The Best Mid-Size Swiss Dive Watch Under $1,000 - Certina DS Action Diver 38mm 

I started with a Certina and a Swatch,back in the early 90-s. Fast forwad, I have since become a watchmaker, watchcollector and when somebody ask me what to buy for around 1-2000 €, I always say CERTINA. When this Certina 38 mm was released, I ordered one ASP!!! I have the green one and just love the size and how comfortable it is. As many of us know,as soon as you are around 41-44 mm,the watches get very ofter,very difficult and oncomfortable to wear. So......Certina is "The shit" in this pricerange and the brand is REALLY COOL!!!

My grandfather left me his Certina Town and Country from 1963 when he passed a couple of years ago and after servicing it, it's running like new and I wear it almost every day. Just like you said, Certina is very common here in Sweden for instance. Great video!

I’m wearing this piece right now. It gained 65 seconds in 3 months, more precise than my omega 8800 movement

Glad to see Certina finally getting the attention it so deserves! I had a DS Action 38mm bought online pre-owned, I sold it after a few months because I feel 38mm is too small for my wrist, but I absolutely adore the specs for the price and would like to own one in the future. Excited to see Teddy getting the authorized dealer and bring the watch to the USA! One thing I do hope Certina can do is to launche some 39mm-42mm dive watches to cover the range between 38mm and 43mm.

I bought the blue as my first Swiss automatic for my 25:th birthday, just this weekend! Here in Sweden I would say that Certina is one of the more established Swiss brands, and I’m loving it!

I own this watch since a few weeks and I'm absolutely blown away by the looks, comfort and quality. It quickly became my favorite everyday pick. Highly recommended!

Finally a little bit more appreciation for the DS Action Diver 38mm 🙌🏼 I’ve owned it for nearly a year now. It’s a great everyday watch. Especially the 38mm make it super versatile. Other Pros are the thickness and the power reserve. Cons: the clasp. The diver extension looks and feels a little cheap. And the two micro-adjustments are just not enough. Too bad they didn’t use a similar clasp like the one of the DS Action Diver in 43mm. Cheers from Germany

I own the DS Action in the 43mm version. If you don't have too small wrists, you should definitely buy this watch: it has a ceramic bezel and the strap is much better because it has excellent fine adjustment. My wife has the 38 model as a bi-color in green/black/gold. Certina makes great watches at a fantastic value.

I have the ds 38 black version as my daily. Love it! I actually Also have a orginal DS from 1969 that my grandfather bought, never serviced and still runs like a champ!

Own the blue one for almost 2 years now. It is indeed a really safe choice for small dive watch. I've worn it everywhere, dive twice, and it still in very good condition. The diving experience was very good, mainly for the bright lume pip and the size on wrist. It will follow you and all the beating you can do. Grab it and live ! Greetings from France !

I've had a Certina DS Action titanium for a few years, it's probably my favorite watch.

Currently own one, and it certainly punches high above its weight. This 38mm variant fits perfectly on my

I just got this in titanium. Really satisfied with what I'm getting for the money. Titanium version especially has its own style to it with the turqoise markers.

I'm SO HAPPY Certina has featured on your channel Teddy. I love Certina, here's why. I have a DS PH200M 2020 and with this you get; genuine dive heritage DNA, ETA Powermatic 80 (mine +4sec/day), Ceramic bezel, sapphire (front and back), 20mm lugs and it looks amazing on bracelet, leather or NATO. I paid 25% below retail in UK £652. It's not a status symbol, it's an enthusiasts symbol. More Certina content please!

Ich bin super glücklich mit meiner schwarzen Certina DS Action Diver 38. Mein Handgelenk hat 16,5cm Umfang. Die passt hervorragend und ist äußerst angenehm zu tragen. Ich hatte sie 3 Wochen sogar Nachts an. In dieser Zeit lief sie +/-0 am Tag. Wahnsinn. Sie ist sehr robust und bietet für das Geld am meisten Uhr. (Ich konnte sie für 680€ kaufen) Ich liebe diese Uhr am meisten, obwohl ich noch teurere Uhren besitze.

Nice one, Teddy. I've got the black dial variant which I picked up here in the UK for around £525 on sale. It's a great watch, excellent value for money. It wears perfectly on my 6.5" wrist and I've got no complaints whatsoever, I think you covered any weaker points and luckily they aren't areas of importance to me e.g. 19 mm lug width.

