Certina DS Action Diver's

[lorsban]

Hey guys,

Got this watch as a Christmas gift to myself. Been scouring the net for months when this watch was announced but, unfortunately, couldn't find any online. So, you can't imagine my surprise to see it in a watch store in my country! There I was milling around and, there, amidst a sea of Certina's was this watch. Had to do a double-take cause I almost missed it.

Admittedly, I was a bit apprehensive with it's size since it's 43.5mm x 50mm. Usually, I can't go beyond 42mm but when I tried it on, it was right at the limit of what my wrist can handle. I have a 6.75in diameter wrist, 54mm wide.




I think the main reason why it still looks ok for my wrist is the case's curvature. So, because of that, the watch sits well on the wrist.

You'll also notice that Certina chose to forgo the common practice of polishing the case sides and the sides of the watch band, instead, they only polished the end part of the crown as well as the bezel - which to me, adds a bit of flair to the watch overall.




Styling cues of this type of diver follows the trend started by the Submariner and maybe the Tag Aquaracer 300M. Case design is actually very similar to the Aquaracer 500M. Good thing, however, Certina redesigned the bezel to be both more masculine looking and also easier to manipulate.

Markings are minimalist, choosing basic shapes for the hour markers. Hands are clear and functional, albeit sporty looking. They also follow the current trend of many manufacturers to place the date between the 3-4 O'clock zone. I'm still getting used to that since the only other places I like the date to be in is either the 6 or 12 position - looks more symmetrical that way.

Lume is also very clear and bright, with a bluish tint. Luminosity also lasts through the night, albeit with less intensity. Bezel is also lumed. Speaking of the bezel, there's no play and it's easy to manipulate but it's not quite as tight as, say, Breitling's or Omega's. Though, the bezel is secure once you set it. Admittedly, the bezel action of the Orient Mako XL is better as well.




The bracelet has solid end links as well as half links for adjustment purposes - I like this practice and find it very useful for customizing the fit. The links, however, aren't true multi-links like Rolex has. The clasp only has Certina engraved on it and it's held very tightly by the lock. It also has a nice diver extension, which again, tucks in very tightly to the clasp.




I've gone through many divers of this type, starting from the Steinhart Ocean 1 - which was great and pretty much followed all the main design cues of the Submariner, except for its size, which was 42mm. But, I found the lume disappointing and the bezel seemed of a lesser grade. Then, I actually got myself a blue Sub 16613 but couldn't get used to the gold. Much later, I got an Orient Mako XL - which I reviewed here. The Mako is a fine watch, bracelet is just so-so but the case is excellent. It was just too big at 44.5mm. I also got a Seiko Sea Urchin, which I gave to my father in law.

Prior to zeroing in on the Certina, I also looked into Marathon, Ginault, Sinn EZM3, as well as Tag's own Aquaracer 300M but the Certina always won out (this was way prior to me even seeing the Certina in person). Needless to say, the Certina lived up to my expectations due to it's overall design - which follows traditional cues yet adds it's own unique touches to make this original. Very close second was the Marathon, but due to it being 40mm and taller, it seemed a bit too chunky for my tastes. The DS Action is more versatile in that regard.

Overall, I really like this watch. It's priced very very competitively. You get true ISO 6425 certified resistance of 200M. It's comfortable to wear because of the supplied half links and curvature of the case. Predominantly matte finish makes it more sporty, yet the bezel polish adds just the right amount of flash to make things interesting. Great work and play watch, though I don't think this will make a good companion in black tie affairs due to it's utilitarian nature and size (but if you were a big guy, it could work).

That's it for me. It's been a long search and I've gone through a lot of watches to finally end up with this. Hopefully, I'll be able to write a long term review in a year or so.

Thanks for reading!

regards,

lorsban

[blackmsport]

Thanks

Great review

[asadtiger]

I posted a review of my older version Certina diver's...amazing watches..very good finish and quality for the price...almost unbelievable I am very impressed with the Certina divers...it is tragic that the brand is not distributed as widely as other swatch group brands cuz it surely deserves to be

[stockae92]

Thanks for the review.

