Certina DS SUPER PH1000M STC Review

Certina has a long history of producing quality watches that stretches all the way back to 1888 when brothers Adolf and Alfred Kurth founded their watchmaking workshop. By the time the new century rolled around, the brothers were producing complete watches under the name Grana. The name Certina first started being used in the 1930s.

The next huge milestone for Certina came in the 1950s when they started to develop their DS model. The 1950s saw a huge explosion in the popularity of recreational diving and underwater exploration. Fueled by dive watches like the Blancpain Fifty Fathoms and Rolex Submariner, many watch manufactures started to look at developing their own waterproof watches.



Certina was one of these brands looking to expand their offerings into dive watches. Certina identified a few critical needs for what would eventually become their DS Concept, DS standing for Double Security. Certina believed the watch would need to be able to absorb shocks which lead to the movement floating on a flexible ring. Next they felt the case needed to be reinforced, which was accomplished by thickening both the front crystal as well as the case back. Speaking of the crystal, Certina also wanted the crystal to be scratch resistant so they used a highly scratch resistant material for its design. Finally Certina wanted the watch to be as waterproof as possible, this was accomplished by using multiple gaskets and seals throughout the watch’s construction.

In 1959 Certina released the DS-1 to much praise from both professional and non-processional customers. The DS-1 was crafted out of stainless steel and had a case diameter of 36mm, while smaller than some of the dive watches of the time, it was still considered a good sized men’s watch. The movement was an automatic Certina 25-40 automatic caliber which was already well trusted by the time of the release of the DS-1. The DS-1 also featured a hesalite crystal which helped with the scratch resistance of the front glass.



Furthermore the DS-1 boosted an unheard of 200 meters of water resistance through its use of gaskets, o-rings and a reinforced case back. The floating movement was resistant to shocks but also resisted magnetic fields through the case construction. Magnetic fields are well known to interfere with the accuracy of the movement.

Following the DS-1 a few DS models went on to be defining watches in the history of dive watches. The DS-2 Super PH 500 M took part in the Tektite underwater experiment where four scientists lived underwater for two months in 1969. The 1970s saw the creation of the DS-3 Super PH1000M that could reach record breaking depths of 1,000 meters, which was unheard of at the time. The DS-3 Super PH1000M also featured a unique cushion shaped design, with PH designating “Pression Hydrostatique” or “Hydrostatic Pression” in French.



Today we’ll be looking at a modern take on that same DS-3 Super PH1000M, the Certina DS Super PH1000M STC. Certina did do a modern re-interpretation of the DS-3 Super PH1000M in the 2000s, this model is more an evolution of the model. This watch also pays tribute to the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) which Certina is partnered with and donates to as well. Well into Certina’s history, they have adopted the Sea Turtle as their logo to showcase their case strength and water resistance, so it is fitting for the brand to honor and help in the protection of these sea creatures.

A few weeks ago we did an article about the release of the DS Super PH1000M STC and I thought it would be a great watch to do an in-depth review on. I reached out to Certina asking for a watch to review and they graciously accepted. Within a few days the DS Super PH1000M STC arrived and I couldn’t wait to get to know it better.



The first thing that grabbed my attention when looking at the DS Super for the first time was the cushion shaped case. I think this was the first thing I noticed since I just reviewed a Doxa SUB 300 Carbon a few days ago which featured a similar case shape. Although they are similar in case shape the execution is night and day. While the DOXA was forged out of carbon, the Certina is made out of stainless steel. The lines on the Certina just look much sharper, but that probably has to do with the hard edges of steel versus forged carbon. I’m not sure why, but the DOXA has more of an appearance of a round watch being sandwiched in a flat cushion case that the Certina doesn’t have. I might be due to the fact that the cushion shaped sides of the DOXA are much slimmer than they are on the Certina.

The next thing I noticed was the general color scheme of the watch. The dial and bezel are called “Blue” by Certina, but I’d say it’s more of a teal blue green. The aluminum bezel along with the dial are done in this teal hue, and depending on the light can look anywhere from a more reserved deeper blue all the way to a vibrant teal in direct sunlight. The watch hands along with the applied indices are coated in white Super Luminvoa that glow blue in low light and the minute hand is done in brilliant orange. We love the throwback to an orange minute hand on a diver. The dial looks great under the anti reflective coated sapphire crystal as well.



