Specs This GOOD Are IMPOSSIBLE to Hate - Certina DS Action Diver Review 

Got this watch about an year ago as my everyday watch. Felt really small for my 7 inch wrist at first but now it feels so perfect. Got that sub or bb36 look all in one. The quality is top notch, love the bracelet on it. Don’t be hesitant if u r thinking to pull the plug on this one.

I'm from Finland and for some reason Certina is basically sold in almost every watch shop which otherwise have pretty limited selection of brands. For a comparison Hamilton is sold nowhere and I don't even think there's an AD for them in Finland. I had my grandfather's Certina DS-2 from 1970's serviced some years ago and it's my main watch. For a vintage watch is reasonably sized at 38mm and runs at a chronometer level of accuracy.

I remember how was the dive-extension on my Sea-Dweller 16600. Completely the same, and no one ever said is "kinda cheap." This Certina is a perfect piece.

Certina is a high quality , precise working horse. Will never regret buying my DS Action.

Good tribute to a great brand. Very well known in Spain. My father had two, bought in c. 1950 and 1977. Crown guard, date and ISO certified diver with 80h power reserve... a BB58 killer indeed.

I'm a fan of Certina. I have a DS PH200M diver. It's one of my favourite timepieces. I paid under $600USD on the grey market and the overall quality of the watch is equal to Oris, C. Ward etc., which are 3 times the price. Very solid watches. Would recommend.

Great review! I am in North America and had to order direct from a watch jeweler in Switzerland. I used to only wear those $10 Casio F91W watches but my wife wanted to get a watch for me as a gift. So, it IS my first real mechanical watch and ironically I was considering the Hamilton Khaki Field watch until I saw poor water resistance and common water problems. I wanted a daily watch that I could shower and swim with, didn't have to wind every day. I also selected black as it blends in well with many different outfits and occasions. Absolutely love the 38mm size, the dial and the thick bracelet reminds me of the vintage James Bond era style Rolex Submariner. I found quite a few 19mm nato straps, yes a little difficult, but amazon has a lot to offer. Very surprised how well the sapphire crystal holds up, very scratch resistant. No one has mistaken it for a Rolex, only one person that complimented knew of Certina. I just simply say it's an old Swiss brand, part of the Swatch group. Love the brand and it's history. Certina did recently come out with a special edition version with blue dial with a gold and silver bracelet and a PVD coated bezel.

I'm in North America and I love Certina watches but don't see them too often. I agree with you that people who are watch enthusiasts will definitely like this brand. They offer so much for the price. I love this watch and I am considering buying one so thanks Chris and thank you for the review. I also would like to see this with drilled lugs at 20mm but we wouldn't have anything to complain about haha.

Really great that you “shine a light on hidden gems” such as this one, Oleg 👍

Thanks for the video, rare to find videos about this watch. As a diver, I like the following which I think may be good additional info: 1) Double Security action (DS) for water resistance 2) The amazing turtle engraving on the back case 3) ISO 6425 certified 4) Very hard to find a Seiko watch with similar specs; mostly very big at 44mm or if smaller like 40mm it;s with no crown guards, etc. Thanks again for the good vid!

Thanks for the review, certina is indeed an interesting brand and give some nice execution, unfortunately they tend to be too big, so seeing a 38mm is nice.

Great review. Thanks for highlighting affordable, quality offerings. A standout from the usual Rolex/Tudor echo chamber of the typical RU-vid channels. Two thumbs up!!!

I also think this is a great piece. Just received mine used from a UK seller(I live in the US) about 2 months ago and feel this is the perfect everyday beater. I have a 16610 sub and a 45.5 planet ocean chronograph with ceramic dial and they both tend to wear me more than the other way around. It's so low key but also has presence to those who notice. Hard to explain. For me it's better than tudor bb 58 due to the crown guards and bracelet ( Tudor bb rivets on band really bother me aesthetically). Only thing I could nit pick is the bezel action when rotating fast it has a less refined feel than I expected but that isn't really noticeable. Great watch that people will be scratching their heads to what you have( In a good way). Also I would like to mention that people complaining about the male lugs but this is my first watch with male lugs and I actually like it more than female lugs. Reason being that on a 38mm piece it gives the watch a more masculine feel as I understand why certina made this choice. If this were female lugs it would taper way to quickly and make it fit more like a piece of jewelry/woman's watch. The male lugs give it a sturdiness and cannot mistake this for a woman's watch. Male lugs are a pro not a con imo. Only other watch I saw and liked was the pelagos 39 but for 5k ehh I'll pass. Only marginally better but not worth it. Also the square indices are extremely offputting. I also purchased a seiko sne573 which is similar dimensions and rivals the other pieces mentioned but only comes in v147 quartz. Still very beautiful piece.

