Certina Launches New DS-Powermatic 80 Watches

If you’re looking for a simple three-hander that won’t burn a substantial hole in your pocket – bingo. The Certina DS Powermatic 80 watch is a daily beater that won’t falter under pressure. Its classic dial comes in few iterations and there’s also a selection of leather bands and colourful, quirky canvas straps to choose from. Meet the new Certina DS Powermatic 80 watches – a range of affordable dress watches with an impressive 80-hour power reserve. 

Certina is upping its game right now. It has produced some stunning timepieces this year, namely those from the DS Powermatic 80 watch collection – all powered by a reliable automatic movement but with different case sizes and materials to choose from.

Turtles and toughness

The new Powermatic 80 watch from Certina belongs to the DS range of wristwatches and makes for a reliable and functional tool with bucket loads of elegance. Although strongly associated with Certina dive watches in particular, the brand also offers other watches from the DS range that look more classic and timeless whilst still promising to protect the internal mechanism of the watch whether water-borne or not. After all, the DS system relies on O-ring seals around the crown and the setting stem. Watches integrated with this concept also feature a sealed and reinforced caseback. These principles resemble the toughness of a turtle shell, hence the influence behind the company adopting the logo during the 1960’s. To reiterate, DS watches from Certina are;

Scratch-resistant; achieved through the use of a strong anti-reflective sapphire crystal glass front

Anti-magnetic; Courtesy of Nivachron technology used in the hairspring – a component that would normally be affected by magnetism in a standard wristwatch

Water-resistant; achieved through said O-ring and gaskets to aid water resistance even when the crown is pulled out.

What’s in a movement?

Of course, the beauty of an automatic movement is that it relies on the natural movements of your wrist to keep the small timekeeping elements powered up. You’re kind of at one with a self-winding watch. You’re on the same page. When you tick – the watch ticks. When you go to sleep or have to be apart from your watch, the movement’s power reserve will ensure it keeps perfect time for you. The Certina DS Powermatic 80 watch uses the POWERMATIC 80.611 Calibre which, as its name suggests, will provide a power reserve of 80 hours. It is also fitted with the Nivachron balance spring mentioned earlier.

Now, the Nivachron balance spring is an innovative piece of kit in itself. It is a non-magnetic compensating alloy that aims to resist the magnetic fields that cause a reduction in the efficiency and performance of the movement. The balance spring is made of a titanium base that is highly effective against temperature variations. To top it off, the construction is incredibly shock resistant, working in conjunction with the rest of the features to significantly improve chronometric performance. As mentioned, the Powermatic 80 movement is equipped with an impressive 80-hour power reserve – a useful feature that will prove itself particularly handy during weekends where you may want to swap the watch out with another Certina favourite. That said, why would you even need to? The new DS Powermatic 80 models combine a sense of elegance with a very robust design that can withstand harsh external environments whilst looking incredibly sophisticated the entire time. This is down to the DS concept, based on those values of water resistance, resilience and robustness. Earlier this week I covered the Certina DS Super PH500M watch and there’s a little bit more information on the DS concept here.

The new options

In powerful dial colours of white, rich blue and deep green, the new Certina DS Powermatic 80 watches offer an innovative interchangeable strap system and boast a subtle vintage charm that kind of resembles the DS-1 Big Date model, designed in celebration of the brand’s 1959 DS concept. Pretty much all of the newer DS models now run on the Powermatic 80 movement, mainly due to the engine’s remarkable shock resistance and anti-magnetic properties mentioned earlier. But Certina’s style is definitely pushing the boundaries a little, and these new DS Powermatic 80 watches certainly aren’t ticking all the “sports watch” boxes anymore. They resemble a more “dress watch” styling with a clear and easy-to-read dial with shard-like indexes around the hour track and a set of tapering hands.

The Certina DS Powermatic 80 ref: C038.407.18.037.00 is a white dialled model with a dark green NATO style strap and a steel buckle to match the material of the watch’s 100-meter water-resistant case. The other white dial, the ref: C038.407.38.037.00, is finished on a tan, white and black striped NATO textile strap, paired with a rose gold PVD-coated stainless steel case. With strong heritage references, the timepiece is probably the most vintage-inspired of all the new releases. The Certina DS Powermatic ref: C038.407.18.047.00 is a steel model finished on a tan, dark blue and white striped NATO strap, whilst the ref; C038.407.16.097.00 is showcased on a classic brown leather strap which marries beautifully with a deep green dial.

All models feature Arabic numerals located at 12, 6 and 9 o’clock, balanced by a date aperture at 3 o’clock. A lens of sapphire crystal glass protects the surface of the dial, emblazoned with the “Certina 1888” lettering. Both of the white models also parade a stunning blued second hand. With a depth of 10.9mm and a diameter of 41mm, the case of the watch sits nicely against the wrist. The models all come integrated with the Quick Release System, which enables you as the wearer the chance to switch the straps over to a NATO or leather band alternative without the need for any tools.

If you’d like any more details on the new Certina DS Powermatic watches, you can check the new additions out on the following link or call a member of our Jura Watches team on 01335 453453