Certina Watches: Why are they so Underrated?

Today I wanted to focus on the Certina Watch brand as I caught their latest release on Instagram for their DS Action Diver Chrono. It's designed for precision and reliability and perfect for any underwater adventure with its 30 bar water resistance and robust DS case.

It's a bit more pricier than I would have liked considering I'm really working with a budget of just under a £1000. Hence the current balloon in my reporting of micro watches on my blog of late. This watch is coming in at £1695 and can be found on their website. I'm particularly drawn to the design elements and the fabric strap. Although I prefer the push button butterfly clasp on their previous DS models.

The 316L stainless steel which Certina uses for cases, bracelets and clasps, for instance, is extremely resistant, corrosion-resistant and hypoallergenic. It contains only a very small proportion of nickel, which is not released when worn and therefore does not trigger any nickel allergies. These maritime timepieces for men and women score highly with their precision, extraordinary water resistance and dynamic design – in any situation.

A brief history on Certina Watches

Certina is a very well-respected brand with a long history. It’s maybe best-known for its rugged dive watches. Certina is fairly underrated and rather under the radar. It's more popular in parts of Europe than anywhere else. My friend Pete Brooker caught a load of Certina resellers in Austria recently, and apparently people in Sweden swear by their Certinas.  Since 1888, Certaina have offered a few watch making innovations that have given the brand some serious credibility in the arena of tool watches. The DS stands for double security unveiled in 1959. Its propriety approach to shock resistance accomplished by having the movement in a flexible rubber ring and tended to absorb kicks without interrupting the watch's timekeeping. DS watches were also known for pioneering efforts in diving watches, became the issue watch the royal Australian clearance divers during the 70s. Even their dressier models offer 100m water resistance.

Feedback and reviews

Feedback from YouTube.

·       They make very solid watches, and that one has a reliable workhorse movement. They fly a little under the radar compared to the other brands owned by the same company (Tissot, Hamilton, Longines and Omega are all under the same corporate umbrella), but that brand has a very long history. The retail prices are already reasonable but it becomes exceptionally attractive if you buy on the secondary market or manage to get a discount.

·       The case finish feels so smooth, no sharp edges, very comfortable. The crystal has more anti reflecting coating and the bezel is much more complex. You pay a bit more but yes you get a bit more in my opinion.

Why are Certina Watches underrated?

Possibly because they fall between two stalls. Neither luxury nor a micro brand. They also don't appear to have any high profiled celebrities or sports people as ambassadors. I've seen some excellent feedback on a Reddit thread where one collector cites,

Honestly this is an awesome watch, first of all Certina is a good brand under the Swatch group. This ref in particular is a great "go out, do anything" watch as you can dress it up or down depending on the occasion. It has a nice movement, sapphire crystal and it's one of the only watches in its tier to have a great water resistance without being a diver.

Other Certina models that catch my eye

I love the simplicity of the Certina Ds 7. But I'm wondering also if they are a decent investment. Do they have any resell value? Please get in touch. For example are Certina watches as good as their contemporaries, Seiko, or Tissot. I've done some research and found this feedback from one collector on Quora,

Certina watches are every bit as good as Seiko. The Seiko name has a nice bit of cachet, but among watch enthusiasts that doesn’t matter as much; they’ll know of Certina’s Swiss pedigree and history of innovation, and they’ll appreciate the solid choice. If it comes down to which brand makes the better designs (in your opinion), however, I would recommend you go with whatever looks best to you. Japanese automatic movements are not necessarily any worse than Swiss movements in the $500–$1,000 price range, and Seiko certainly has an extensive track record of using quality materials and of having good finishing quality in the sport-watch world. After all, that’s one massive thing Seiko and Certina have in common — a focus on quality sport watch designs.

If you work for Certina and you happen to come across this article, I would love to be involved with future campaigns or press days. Please get in touch.