Bravo, Oleg! I was just considering this one, it was fate. Definitely pulling the trigger, thx for the review.

Great review! Its good to see a vid about a great brand with heratige. Thanks for bringing back the balcony shot!!! Its a unique aspect of your vids and makes for a different and excellent view of the watches!

I recently bought a Certina DS-1 39mm for under $500. Fantastic value, and love the watch!

I've just got one today. A very nice looking watch. It looks better than what I've payed for it. The movement is ETA 2864-2. It lasts less than Powermatic 80, but accuracy is better.

Great video. In my country Serbia/Europe Certina is much more popular. It is common, not like a Seiko, but there are plenty of Certina's. Here, enthusiasts wear more Hamilton and Longines. I bought Hamilton scuba I like it a little bite more then Certina. It is similar to this Certina in spcs but Certina has a higher wather resistance.

I can't spend any more money on watches, gotta get myself a car.

Hi Oleg, had my eye on a Certina action diver for a while then got sidetracked with other brands. I think they fly under the radar a little and don’t really get the respect they deserve in the UK anyway. I don’t think they are a popular brand really but like you say anyone wearing one will certainly get the respect of any watch nerd.

Picked this baby up in a blue dial 2 years ago on sale from Jomashop. Absolutely worth every penny!

Just orderd this watch, had the 43 mm for 7 years. Sent it in for service, but I don't know, they said it would take too long to repair it so instead they offered me a brand new one! I took the 38 mm instead due to this review and the fact that I always thought the 43 mm one was a little too big for my wrist. Excited to try it out!

Very nice watch. I think that Certina and Mido are two of the best brands in the Swatch group in terms of what they deliver for the money even though they're not the most common.

Certina was referred to as the watchmakers watch before they were part of the swatch group.

The divers extension is there for iso certification, lots of bands cheap out like this one. But you don't see it and never use it.

I don't understand the lug/bracelet choice. Why not go with 20mm lug width and have a bracelet with 20 to 16mm taper? It's tried and tested.!

Great review overall but i wouldt call the design «boring» just because its very subtle. You wouldn't say a eames chair is boring just because of its reduced design language right? I absolutely get what you try to say and i also think you did a great job with this review. Will get this piece as first automatic watch!

Hi! In your opinion, which is better in terms of finish, build quality, movement, lume etc? All in all, which offers more bang for the buck: this DS Action Diver or the Glycine Combat Sub 39?

Certina seems to be one of those brands which passes people by…I love my DS Podium auto chrono.

What a beautiful watch! This Certina will scratch that Rolex Subbie itch very nicely. 😊

I have been looking at the DS Action GMT!! Awesome watch. Looking for a review before I buy one!! Awesome video keep up the content

Great specs. I get vertigo from that balcony shoot tho 😂

Nice review. I have the 43mm version. For me, I prefer that size. I also like the red second hand which most of the 43mm have. I don’t think Certina’s are officially sold in North America. I was able to get mine on Jomashop for a fair price. I have experience with other Swatch group brands, I don’t think any of them have screws for the bracelet. I personally like Certina’s divers. They have a history of producing them. They have released some divers based on some of there vintage models. You might already be aware of it, but you should take a look at the DS PH200m, based on a diver from the late 1960s. Finally, Certina’s are ISO certified divers, something many other divers are not.

Yes, it does offer a lot for the money... Good to see it's got a Diver extension... More than Tudor offer on B Bay....

You sound like Certina is the odd choice? Not in Europe. Certina is THE swiss watch to get at a reasonable price.

