Tags: Selection of the best | Certina | Men's | Classic | Traditional
12.10.2022 | 6 MIN
When I was given the "task" of choosing the most interesting men's watches Certina, I was happy about it. With some brands, you are not quite sure which pieces should be there. Or whether you choose the best ones. But with Certina, I'm always at peace when choosing.
In the few years that I have had experience with Certina, I can say that it has convinced me of its value, which it offers in exchange for a set price tag. Whether it is more about fashion pieces, divers, sports chronos or retro pieces, you will always find a job well done with them.
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So I could calmly throw myself into the selection across the brand, knowing that the selected models are really worth it. And here they are: 6 of Certina's most popular men's watches.
Certina DS-1s are truly a number one. A beautiful dress watch with a distinctive green dial became a hit shortly after its launch. And I'm not saying this to raise the credit for them. In short, these watches attract well-deserved attention, and at the same time I will boldly classify them as elegant in society.
The fact that they have become such a hot commodity among men is not just the cool green, which has gained popularity in recent years, but the overall concept of the watch. Very balanced in size, with a quality automatic movement inside - practically the best that Certina offers now. And despite the considerable dose of elegant elements, it is a surprisingly durable watch, after all, Certina celebrated its DS Concept with this piece.
And the final touch is given by a large date stamp and a steel mesh bracelet, which I don't really like in many other models (for men's watches), but here it is simply the real steel. If you still didn't give in to green, Certina also demonstrated the popularity of the DS-1 in other color variants.
The Double Security (DS) Concept was introduced by Certina in 1959. In practice, this means that all its watches have a water resistance of at least 100 meters, a reinforced sapphire crystal (except for some retro models), a reinforced crown and a special crown seal. In short, the whole concept guarantees that Certins are more durable in all aspects, so that you can choose them as an everyday watch without any worries.
When these diving retros came out, the watchmaking world got a kick out of them. Can Certina really make such interesting watches? With an automatic with 80 hours of power reserve, in a cool design with thoughtful details and under 800?! No way...
But it is so. They have won many awards, look fantastic in the hand and I would recommend them to anyone who wants classic retro divers. Although they have already received an upgraded version with a sapphire crystal and a ceramic bezel, which probably makes them more practical and somehow more "chic", the original re-edition from 2018 with a hesalite crystal and an ordinary aluminum insert still wins.
The PH200M is exactly the kind of watch that we don't buy purely for rational reasons, but for the love of watchmaking history. And here the history of the watch is true. Specifically, the 1960s, which was a turning point for profi diving watches.
Despite the retro style, the current DS PH200M has diving qualities. As the name suggests, they have 200 meters of water resistance, screw-on components, and as a nice bonus, they come with a spare strap and in an impeccable case.
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They say that a mechanical watch has a soul. And so many chrono enthusiasts despise "ordinary" battery-powered ones. But honestly, the more I know about watches, the more I believe that sometimes preferring a quartz movement over a mechanical one doesn't mean you're not a watch enthusiast.
Especially when it comes to sports chronographs. And that it's a really beautiful watch. Certina does them best in its Sport DS Podium collection. At the same time, its recipe is simple: a clear, every-inch sports watch with a super-precise stopwatch and movement. Ones that will say about their owner that he has no problem with healthy self-esteem. Such as the Certina DS Podium Big Size Chronograph.
Certina puts a battery Precidrive inside. A movement with a deviation of up to ten seconds per year. Plus with a practical date and stopwatch. And if you decide to use the stopwatch in practice, it offers an accuracy of 1/100 of a second. I don't really know what occasion you'll find it useful, but it sounds good. But above all, it's just a nice watch. Robust, well built, with high water resistance, luminescence and sapphire. And with a real flair.
Precidrive movements are "ordinary" battery movements, but with excellent accuracy of ± 10 seconds per year. This makes them 8-10x more accurate than conventional battery-operated machines. Certina achieved this by vacuum-sealing the oscillator and integrated circuit in a ceramic case, which makes the movement better able to withstand different temperatures and humidity and thereby maintain better accuracy.
We internally named these divers Bonds. Not that Bond ever wore them. And not that they copy rolexes. But with its smaller size and very classic style, it is closer to the models that Connery actually wore in the 60s. They thus gain a light retro feeling, which is very current now and is also close and welcomed by many.
With them, Certina expanded its DS Action range, which also includes certified diving models. But their smaller size has made them a sought-after item for owners of more subtle wrists. At the same time, they remained sufficiently robust and durable, even with 300-meter water resistance.
Inside is an automatic Powermatic 80 with a Nivachron hair. Thanks to this, they gain not only a high power reserve, but also magnetic resistance. And what's more, they are so nice, balanced and well-made that they inevitably rank among the tops in their category.
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Certina is one of the brands that doesn't get into titanium watches often, but when they do, they do it solidly. The durable Certina DS Action has been popular with men who like big watches but appreciate the lightness of titanium or require its anti-allergenic properties. They fulfill both perfectly.
In addition, they also have high water resistance and a Precidrive movement certified for accuracy. It is up to 10 times more accurate than ordinary quartz movements, but mainly it is a battery movement. So the watch will be comfortable even during demanding sports performance.
In fact, this is the model I will recommend to a customer looking for a reliable, accurate, all-round durable watch, preferably Swiss and with minimal maintenance. And light enough to be comfortable even for sports. And that's what these titanic "actions" are like.
But all in all, like all the watches in today's selection, their popularity lies mainly in the fact that they are nice watches. And from a manufacturer that knows what they're doing.
Certina uses Super-LumiNova luminescence. It is a non-radioactive substance that glows intensely in the dark for several hours after exposure. It is produced in several shades and three performance variants. In addition to Certina, it is also used by other brands such as Hamilton, Tissot or Citizen.
The last piece is the casually sporty-elegant Certina DS Caimano model. Undoubtedly, he got into the selection because of his versatility. Perhaps we write too often in reviews that the watch goes well with this and that, but here it is simply the case. They are not strictly suit jackets, but neither are they an ultra-sporty model, and thus perfectly captures the definition of universality.
The stopwatch function gives them a sporty touch, while its simple design, polished case and thin bezel make it look elegant and unobtrusive.
They have no surprising functions or parameters, yet everything is slightly above standard within this price tag - 100 meters water resistance, sapphire crystal with anti-reflection, highly accurate movement. And it is very comfortable to wear thanks to the thin case in the popular diameter of 42 mm, with which the steel bracelet and leather fit well. Just an everyday universal.
You can find more inspiration in our photo gallery of Certina watches:
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