Certina DS-1 Big Date Special Edition Review

Today we are going to talk about Certina DS-1 Big Date watch. This release somehow slipped unnoticed by me, but now I had a chance to play with this beauty. New model celebrates 60’s anniversary of the well-known series. There are some special changes which we will discuss further in this article.
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Special

Certina DS-1 Big Date comes as the special edition from the famous watchmaker. Don’t confuse it with limited edition, here we don’t have any limits of the production number. This watch gets new features – those can’t be found on any of existing DS-1 watches. New model comes only in one color combination, so don’t search for other editions.

Watch arrives in large wooden box. This is another thing which special for DS-1 Big Date. I guess it might be a good display stand for your green beauty.

There is also another Special Edition in Heritage collection from Certina – Himalaya. I recommend to take a look so that you can understand why Big Date has all the chances to become a great buy.

Dial

In my opinion, dial is something truly special in this watch. This deep green color looks amazing in person. Fade effect adds interest and makes this watch a bit more sophisticated. On the other hand, such design doesn’t have influence on readability. Large hands are easy to find, so it is just a matter of quick glance to read the time. Both minute and hour hands are made as sharp triangular “blades”. Such style suits indices here.

Anniversary watch also features special “big date window”. Well, this element is noticeably larger than what we are used to see on average watch. Some people thought that such big window would be used for jumping hours, but no – you see the date indicator here. Cutout window features chrome borders what adds fine touch and looks in place here. White backing makes it easy to read the date and doesn’t break overall look of the dial.

Separate word should be said about indices. Wedge-shaped elements remind of claws holding the dial insert. Note that those parts don’t reach the edge of the dial, they are slightly shifted to the center. Dial edge is dedicated to white marks. All other writings are also printed with white color and only DS-1 logo and Certina sign got the chrome treatment.

Case

It is good to see such calm and clean design in current times of aggressive styling everywhere. This watch just goes opposite and brings us something beautiful to look at. It reminds of classic dress watches which were trendy in 60’s.

Stainless steel case measures reasonable 41mm, what makes it enjoyable to wear on average wrist. Slightly curved lugs add to the comfort. Certina designers decided to use several finishes on these parts, what certainly adds visual interest.

It is surprising to see solid caseback here. Metal part features large “60” on it, what should remind you of DS anniversary. All this looks fine, but I would rather prefer a clear cover to appreciate the beauty of the movement inside. It is special here, and deserves separate mention.

Movement

Certina decided to go all in and install Powermatic 80 inside. This is relatively fresh calibre which is used in some of Swatch Group creations. Addition of Nivachron balance spring made it possible to achieve even better results. 80 hours power reserve should be more than enough for everyday use. There are not that many watches which can offer the same specs for such price.

The same calibre can be found in recent Gentleman watch from Tissot. We have to check it, but it is cool to have such variety of designs from several brands. Today’s watch definitely gets an extra point for Powermatic 80 movement inside.

Strap

DS-1 Big Date comes with milanese strap and I can’t think of any other option that would compliment this elegant case. There is a catch – watchmaker decided to use quite unusual design. Strap features special inserts in clasp area what should make it easier to adjust the size. It is not difficult to notice those segments, so some owners wouldn’t be happy. Well, nobody stops you from replacing original strap with “full milanese” one.

The only thing I can suggest – do not replace this strap in favor of leather option. Believe me, milanese strap is the right choice here.

In Use

First of all DS-1 Big Date comes with polished finish EVERYWHERE. Don’t even think about treating it harshly or you will end up with ugly scratches. This is typical for polished parts, so there is no surprise. Be careful, and watch will save its appearance for longer time.

Round case is easy to wear and mesh strap doesn’t reduce the comfort. I guess this size can be called as universal for every wrist, unless you have really thin one. 🙂 Case is not that thick and smooth curves make it easy to hide the watch under the sleeve. The only thing you will have to deal with – shortening mesh strap, but here it should be relatively easy process.

Certina DS-1 Big Date – Price

It is surprising that there is no huge premium for “specialty” of that model. Price set at 900 CHF what is quite reasonable amount to ask. Look at this watch – beautiful classic design, great movement and unusual dial finish. Is there anything else you can wish for? In my opinion DS-1 Big Date might be a perfect choice for those who would like to find something elegant to wear. There is no production number limit, but something hints me that it won’t be big.

I wish other manufacturers would follow this trend. Special Edition would look more complete if they start to add more new features to bring out such watch among others. Well, Certina DS-1 Big Date might be a perfect example to follow. 🙂