My wife gifted me my first certina yesterday for my birthday I really love it thanks wifey❤

Great review Teddy! It was a brilliant move to pickup the Certina line for your store in the US. This brand is so under the radar in the US and offers incredible value. I own two Certina DS Action Divers in 43mm (previous blue version and titanium version), but I had to purchase them from Europe a couple years ago. I love them. They are my absolute go to for swimming and watersports. The sunray burst dials look incredible in the sun and having something over engineered for the purpose gives me piece of mind. I am not sure the current 43mm versions with the ceramic bezels still use the sunray burst dials. Something else I never hear mentioned about these watches is the anti-reflective coating. It's incredible on both my watches. I have never seen another watch anywhere near the level of these. At most viewing angles I can't see any reflection and it appears there is no crystal at all. It looks like you can reach in and touch the dial. It's a shame Cerina didn't use the same micro adjustable clasp on the 38mm as they did on the 43mm. That's a much better clasp.

Finally a review appreciating the history and attributes of this brand. I've own a DS Action Diver CO13407A black dial for several years now and despite its size, 43mm, it looks great on my 6.5" wrist. Great review Teddy.

Certina owner here! I have the blue DS PH200M and I love it. It’s my daily wearer, I love how it looks and the accuracy at its worst is +15 seconds. The nato strap showed wear on it after a year and a half of wearing about every day, which is to be expected. For me, it’s perfect and I highly recommend the brand!

I'm so glad you finally made a video on Certina. I have the 43mm Action Diver in Ceramic green. They are criminally overlooked and underrated. Certina should seriously make them more available to people all around the world.

Yes! So glad to see you cover this - it's my watch and my 'proper' entry into the hobby. Love it.

Thank you so much for this amazing video! Just ordered the watch now and can’t wait to get it on the wrist. Still can’t believe the power reserve that you get out of this thing tho.

I’m living in Sweden and own two Certina watches. DS Caimano Automatic and DS Action Precidrive. The Caimano I’ve had for a bit over 10 years now (serviced once after 5 years) and it’s been great all this time. The DS Action I’ve had for 8 years and it has also held up great. A lot of quality for the money imo.

I remember when I was a small boy in the 60 th Certina was a top seller in my home town in Luxembourg.

I’ve been waiting for this review Teddy 😃 Thank you! Here in Sweden Certina is a big watch brand! I’ve been eyeing this watch a couple of years but haven’t bought it yet. Probably my next purchase. It’s a fantastic watch for the money!

Certina is really the pinnacle when it comes to get the best value for your money! With experience from other Swiss manufacturers, easily with another zero added to the price tag, I must say you will enjoy the brand and the DS Diver to the fullest! True about Certina being a brand popular in the Nordic countries, as I’m a Swedish citizen and see the watches everywhere, as Rolex and Omega.

I have worn the black one for about a year now and it is my daily wearer. This isn’t just comfortable, it literally disappears on my 7 inch wrist. I wear it on a brown leather strap. I think if Certina makes a few tweaks it would be almost perfect: change lug width to 20mm, brushed crown for more traction, stronger lume. Last one is a personal preference but drilled lugs would be great!

I own this watch, I wear it a couple of times a week and I've been taken it to dives and some other adventures. The price and quality are amazing.

My mother has a Certina ladies watch in gold, dating from the 1960s, she loves it. Still looks and works perfectly

finally some love for Certina.. absolutely love them and they have some of the best watches for the price you pay.. love the video

I bought a black dial Certina DS action 38mm as my first proper watch back in 2021 for my 18th. It’s been a proper work horse watch that can go anywhere and do anything. I’m crew for the RNLI, a maritime SAR charity in the UK, and this watch has been by my side the majority of the time and I certainly haven’t babied it. Unobtrusive as it literally disappears on my wrist, but perfect and readable when I need it. Superb size at 38mm and nice simple styling! Also love the aluminium bezel that is ‘patina’-ing lovely with some scratches that tell a story! I wear it on a grey nato and it’s a proper classic look, all in all I think this is the best ‘small’ dive watch out there that can actually be used as a tool, harking back to the proper tool watch era (even though I’m not a diver!)

I’ve had the black dialed on my wrist since a year and it’s just the perfect no nonsense tool watch: No flashy dial, compact and really well proportioned. Boring? Maybe, but you never have to think twice when you put it on in the morning.

A bit late, but still 😊. I live in Sweden and here Certina is well known. I have one my self. Its a precidrive (Quartz) chronograph diver 300m. Had it for 7 years, used it everyday and it has been rock solid. The bracelet on mine is awsome and way better then my new seiko. I think if people get to know them, they will like them.