How's the link being held together?

All all numbers on the bezel lumed? Is the bezel sapphire? (like IWC Aquatimer) How's the bezel clicks?

[sys12345]

A nice diver! Congrats!!!

[lorsban]

Originally Posted by asadtiger

I posted a review of my older version Certina diver's...amazing watches..very good finish and quality for the price...almost unbelievable I am very impressed with the Certina divers...it is tragic that the brand is not distributed as widely as other swatch group brands cuz it surely deserves to be

Yes, I totally agree with you. Price is incredible. Not sure about Swatch strategy but I guess it depends if the dealers want them or not and Certina doesn't exactly market themselves all that well.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

[lorsban]

Originally Posted by stockae92

Thanks for the review.

How's the link being held together?

All all numbers on the bezel lumed? Is the bezel sapphire? (like IWC Aquatimer) How's the bezel clicks?

The links are held by pins. Bezel is lumed from the triangle up to the 20 minute mark. I don't think it's sapphire, maybe some kind of enamel? Clicks are 60 per rotation. Positive feel but not as stiff as breitling/omega/rolex. It's secure tho. Once you set it, it pretty much stays.

Sent from my Transformer TF101 using Tapatalk

[MCV]

Nice job, I just picked up the Ti version of that watch with the grey bezel/grey dial.

Roadtesting it now, so far, so good.

-Marc

[lorsban]

Originally Posted by MCV

Nice job, I just picked up the Ti version of that watch with the grey bezel/grey dial.

Roadtesting it now, so far, so good.

-Marc

Ti version is really nice. A notch higher in overall construction from what I hear. I like the color of the Titanium version.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk

[MCV]

Here are a couple shots of the Ti Certina I just got:





Cheers,

-Marc

[lorsban]

Man, that bezel/dial combo looks really good! Love that sunray effect on the dial.

[everose]

On a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur i passed by a Certina AD who happened to have the ss and Ti versions in stock.

The ss DS Action Diver is a clear step or two up from some of their other sports/dive models that i have seen in the recent past in terms of finishing and solidity.

Interestingly the bezel is a one piece design and not an insert. A very nicely proportioned dive watch lacking "the look at me" aesthetics of some others but somehow manages to be very classy without being bland.

The Ti was the big surprise. WOW, even more gorgeous and a really interesting dial/bezel colour. The online sellers photos do not do this piece justice at all.
A fine looking piece for sure.

[MCV]

Yep, the color of the bezel and dial on the Ti version is hard to capture in photos, you really have to see it in person.

Agree about the bezel, it's nice that it's entirely smooth but has lume on it, too.

Cheers,

-Marc

[lorsban]

Originally Posted by MCV

Yep, the color of the bezel and dial on the Ti version is hard to capture in photos, you really have to see it in person.


Cheers,

-Marc

Oh yeah, I definitely agree with you. But even in pics, it's the kind of design where you notice new things every time you look at it. Unlike the steel version where it's all there when you look at it. The Ti version makes you want to take long looks. Very nice. Few watches can achieve that effect.


Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk

[wokafu]

pretty detail review...my friend got it a few weeks back... solid watch with its price...great find...thanks for sharing...

[lorsban]

Originally Posted by everose

On a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur i passed by a Certina AD who happened to have the ss and Ti versions in stock.

The ss DS Action Diver is a clear step or two up from some of their other sports/dive models that i have seen in the recent past in terms of finishing and solidity.

Interestingly the bezel is a one piece design and not an insert. A very nicely proportioned dive watch lacking "the look at me" aesthetics of some others but somehow manages to be very classy without being bland.

+1!

It's almost like a different company made these watches.

The bezel is what sets this watch apart from all those sub-alikes. Very distinctive cog design with the integrated marking/insert. The watch got the flash and new feel just by that bezel alone.

Sent from my Transformer Prime TF201 using Tapatalk