vit157
This review is focused on the recent release from the famous Swiss brand – Certina DS PH1000M. Diver watches are not something unusual today, but it looks like this model nails the pitch with classic design and plenty of useful features. All of this is promised for reasonable price and should be already available. I couldn’t miss a chance to check it closer, so let’s start with traditional video-review. Check it in order to see all parts even closer and to learn some additional things about this Certina.
By the way, watch number is C024.907.18.051.00.
Here you can read about another interesting watch from the same brand.
Like our Facebook page, so you won’t miss new articles.
Get this watch on official Helveti webshop.
Dial
If I say “diver watch” and ask you to come up with the first image from your mind, there is a big chance that you will catch at least one feature of today’s Certina DS PH1000M. This is not bad thing, just something what you can’t avoid when dealing with “professional” watches. It is paramount to have clear, legible dial without any unnecessary quirks, and this timepiece is not an exclusion.
First of all there are large rectangular indices. Those are not too big, but still easy to notice from the first glance, and I doubt you will have issues finding them even in the dark conditions. Note that 12″, 6″ and 9″ hour positions are marked with a bit longer rectangular slabs.
All of those parts are applied and have chromed border, what adds visual interest to the whole design. Note that closer to the edge you will also find bright orange marks which insert a bit of color to the black-white combo of the dial.
Yes, there is also a thin scale between indices, but this is done in unobtrusive way, and looks just right in my opinion. Note that amount of writings is not that big either, even though “Swiss Made” could be smaller. 😀 Certina logo is printed with the applied chrome sign. All this looks elegant and doesn’t give you vibes of some sports watches trying to describe whole featureset on one dial.
It is hard to miss the fact that date window is also here. There is no magnifying section over this area, but at least it is separated with help of white border. The font is easy to read, and unfortunately it is black font on the white background, not the other way around. In my opinion it is not such an important thing for diver watch, so Certina DS PH1000M could live with a bit more stealthy version of the date window.
Now we come to the handset of this watch. Again, for diver model it is quite important to have something large, visible and non-obstructing at the same time. I think Certina did a great job, and all three hands look right in place. Moreover, there is a color differentiation – minutes are in orange and hours are in white. Seconds hand is the thinnest out of three, but has special rectangular luminous insert on the end. I am still not sure if it would be also cool to have some different color for the seconds hand, but even out of the box this combo works as it should.
I can’t forget about luminous layer on all those parts. It is quite bright and shines in blue-green color. “Lume” is easy to charge, and the overall radiation is very strong and lasting for quite a time. As it was mentioned before, special layer is applied on indices, handset and even on the bezel. Could be nice to have it on date window, but I guess it was abandoned just to avoid unnecessary clutter.
Case
This part of the watch also plays on the same way of keeping the clean elegant image which is functional and makes sense. I like that Certina DS PH1000M stays away from full-mirror-polishing and instead offers a bit more rugged appearance. This is achieved with help of brushed surfaces on lugs – the most visible area of the watch. Those are slightly sloped what creates a “dome” on your wrist and is a bit easier to hide under your sleeve.
Next we continued with bezel which is a cool feature on its own. Yes, here you will find polished surface, which is a bit questionable in my opinion. It doesn’t take a lot of thinking to understand that such thing will get scratched quickly. Nevertheless, the ratcheting is quite rough and should be easy to operate in gloves for example. There is a catch though – in order to rotate the part, you will have to do additional action – lift it. For me it is the first time I deal with such type of lock and it might be useful for the actual diving experience.
Another polished part is the crown. It is not that big and features Certina logo engraved on it. Take a careful look and you will see that there is no crown protection. Well, almost no protection as there is a small catch – it is hidden in the case. Such design reduces the overall grip area when you try to unscrew the crown. Whole experience is a bit clumsy, but has the place to be and works with idea of the classic design here.