Proud DS owner, honestly can’t fault it for the price range, also one of the most visually pleasing dive watches ever made imo.

From Sweden and here they are regular or a common watch brand. I bhought one today and I like it alot atm. Feels solid and good quality. This is my first automatic watch never had one before. The size is good since I have smaller wrist like 6.3 or such.

Certina is very underrated for the design and its quality they provide. I owe a DS Nautic since 27 years and i have smashed the bezel back in the days while skateboarding. It scratched hard on a curb and i have had just a small mark at the bezel. Works ever since with no problems. And the 38 mm case is still awesome to wear on my tiny wrist :). If you wanna start into the watch world and your budget is tight but you wanna get great design and great quality i would invest into Certina with no doubt. And in Switzerland where i grew up it is a very well respected brand.

I've worn a full size one for 2 years. The Powermatic80 in it gains less than 30seconds a month.

I have a certina chronograph which I absolutely love. I got it for around 500 USD and if has everything you'd need in a watch. Its got great finishing and sapphire crystal, 100th of a second timekeeping (yes 100th, the big seconds hand looks crazy going that fast) along with a 12 hour totalizer. Most watches this price only have 30 or 60 minute counters. Also 100m wr!

I own the green and I love it. The fact that this is an ISO certified diver to 300m, at 38mm makes it a one-of-a-kind watch these days. I just wish they made them with ceramic, like on the bigger 43mm models. The 43mm are pretty much perfect, except for the size.

I own two of these Certina DS Action Divers in 38mm (plain black dial variant and bicolored variant with black dial and green bezel) and I love them both so much. Greetings from Germany ✌️

I have a 10 years old DS diver 42mm 200 meter. I wear it daily. A great watch. The power reserve I believe is 40 hour. That's the only down side. I contemplating the current DS in 43 mm. Definitely worth the money IMHO

Owned the black / gold two tone and sold it. Bought the black color way a year later. Solid watch. I don't think you can go wrong. Only downside is only 2 points of micro adjustment. Looking to put a strap on it.

Omg! Finally. I was dying for you to upload a video on this watch. I'm going to get one this week!

Yeah, I got a few Certinas in my collection. They also makes some really nice dressier stuff. Probably the most common swiss watch brand in Scandinavia.

Great article on dive watches in your link, really enjoyed reading through that, thanks.

I just scored one on holiday sale for $525. They basically made me buy it!

I got a quartz Certina, from around 1970 I would say, from my partner's grandfather when he passed away. When I got my first job I spent my first paycheck on a Certina dress/everyday watch and I will never sell it. It looks awesome, wears great (39mm case), time keeping is good, the lume is bad but you can't expect much from dress watch. The craftsmanship on Certina watches is awesome; I would go as far as saying it's better than most Tissots. I definitely recommend the brand.

Hi Teddy, I'm from the UK and have had hands on with this model, on paper this seemed like the perfect dive watch for me. I picked the black one in 38mm but ended up selling it within 2 weeks, I just didn't like how it wore at all, I found the effective lug to lug way too long considering the smaller case size. The problem I that I quickly identified is that the male end links don't downturn much and the case is really quite flat meaning the bracelet didn't drape around the my 6.5 inch wrist, this gave it a somewhat rectangular and awkward appearance so it's not one I bonded with. It's funny how something can seem ideal from photos and videos but differ so much in person, I assumed the wearing experience would somewhat echo my Seiko SPB143 and considering I own much larger divers I guessed this would be a safe bet but this wasn't the case. I regularly wear a Seiko Turtle and Orient Triton power reserve, which measure 44.3mm & 43.4mm respectively and these conform to the wrist beautifully, I've considered looking at the 43mm model which has a gorgeous ceramic bezel insert but the relatively flat case shape and male end links appear again in this model so I've written the idea off. That said, the watch itself was really fantastic in terms of specification and build quality, if you've got a wrist of 7.0 inch plus, or just quite flat wrists I don't think the effective lug to lug would be an issue and I would recommend giving it a shot. It's just a shame that Certina decided to go with male endlinks and 19mm lug width which greatly reduces the compatibility with other bracelets and straps.

That’s a great watch! The only thing that would give me pause is the 19mm lugs. If a watch has an odd size lugs or an integrated bracelet, the bracelet that comes on it had better be perfect!

I don't have this model but I do have the Certina PH200m. Definitely a more quirky retro look to it, love wearing it. Come with a decent leather strap but for some reason no bracelet offering. I put a black tropic strap on, looks very good & completes the vintage vibe.