The final thing I noticed about the DS Super PH1000M STC upon my initial time with it was the bezel mechanism. The DS Super features a unidirectional diver’s bezel with 60 clicks to a full rotation. Nothing special there for certain, but what ended up taking my attention was the safety mechanism Certina employs to ensure the bezel isn’t moved by mistake during a dive, which can be a life ending mistake. To rotate the bezel, you must push down on the bezel and then turn it. Just turning the bezel does nothing unless pushed down as well. This is a brilliant system and one used by my personal favorite dive watch of all time, the IWC GST Aquatimer 2000, which I also personally own. It’s an ingenious solution and I’m not sure why more watches don’t feature this bezel lockout feature. Certina started using the feature in the 1960s on their DS-2 500M model, so it’s nice to see it on this new release.

Now that we’ve covered the history of Certina along with some of my initial thoughts on the model, let’s move on to the facts and features of the DS Super PH1000M. The case of the DS Super is crafted out of 316L stainless steel and has a case diameter of 43.5mm. The lug to lug length is 47.7 mm and the case thickness is 14.3 mm. On our scale we recorded its weight to be 124 grams. These are pretty much in line with the dimensions you’d want out of a dive watch, but still compact enough to make it under some cuffs and not look out of place in more formal situations.



We spoke a little bit about the dial and its use of teal, white and orange elements. While sticking with the traditional watch design of a thick hour hand and skinner minute hand makes sense on most watches, having an oversized minute hand does make sense on a diver since it is what is used to time your dives along with the bezel. Although the minute hand is bright orange, having it be a little more obvious would have been a nice and traditional dive watch touch. Serious nitpicking here though…

Each hour block index while coated in Super Luminova also has an orange maker next to it. These orange markers are well integrated into the white minute track around the outer dial. The Certina logo along with “automatic” text can be found at 12 o’clock and at 6 o’clock you have the “DS Super PH1000M” and “Swiss Made” text. Finishing off the dial is the white backed date window at 3 o’clock. Recently I’ve been complaining a lot about brands cramming in a date window for no real reason, but the date window actually works well on the DS Super PH1000M.



The teal aluminum bezel insert is located inside of a rather tall and aggressively scalloped bezel. Like mentioned earlier, the bezel requires being pushed down to rotate. The bezel provides tons of friction to your fingers meaning it should work well with dive gloves. The bezel action is very sure and there is a low chance of setting the bezel incorrectly. The bezel insert has each 5 minute mark done in a number up to 55 with 0/60 being a lumed triangle.

The side of the case has the thin profile of the cushion case which slopes sharply along your wrist. The top of the case is satin finished, while the sides are polished. The left hand side features a cutout for the helium relief valve. On the right hand side you have the screw down crown along with the Certina logo on top of it. Once the crown is unscrewed you are able to manually wind the movement. Pulling out to position one allows you to set the day, while position two allows you to set the time.



Flipping over the watch shows you the solid case back along with the logo of the Sea Turtle Conservancy. The STC was started in 1959 by sea turtle expert Dr. Archie Carr and in the decades since is regarded as the most important organization to research, rehab and protect sea turtles. The screw down case back also has most of the important information about the watch engraved on it such as the water resistance of 1,000 meters. The case back is mostly polished, which matches the sides of the case.

Underneath the case back and powering the DS Super is the ETA Powermatic 80.611 automatic Swiss made movement. While not technically in-house, ETA is a sister company to Certina with both being owned by the Swatch Group and the movement was produced exclusively for Certina’s needs. The Powermatic 80 is successor to the wildly popular and proven ETA 2824-2 but upgraded to today’s standards. The main difference between the old 2824-2 and the newer Powermatic 80 is the rise in the power reserve from around 40 hours to 80 hours. One of the ways ETA was able to double the power reserve is to lower the frequency to 21,600 vph (3Hz) from the old 28,800 (4Hz) of the 2824-2. One side effect of this is a less fluid sweep of the seconds hand, giving much more of a “ticking” quality. The Powermatic 80 also uses a larger barrel, allowing for more stored energy. The Powermatic 80 has been out for over 10 years, so concerns of its reliability versus the old 2824-2 shouldn’t be much of a concern now.



