Certina DS PH200M Powermatic 80 Review

This time we are going to talk about the new diver watch – Certina DS PH200M. Well, its actual name is a bit longer, and you can find it above. It also hints on the movement inside which is similar to recent releases from the same brand. The main difference is that this time we should get beautiful diving watch instead of classic “dress” version. That’s why I decided to take a closer look at this new offer.
Here you can read about another Certina watch.
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Get this watch here, on Helveti webshop.

Dial

Don’t expect surprises here. Dial comes in classic styling and I like it. Deep blue color is accompanied with white indices. Moreover, all “main” indices have a golden border around them. This is a neat touch which doesn’t look extra. Note that golden lines cross in center. As for writings, here you will find Certina logo and model name together with traditional “Swiss Made” inscription in the bottom area.

Handset features sabre-like hours and minutes hands in golden color. Seconds hand comes in white with large luminous pointer at the end. Of course, main hands are also covered with luminous material as well as indices. Date window is white and can be found in classic spot. Overall case size equals to 42.8mm, but dial takes maybe 60% of that space. Just take a look at photos and you will understand what I am talking about.

Such design creates impression of “protection” around dial. Whole watch feels as a more sturdy timepiece because of this. Yes, it is more of mind tricks, but they work, you know. 🙂 By the way, whole dial is covered with domed sapphire glass – another feature which adds to classic look of this watch. You can see curve of this glass in our video and photos.

Case

Certina DS PH200M comes with stainless steel case. All sides are polished, so you will have to be careful in order to avoid unnecessary scratches. Case thickness equals to 12.6mm, so it is not as thick as it might look on photos and video. Screwed crown is easy to operate, just make sure to properly tighten it afterwards.

Bezel is a quite prominent part on this watch which is difficult to miss. This is a ceramic blue-colored part with golden accents. It looks great in person and that’s the only part which carries some digits on it. Ratcheting has nice sound to it, so I recommend to try it in person if you would have a chance.

I have to admit my surprise when I found out that this watch comes with clear caseback. Yes, current strap version covers it, but who knows, maybe you will install something different later.

Strap

Certina DS PH200M comes with blue nato strap. It looks and feels nice, moreover, there is leather section to reinforce perforated area. I would say that this part of watch is also on the top level and you won’t have any problems with it.

Some owners might want to change the strap as I wrote above. Well, blue-colored dial is a universal choice, so you are more than welcome to experiment with possible color combos on your watch. I would recommend to try to find original Certina milanese strap which is offered with black version.

Movement

I hope you already guessed what “Powermatic 80” means. Yes, this is a movement inside, and to be precise, we get ETA Powermatic 80.611 in today’s watch. This caliber uses Nivachron spring and has impressive power reserve of 80 hours.

Such number is more than enough for everyday use. Note that you can also check the movement through clear caseback. Yes, this part is transparent on diver watch and it looks nice in person. The only thing you have to do – pull out the strap.

In Use

Watch size is in reasonable numbers, so it sits nicely on average-sized wrist. Moreover, it might be fine even on thin wrists, thanks to slightly curved lugs. Crown is big enough and easy to operate, the same can be said about bezel. By the way, lume comes in blue color here – nice small touch from Swiss watchmaker. Its brightness is on the reasonable level, and all segments get charged quickly.

Dial is perfectly legible, I didn’t have any issues here. The only thing that might be worth doing – removing the name from the watchface in order to have a clean surface. I know that Certina won’t do it, but just imagine this watch without writings in the lower area. It is worth noting this slight curve of the glass edge. This element adds visual interest because watch “plays” with reflections on the bright light.

Certina DS PH200M – Price

Today’s watch comes with 1000EUR price tag. That’s not a small amount and it places DS PH200M in a quite packed market area. You will find a lot of interesting diver watches from famous brands, so what might make you shift towards Certina? In my opinion we have two important things here. First is design of this watch, calm elegant design would be suitable in any situation with any outfit. It might be a perfect everyday partner for you, especially if you would like to have one watch for all cases. Second thing is the modern caliber. 80 hours power reserve is not a joke and there are few rivals that can offer something equal.

All in all we get beautiful timepiece which looks great and packs good tech for reasonable price tag. As usual, final decision is up to you and your tastes. Feel free to write your opinion in the comments section below.