’clock, sapphire glass and steel bracelet accompanying the case. I opted for the smaller case, but if you prefer the larger one there are much more variants available, or if you prefer straighter lines like Cartier Tank you can always choose the Longines DolceVita which seems to me also an excellent option.

€ 1,320

Inês Dias.

Nomos Glashütte Tangente Ref. 101

Choosing Nomos for my second watch seems to be the natural choice as a professional designer as the link between the German brand and the Bauhaus art school. What I like most about the watch is its minimalist style, from the polished steel case to the white dial with Arabic numerals and some precious details like the small seconds at 6 o’clock and the blue hands, which do not interfere in any way with the balance of the watch. This variant comes in a 35mm case, which ends up looking less slim thanks to the 45mm lug-to-lug distance.

€ 1,460

Duarte Camacho.

July 16 2021

Certina DS Super PH500M now in Black

Ricardo Amaral CERTINA, NEW RELEASES 0

When in mid-2020 Certina released the DS Super PH500M VDST a reinterpretation of the 1967 DS-2 Super PH500M (ref. 5801 123) model, many of the brand’s more traditional fans will have been frustrated to come with an orange dial rather than the original black dial from the ’60s, but now the brand returns the DS Super PH500M in black.

The Certina DS Super PH500M VDST with orange dial was launched last year as a special but not limited edition in association with the Verband Deutscher Sporttaucher (VDST) a German scuba diving organization that participated in the design of this model namely in the choice of the dial color. Many have wondered why many diver-watches come today with vivid color dials, which we can find relatively easily among different brands such as Doxa and Seiko, many divers claim that the vivid colors of the dials make reading easier underwater whose visibility conditions deteriorate as the dive depth increases.

Historically, the DS-2 Super PH500M (ref. 5801 123) from the 60s came in two variants, one with a black dial and white indexes and hands and the other with a black dial and orange indexes and hands. This was a watch much appreciated by the diving community as in addition to being reliable it had an exceptional water-resistance of 500 meters, rivaling other famous models from other brands such as the Rolex Submariner and Sea-Dweller, the Omega Seamaster, among many others.

Moving straight away to the new DS Super PH500M from 2021, what we can find is the same steel case 43 mm in diameter and 14.95 mm thick as the VDST edition, and despite the dimensions not being small it benefits from the fact that it comes with short lugs that make on the wrist looks smaller. The 60-click unidirectional aluminum bezel comes with a diving minute scale and a safety lock system to prevent it from accidentally turning. At 3 o’clock the threaded crown is engraved with the symbol of the brand and behind the solid threaded case is engraved with a turtle symbol of the brand. It should also be noted that the case as the name indicates by the initials “DS” comes with the double-security technology that has made the brand’s watches known since the 60s and which consists of a rubber ring that is placed between the movement and the watch case protecting against shocks.

The black dial is presented in a monochromatic scheme where the white of the indexes and hands filled with Super-LumiNova stand out, date opening at 3 o’clock and brand inscriptions followed by “automatic” at 12 o’clock and “DS” followed by “Super PH” 500M” at 6 o’clock all in white.

Inside, the Powermatic 80.611 automatic movement operates, based on the ETA 2824-2, with an anti-magnetic balance spring and offering up to 80 hours of power reserve.

The watch is offered with a gray NATO strap at the price of CHF 860.

Our Opinion

This is the right watch for those looking for a mechanical diving watch, reliable, with an appealing design, versatile, and with an incredible 500M of water resistance, since you will hardly find so much value on the market for this price, however, the 43 mm of diameter may not be for everyone.

More information at www.certina.com.

General Specifications:

Brand: Certina

Model: DS Super PH500M

Reference: C037.407.18.050.00

Dial: Black

Lume: Super-LumiNova

Case Material: 316L Stainless steel

Case Dimensions: 43 mm Diameter, 14.95 mm Thickness

Crystal: Sapphire Glass

Case Back: Solid Screw-in

Water Resistance: 500 Meters

Strap: Grey NATO strap