I been thinking of adding Certina to my collection. There are a lot of affordable options and I really like some of their quarz options as well.

if Certaina made the 38mm version with a ceramic bezel and the same clasp as this it would be an instant buy. Come on Certina!

Thank you. Back to normal. No noise in the background.

Hi Teddy. I've had one since they were released. I needed a smaller diver due to my wrist size. I live right here in the USA. I bought mine from the UK and had it shippped. I love it. Looks and fits me perfect.

I’m wearing my Blue DS - Fantastic watch!

My brother has the 43mm and it’s very impressive. Especially for the grey market 600$ price he gave. The clasp on the 43 is way better than on this 38 which is disappointing for those of us with smaller wrists. I’d love to get my hands on the dark titanium version of this 38

Once you try Certina’s quartz chronometers, it’s hard to settle for less given the value. Yes it’s a battery. But 10 seconds a year accuracy, jump hour on some models, temperature and shock protected, and chronographs capable of 1/100second, …it’s hard to keep it off the wrist 🙌🏼

Ive had a DS chrono since 2011. Its been throw hell and back, beaten, dropped, swimming in the ocean, taken sauna baths - and even forgotten once -only to see it go throw a full program in the washing machine. It still looks awesome on my wrist, and works perfect. Its simply spelled quality. With that experience i was comfortable enougj buying yet another Certina: two toned (blue and gold) 43 mm action diver powermatic. And man, its just stunning. + sec/ month.

I brought a Certina DS Chrono from 2022. Unbelievable value and retro design, curve sapphire crystal and looks amazing on my blue / silver strap

I own the two tone gold and steel blue face, 38mm. 30th bday present, and blown away. Very accurate, around 3 seconds a day. Feels solid, very comfortable. Would recommend to anyone. Only critism as the dive clasp (which i dont use) feels a bit cheap. Thanks for the great vids. Would to see a comparison of this watch vs longines Hydroconquest

I’ve had my grandfathers DS Automatic Turtleback since 1978. He wore it from the 60’s till he passed. Works fine for me. Coming up to retire I may just look harder at one of these new breed. Others are just too pricey for me to consider as I like spending money like grandad. Wisely.

I've had a DS Action chrono for about 7 years now. Great quality and a good looking watch. It has been my go-to watch since then.

I own the 43mm in blue. purchased last year in Lucerne, Switzerland. Very happy with my watch. Excellent value for the money.

Have mine on now. Very accurate❤

You nailed it Teddy. This is a great case size and thickness for my 6.5” wrist, and great price point for my wallet.

The titanium with the gray dial and blue lume looks great

I had DS Action for 7 years. I had it on my wrist every day all day. Unfortunately I've lost it. I was so impressed with look and feel of the watch and a fact that you can wear it for almost any occasion and a quality of the watch for that price that I'll be getting new DS Action in the next few days. Only thing that bothered me at the beginning (since I've moved from Quartz to automatic movement) is that I've needed to correct time once in 2-3 weeks.

They also do a titanium version with a blue hint on the lume, very tempting!

Certina is my favorite watch for any situation that involves a risk of shock or water. I do own three of them the ds 4 day-date, the ds2 and now the new DS action diver titanium 38 mm. It is the Jeep Willys of watches if you're American, or Volvo if you're European. I'm impressed by the precision of the powermatic 80 , the least precise I do have, +5 sec/ day, and the most , my DS action 25 sec/a month!

If you check out Certina ads from the 1940s through the 1960s they always highlighted durability. They also provided automatic movements for Hamilton in the 1950s. I have played golf with a 1960 Hamilton with the Certina automatic movement no problems.

Hey Teddy, by chance I looked at these today at my local AD. I actually went to look at the 39mm Longines Hydroconquest, s/s in black on a black rubber strap, which I loved. The Certina looks to have similar build and finish quality, the specs are very close and the dial is also strikingly clear. Its just less than half the price of the Longines. There's also a lovely grey-ish titanium version with pale turquoise lume dots etc, which I think will suit my wife, so I may well buy the two instead of the Longines. Great review, btw.

I love certina, i live in Sweden and certina have always been well known here, if you go into a watch store here its a 99% chance that they are selling certina. actually didnt know that people DIDNT know about this brand, that info shocks me. Quality swiss made watches at a very cheap price

I have a few vintage certina dive watches from the 50s/70s. Love them! Cheers from Portugal Teddy

I own 2 Certina watches. The DS-1 and the DS Podium Precisiondrive GMT. Nice quality watches, very good for everyday wear. I prefer Certina over Tissot, Doxa, Mido and others that are in the same price range.