On the photos you will also notice that the case edges are polished. Well, I would recommend to be careful with this as it is very easy to scratch those. Overall dimensions are not that big and case measures 43.5mm and has 14.15mm thickness. Whole weight is around 121g. It is not too hefty, but you still feel this watch on your wrist.
Overall fitment of those moving and static parts is great and I didn’t find any issue whatsoever. In my opinion this watch punches way above its league and you will definitely get what you will pay for. Whole dial is covered with sapphire glass and there are no clear inserts on the back. Instead you will get nice engraving on the rear cover. 🙂
Movement
Here comes the most controversial part of the watch as inside you will find Powermatic 80.611. This type of movement can be found in some other Certina watches as well. It is an automatic caliber which has impressive 80 hours power reserve. As it was mentioned above, there is no clear insert, so you won’t be able to appreciate the beauty.
Nevertheless, it is also fiercely discussed type of the movement, due to its unusual design with using modern materials. Today’s version is not an exclusion, and it still has Nivachron sprint, even though some smart faces on forums will try to convince you otherwise. My experience with this caliber is no longer than one month, but I can say that it was fine. Here the power reserve is also combined with quite serious water protection.
As for the functionality, we get the classic set of three hands and date indicator. In my opinion this is more than enough for the diver watch.
Strap
You know that I am usually complaining about lack of the additional strap in the standard package. Well, here I will be silent as Certina DS PH1000M features bonus item which might be handy in diving. Standard version installed on the watch is the NATO strap in black color. It is quite flexible and has strengthening section in the perforated area. My average-sized wrist worked fine with this length of the strap.
The same can be said about the second option which is fastened with help of velcro ends. It comes on the same pouch with watch and should be easy to install on your watch. No, there are no quickrelease bars, instead manufacturer supplies you with spare bars and special tool.
As for the aftermarket choice, I think you can try all typical choices for the diver watch – be it silicone or some leather options. Classic design should look equally fine with any of those.
In Use
As usual, I had a chance to spend a bit of time with Certina DS PH1000M and there are few things to mention about overall experience. First of all, this watch is not big, and it might look great even on the thin wrist. I would say that it works nicely on the average-sized hand and you can see it on the pictures. Maybe it is the benefit of having slightly angled lugs, but the overall fitment is quite good.
Dial legibility is not an issue, and whole setup works fine in any conditions. In my opinion this is very important thing for a diver watch, and Certina did a great job here. As usual, I am not so sure about date window on such timepiece, but maybe for some owners it will come handy. Separate word should be said about overall elegant and simple design which doesn’t look cheap and should be pleasure to look at even after several years of ownership.
Case assembly quality and overall fitment is just right and there is no free movement or any weird gaps between parts. I appreciate locking bezel which is a nice feature to play with. Nevertheless, I wasn’t impressed with the crown placement as it is really hard to pick it out sometimes. Well, with help of Powermatic 80 it shouldn’t be an operation you will be doing too often.
Another word should be said about the overall packaging and what you get for the price. In my opinion Certina outdid themselves and managed to do a really cool-looking set out of watch, box and various bonuses. This is definitely not the main selling point, but it is always cool to see something extra for such price. I guess here is the moment when we can talk about it. 🙂
Certina DS PH1000M – Price and Availability
Price for this watch will be set around 1100 EUR. This is a highly competitive niche, but I think today’s Certina DS PH1000M has all the chances to catch your attention. Yes, overall look is rather elegant and restricted, but in my opinion it rather reinforces professional image and doesn’t look like a toy. Moreover, it is a real pleasure in everyday use, so it has all the chances to become your main choice.
Somehow current market abundance with diver and steel sports watches made us a bit numb to all novelties. Moreover, brands are quite lazy by giving us new color combos and nothing else new. Certina looks good here by presenting classic styling with a bit of modern take on it. I like how this watch is not that “in your face” and yet manages to look expensive and tough.
This model is definitely worth your attention if you are searching for something what is away from current market cliches and has reasonable price. In my opinion the tag on it is more than justified and you will get more than what you will pay.