Enjoy seeing bond in the opening of the videos.

Got the 2 tone gold green for 570€ from local AD and lovely perfectly sized watch👌

Noticing the Breitling on the wrist, need a review of that watch :)

the ds diver have always had that extension so I guess thats why they keep it.

Really nice review! A few months ago I was searching for reviews of this watch and I came across four lol

I’ve had my one for 2 years. Quality is off the scale. My daily wear.

Never heard of certina until last week here in UK. Read the history, like the DS Feature and reputation for robustness, bought the titanium chronograph diver in gray for my everyday watch after my marathon GSAR automatic stopped ticking after years of abuse and finally my 3 year old throwing it down the stairs, could probably get it fixed if I thew a bit of money at it but fancied a new, quartz watch for everyday.

Ich habe die Schwarze Certina DS Action Diver 38mm. Beste Uhr. Ich liebe sie. Habe auch andere, wie Seiko, Mido, Tissot Citizen. Die Certina ist meine Lieblingsuhr. Niemand muss zig 1000€ ausgeben, um eine tolle Schweizer Uhr zu besitzen.

Hey Oleg, I am considering picking up this Certina in the near future as a replacement for my now sold BB58. I made the mistake of buying the bb58 as my most expensive watch when I already have a diver (41,5mm Oris Aquis) that I absolutely adore. It was simply too much money just to add some variation in my divers watch choices. Now that the BB58 is gone, I can't help but miss the feeling of having a smaller diver and this seems like a perfect alternative to me without costing an arm and a leg as a secondary watch. Do you feel like this watch is a valid option or will the quality difference be too much for me to overcome? I have handled Certina's in the past and I feel they are generally great watches for the price. I also saw that they recently released ceramic bezel versions of their 43mm divers, I really hope that this will be available for the 38mm variant as well.

Mr Bond, thanks again for instructing Oleg to provide this review. A great review Oleg, I think for the price this Certina ticks all the boxes. It looks great, it has a proven ETA derived movement and it just works. Given the comments on the bracelet (that I agree with) this would add cost and given it's functional out of the box I'm OK with it. The high contrast face just works as well for at a glance time reading. I'd prefer the date at six but this is not a deal breaker as it is well executed at the three position.

Beautilful watch !!! Only thing i would change is the clasp obviously...Thank you for the review as always perfect !

A watch with a lot of good decisions, except for the lug width. Definitely on my list.

Certina and Atlantic were unique brands that I found interesting in Eastern Europe, but when I came home, no one knew the brands in the USA. I just get “nice watch!”

Thank you for the review. Very well done. I am a big fan of CERTINA, a brand which is often overlooked and ignored by watch enthusiasts. Speaking of this partituclar piece, the only negative is a 19mm bracelet width... :) With 19mm you become virtually married to the kit steel bracelet...

Fun intro! Even with the smaller case diameter, the lugs really seem longer than usual. Overall, it's a good looking watch! In the Philippines, Certina is not a name I often hear. The brand is being distributed here but I rarely hear about it.

black or blue dial is more appealing?

That "Diver's Watch" on the dial really bugs me. DS Action 300m // Powermatic 80. Done.

Certina, the little turtle that could! I have two of them, a DS-1 and a DS Podium, both in ETA 2824-2 flavor as I prefer the smoother movement as opposed to the bigger reserve, and both in grey dial format. Considering this one as my third as I've never owned a dive watch but I kind of liked the aesthetic

I have the 43mm, the diver's extension on the clasp is much better on it. The 43mm also has a small strip of lume beside the date window at 3 o clock, so viewing it at low light looks more symmetrical, no seemingly missing indices.

Awesome video! Would love to see a comparison with Black Bay fifty eight? Certina is a not as popular as other brands, but since the release of this watch I’m seeing it more

Not common in Singapore. Price is OK for the brand I guess. But I would reckon Squale submariner homage(cheaper too) and Yema Superman are more interesting diver watches.

Here in Belgium the brand exist but is not as popular as Tissot or Hamilton (same group) for exemple. But interesting choice and good video as usual ! 👌

Great review! How would you say the case and dial compare with the seiko spb143 or spb147?