On our timegrapher the Powermatic 80.611 in the DS Super PH1000M STC alternated between 0 and + 1 seconds per day of accuracy. Once again another “off the shelf” movement put up amazingly accurate chronometer crushing accuracy. I’m not sure if we’re just lucky, but I’m almost expecting ETA and Sellita calibers to be at +/- 0 seconds a day at this point. It’s getting pretty rare to even get a watch OUTSIDE of chronometer specifications now.

The lug width on the DS Super is a strapoholic 20 mm, meaning you will literally have an endless choice of straps to put on the watch if you are not happy with the stock rubber strap. I don’t know why you’d want to change the FKM black rubber strap on this watch though… I have to say the rubber they use on the DS Super is one of the most comfortable rubber straps I’ve put on. There is zero need for break in, with the strap being as good as it gets right from the factory. The strap has orange stitching down each side that perfectly matches the minute hand and indices as well. The back of the strap is grooved to help it stay in place and features the turtle shell logo as well as Certina text. The rubber strap features a quick release spring bar making strap changes a breeze.



The rubber strap of the DS Super slightly tapers down to 18 mm at the stainless steel pin buckle. The buckle is satin finished with a polished pin which is rectangular shaped. The buckle is branded with Certina text on top. Normally I’m a huge proponent of deployant clasps on watches, but on the DS Super a pin buckle just feels right. The watch retails just over $1,000, so it’s not like dropping the watch will end in financial ruin like it would on a watch costing 5 or 6 figures.

On wrist the Certina DS Super PH1000M STC is a dream. I don’t know if I’m getting more used to wearing watches with under 50 mm lug to lug lengths, but I felt the DS Super and its 47.7 mm lug to lug measurement fit well. I actually had my 46 mm IWC Top Gun Flyback Chronograph with its 57 mm lug to lug at my desk while reviewing the DS Super and it felt fine on wrist as well. I guess my lower end size range has expanded without hurting my upper end range. The watch sat in the center of my wrist and didn’t favor either side of my wrist. The 124 gram weight of the watch was always present, but it never caused me any wrist fatigue. The FKM rubber strap is just sublime and was probably a huge aid in how I felt about wearing the watch.



I never had a chance to take the DS Super PH1000M in the water, but I’m sure it would perform more than admirably. It mostly accompanied me running errands and out to a meal and drinks here and there. The color scheme of the watch worked well with my dress of a black t-shirt, shorts and sneakers. I personally love everything orange since we live in Austin Texas and orange is pretty much the official color of the city.

I had a few strangers and acquaintances ask me about the watch while I wore it out. Most really liked the color of the dial and the orange minute hand, which isn’t surprising. I think from now on I’ll rate a watch from 1 to 10, with 10 being the most attention grabbing watch out there. I feel the DS Super slots in somewhere between a 4 and 5 on this scale. It really doesn’t get noticed too much due to the black rubber strap and satin case finish. I feel if the watch had a black dial, the watch would be completely incognito. The teal dial and bezel along with the bright orange minute hand definitely catch some looks though. I guess this could equally be looked at as positive or negative based on how much of an extrovert you are.



While the Certina DS Super PH1000M STC offers amazingly good bang for the buck at $1,000, there are tons of other great dive watches in this price segment of the market. Now would be a great time to take a look at a few of them and see how they stack up the DS Super.

Let’s first start with the Seiko Prospex “Turtle” SRPE93. This watch is slightly larger than the DS Super at 45 mm and is crafted out of stainless steel. The SRPE93 only offers 200 meters of water resistance compared to the 1,000 meters found on the Certina. The Seiko doesn’t have a sapphire crystal either and relies on a hardlex crystal instead, which doesn’t offer the same level of scratch resistance. Both watches also feature the more vintage inspired cushion case design as well. Finally the Seiko caliber 4R36 only offers 41 hours of power reserve versus the 80 hours found in the Certina. The Seiko does come in at only $495 versus the $1,000 of the Certina.



