Introducing The New Certina DS-7 Powermatic 80
Certina has expanded its DS-7 line with six new sports watches featuring an integrated bracelet and powered by the Powermatic 80 automatic movement. The watches come in a 39mm round case with crown guards, and 100m water resistance. On the sunray dials applied indexes and a date window. The variants include five stainless steel watches and a titanium one, and various dial colour options.
Certina is the latest sprinter to enter the hotly contested race of sports watches with an integrated bracelet.
The Swiss watch brand is once again expanding its historic DS-7 line, which now includes six new watches that, in addition to having a bracelet integrated into the case, are equipped with the Powermatic 80 automatic movement.
The new watches are presented in a round case measuring 39mm in diameter and with the majority of its surface receiving a brushed finish, a smooth bezel that rests on an intermediate ring that prevents it from sitting directly on the case. Sapphire crystal front and back, crown at 3 o’clock with crown guards and 100m water resistance.
On the sunray dials, we can find applied baton hour markers and pencil hands all filled with Super-LumiNova, a centre seconds hand, a printed minute track, a date window aligned with the crown and three lines of text with the company’s logo and lettering. at noon and two lines of text at 6 o’clock with the collection’s “DS” followed by the movement’s “Powermatic 80”.
As for the different variants, five of them receive a stainless steel case and bracelet, while the last comes in Titanium.
The versions with a black and green dial, in addition to sharing a steel case, feature a black ring that separates the bezel from the case matching the central links on the bracelet. Also in steel, we have the version with a turquoise dial, which comes with the middle layer of the case and central polished links. Then there is a steel version that comes with full gold PVD and gilt dial, and also a two-tone variant with intermediate links and a ring under the bezel with a gold tone matching the indexes on the silver dial. Lastly, we have the Titanium variant that gets a blue dial.
Inside, the Powermatic 80 automatic movement needs no introduction, operating at 21,600 Vph and offering up to 80 hours of power reserve.
Prices range from CHF 740 for the turquoise version to CHF 860 for the Titanium version.
Our Opinion
Whether we like it or not, it is inevitable to compare it to its ‘colleague’ Tissot PRX, which in addition to operating in the same league, is part of the same Group and shares the same movement.
The 39mm case, which has the same problem as the PRX due to the first rigid links next to the case, will make it fit larger on the smaller wrists and for this problem, the only solution will be to follow Tissot’s path by presenting a more affordable size.
Also, the round case shape doesn’t seem to have benefited the new DS much as it seems to increase the size of the case even more and the same applies to the crown and its crown guards which simply don’t match.
On the dial, Certina opted for the clean option, an often winning formula followed by so many, however here we do not believe that to be the case, as the PRX Quartz version proves, which smooth dial continues to look too vulgar compared to the elegance of the textured dial of the automatic version.
In conclusion, there are too many ‘if not’ for the new rookie in this game, we hope that improved versions will appear soon.
More information at www.certina.com.
General Specifications:
Brand: Certina
Model: DS-7 Powermatic 80
Reference: C043.407.22.031.00 (silver), C043.407.22.061.00 (black), C043.407.22.091.00 (green), C043.407.44.041.00 (blue), C043.407.11.351.00 (turquoise), C043.407.33.361.00 (gold)
Dial: Black, green, turquoise, gold, silver, blue
Lume: Super-LumiNova
Case Material: Stainless steel
Case Dimensions: 39 mm Diameter
Crystal: Sapphire Glass
Case Back: Sapphire Glass
Water Resistance: 100 Meters
Strap: Stainless steel integrated bracelet, titanium integrated bracelet (blue)
Calibre: POWERMATIC 80.611
Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Winding: Automatic
Frequency: 21,600 Vph
Jewels: 23
Power Reserve: 80 Hours
Price: CHF 740 (turquoise), CHF 795 (black, green, silver), CHF 840 (gold), CHF 860 (blue)
Availability: Now