Certina just not one of those brands that come up too much. Thanks for featuring one!

Great video! The watch kind of reminds me of the Seiko sbdc063 mixed with a Rolex Submariner. Awesome watch!

How can I get this watch? So hard to find it.

Certina is quite an understated brand a bit like rado or montblanc.. swatch has too many brands

I bought that watch with the green dial. I’m looking forward to trying this watch. Hope it looks nice on my 15,5 cm wrist 😉

I have one of the Hamilton 80h power reserve watches. It is nice to have that extra time but I would take the higher beat rate any day given the choice.

The new ones have a ceramic bezel.... the titanium one looks interesting, what do you think?

Funny. I’ve been wearing a blue diver Ds for 5 years now. Been itching for something new and the only watch that’s tempted me so far is the black black bay 58. We have similar tastes.

Like it, may get it on January sale 🌟

Hi Olek, how about the bezel, is it easy scratchable? I really want to buy this watch but im afraid that im going to scratch the alu-bezel :/

I thought I knew the Swiss watch market good enough to make a ‘Sensible’ purchase of a Tudor Pelagos or Longines Hydroconquest… Wrong! There’s a large reservoir of ‘no name’ but genuine Swiss watch makers out there who make high quality watches with all the bells and whistles (COSC, ISO6425, etc…) for a fraction of the price a big name watchmaker sells a similar piece for. What the hell is going on?

For 750 EUR this is a fantastic watch!

Hi, I looking for my first diver watch, and my wrist is aound 6.5 inch which almost 17cm, may i know this watch is suitable for my hand wrist, thank you 😅

I like this watch. However, unless it's a stainless steel bezel, one of my personal requirements is a a lumed bezel, like on the Newmark 71 or the Karlskrona Baltic Shield. Lumed bezels are addicting.

I like the watch you wearing in this video which one is it?

They do look very nice and have good specs, I just think they spoil the look with too much unnecessary text on the dial.

I’m in Canada and i can’t find any retailers? Any suggestions

Can you put a ceramic bezel on the 38mm watch

Will this fit better than the PRX Powermatic 80 on my 6.1" wrist?

What is your wrist size? Thanks

Nice certina watch.... Breitling sitting great on the wrist!

Presumably this is the same movement that is in the Tissot Seastar?

Amazing watch, very good quality.....not the same story for the customer service !!!!

Gives Tudor BB vibes

Amazing watch especially for the price!

I wish we got certina in North America instead of tissot. The name just sounds more appealing.

Is it worth buying this watch end of 2021??

What's his wrist size?

niiiice balkony shot! 😁

This is simply just another (6 digit) Sub homage - albeit with slightly different 3 hour markers. Quite disappointing, Certina.

Nice watch but the male end link makes it a no for me . My wrist is to small. I have a steinhart ocean one 39mm and it fits me ok . Oh . 19 logs ! Forget it .

Interesting proposition, it's an almost there watch, it could be amazing but the design-specs just make it good....what I mean by that is there are one or two too many niggly bits that need sorting....however with that said I do think it is a looker and on the "daily wear score" it's got to be a solid 8/9....really enjoying the content brother....🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⌚🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⌚

What is his wrist size?

I was nearly completely sold on this watch until you mentioned it having an aluminum bezel insert vs a ceramic one. That’s one cost saving corner I won’t cross, not even for this price range

Recently sold mine as I wasn't wearing it anymore; they are 43mm but wear even bigger, to the point of discomfort, and I have an 8" wrist....

Hmm. I’m not sure about how serviceable the Powermatic 80 movement actually is. Certainly when compared to the ETA 2824-2

Sinn & Damasko hasa few hidden gems

Certina is a well known brand in the Netherlands.

The proturing of the end link ruins a really nice watch! Certina also forget put the excellent clasp of the 43 mm on this 38 mm jewel.

Please do a review of the old Edox Delfin :3

Secret link on ebay is no longer active. Just letting you know

I have a quartz Certina. It's very robust, 200m WR and keeps great time. I was looking at this one to be my dive style watch but that 19mm lug width has put me off.