Next we can take a look at the Tissot Seastar 2000 Powermatic 80. This watch is a stable mate inside the Swatch Group of Certina and uses a similar Powermatic 80 automatic movement from ETA. The Seastar is a bit larger than the Certina as well at 46 mm crafted out of stainless steel. The Seastar has a traditional round case shape, more in line of a classic dive watch like a Rolex Submariner. The Seastar only offers 600 meter of water resistance versus the 1,000 meters found in the DS Super. The retail price of the Seastar is pretty much in line with the Certina as well being $1,075.

Moving on we have the Oris Aquis Date crafted out stainless steel and measuring 43.5 mm. The Oris is nearly two and a half times more expensive than the Certina at $2,500. The caliber inside of the Oris is based off of a Sellita SW-200 off the shelf movement and offers about half the power reserve of the DS Super. The Aquis has 300 meters of water resistance versus the 1,000 meters found on the Certina as well.



Finally we have the Christopher Ward C60 Elite 1000 with a 42 mm titanium case. The watch comes in at around $300 more than the Certina and also boasts a full 1,000 meters of water resistance. The movement inside of the C60 Elite is a Sellita SW220 off the shelf movement featuring a day and date complication and half the power reserve of the DS Super.

As you can see, these four alternatives to the Certina DS Super PH1000M STC all offer their own pluses and minuses, with some being a little bit cheaper and some being more expensive. The DS Super fits in very well with a nice balance of value for money, excellent movement with a long power reserve and a stunning 1,000 meters of water resistance. When you add in the rich history of Certina in the diving space, the DS Super PH1000M STC is a no brainer.



Now would I purchase the Certina DS Super PH1000M STC for myself personally? For two reasons I probably wouldn’t… first I think the watch with its cushion case and tight lugs make the watch wear a little small for its case diameter. I like a watch to cover more of my wrist than the DS Super does with its 47.7 mm lug to lug. Secondly, I prefer more exotic case materials in my personal collection. I know most people love stainless steel, but I only own watches crafted out of titanium, ceramic and carbon. If Certina made a version of the DS Super PH1000M out of titanium that had say a 50 to 52 mm lug to lug, I’d be all about it.

So would I recommend the Certina DS Super PH1000M to somebody looking for an affordable yet extremely capable diver? Yes with no hesitation! The case and lug design of the DS Super allow the watch to be worn on smaller wrists, while the large case diameter still looks fine on larger wrists given the smaller lug to lug length. The 1,000 meters of water resistance is extremely hard to find on even much more expensive watches, so the fact that Certina can offer this at $1,000 is amazing. The ties to vintage Certina models in both name, depth and touches like the orange minute hand is also an added bonus. The Powermatic 80 in this model offers over 3 days of power reserve and dead accuracy as well. Finally the rubber strap is just so comfortable, it really is one of the nicest rubber straps I’ve had on my wrist. The slower seconds sweep and vintage cushion case shape could be the only things that could give somebody pause on this watch, if they’re fine with both, this watch is one crazy nice watch for the price.



I would really like to thank Certina for sending us this DS Super PH1000M STC to review. This has been the second Certina I’ve spent extended wrist time with over the past few months and I’m really starting to get a real appreciation for the brand. I can’t wait to see what we get in next from Certina to review.

For more information about the DS Super PH1000M please visit : Certina

Technical Specifications

Reference Number: C024.907.17.041.10

Retail Price: CHF 915 (~ $1,030)

Case Size: 43.5 mm

Lug to Lug: 47.7 mm

Thickness: 14.3 mm

Weight: 124 Grams

Case Material:  316L Stainless Steel

Bezel: Aluminum

Strap: FKM Rubber with Stainless Steel Pink Buckle

Movement: ETA Powermatic 80.611

Functions: Hours, Minutes, Seconds, Date

Power Reserve: 80 Hours

Water Resistance: 1,000 Meters