I live in the US and I have a DS-PH 200M in Black PVD, I believe it’s the same movement as these. I love that watch, I got it as a present and it’s my stealth travel watch, I swapped the suede strap that it came with for a tropic strap. The watch keeps time well, looks nice dressed up or down, and it accompanied me to scatter my grandfather’s ashes in a lake in Central America, Certina’s slogan is “count on me” and it fit that situation very well, I wouldn’t count on any other watch to complete that task. I’ll put my Certina on the same level as my Black Bay any day of the week. Thanks for bringing these stateside, Teddy. PS Certina is also big in Mexico 🇲🇽

Finally you got to the Certina reviews. Thanks, great video. And congratulations on the start of sales of this brand!

Love my Certina DS Action Diver..my first automatic watch.😊

Could you make a video about the new titanium version with grey dial and blue indexes? That looks so cool!

I just bought the black version from your site. This is the watch I have been looking for. A subtle dive watch at 38mm that I can wear with just about anything. Also wanted a watch with a good heritage behind it. Thanks for the review!

I bought a ds podium in 38mm, because its not a diver it has a slim bezel and a much bigger dial than any of my 42mm divers. Built really well, powermatic 80 also. Bought it in Black friday sale 2021 and wore it solid until the clocks went forward next year and it was 10 seconds slow. Since then its not been as good averaging -4s a day perhaps something to do with temperature but it's still within COSC although it make no caims to be. I would happily buy another.

I prefer my older DS Action Diver over the Powermatics due to higher beat rate/ smoother sweep

I have a blue 38mm bought back in October from Jomashop. Absolutely love it. Thanks for finally naming a video on this brand.

My favorite brand actually as they make flawless watches, I have a Rolex and it cant keep time like a DS, i owned DS for about 6 years

I have the black version and it's great. My only complaints are with the crown and bracelet. The crown is a bit too small to use comfortably. The bracelet feels a bit cheap, and the male endlinks don't allow the bracelet to sit nicely along my wrist. The piece is fantastic on a rubber or leather strap though. Would be nice if there were any compatible third-party bracelets! But please keep the small/mid-size divers videos coming!

Legit review. I have been waiting on a USA dealer to handle. Kudos for getting this brand.

I own a Certina DS Nautic Chronograph. It’s a quartz but I find it so unique, charming, and accurate!

I love this watch. Waited for this review for many months. I think Teddy will have much fun in doing reviews of new Certina watches as they are very good quality watches and have nice history.

I have the two tone (Gold & blue) this watch is amazing! I ordered mine on Chrono 24. I like everything about this watch. Looks very elegant, I wish the lume was brighter other than that the watch is just fine I highly recommend it to anyone out there that is looking for a great watch.

I've managed to check this out from an AD here in the Philippines and it really feels as solid as it can get and more for the money. 38-39mm are hard to come by in this range and it's awesome to see a storied brand taking a stab at it and succeeding. My first "real" watch was a Certina purchased 10 years ago and still part of my rotation and it's really offering some great value. And finally, thanks for an in depth review, looking to get one soon 😅

Have had mine for just uder a year now and I LOVE it!

I bought this one in green exactly one year ago today. One of my 3 favourite every day watches, especially in the summertime when I'm in and out of the pool all the time. Other than the clasp, which feels mid-level at best, the rest of the watch feels and looks really good considering it was under 800 euros. Also, it's very accurate, at around +/- 3 s per day, depending on whether I wear it or it's in the winder.

I remember buying the ds furious in orange on a bracelet and 3 months after I bought the blue one on a strap Still have them.... I think certina are making a great comeback

I've been really happy with the Cert DS-4 I picked up on sale. It's my favorite GADA watch.

Great to see this watch get some love, always found it strange it never popped up on lists. Had the blue dial for a year now and it is an absolute peach, really comfortable and the size is perfect. If I had to pick any negative I'd say the clasp isn't top end but for the money, of you're after a smaller diver, this takes some serious beating.

Great review as usual Teddy. On the strength of your review I have just ordered the blue version, so I’m really keen to get it in the next week. You converted me to Hamilton, when I bought a 38mm Murph. So I’m enjoying being able to buy slightly under the radar watches and it helps me decide where I want my collection to go from here. 👍

Finally Teddy reviews my favorite brand 😄🐢👍 thank you Teddy! Wearing the DS-1 big date right now

I looked at a DS First the other day. Astonishing watch for the price...

In Switzerland Certina is very popular

In Poland (Europe), Certina is very well known and respected. I'm surprised that this brand is not known in the US.