Tags: Review | Certina | Women's | Classic
15.3.2022 | 6 MIN
There are some watches that you can't help but swoon over the second you see them. That may not entirely be the case for Certina DS Action Diamonds Powermatic 80 in my opinion. At first glance, there is nothing extraordinary about it but just you wait until you get to find out about everything this subtle ladies' automatic has to offer. Then before you even realise it, it's on the list of your favourites.
Recently, two new women models caught my eye. The first one would be Mido Rainflower with a fine beautiful flower pattern on the dial, sapphires and distinctive cut-outs in the case meant to imitate flowers. I'm really excited about those and if I were to choose a mechanical watch for no more than €1200, they would be in the final selection. Alongside the Hamilton Jazzmaster (because that open heart, am I right…) and Certina DS Action Lady as well, the second model that piqued my interest enough for me to dedicate it a review of its own.
Surprisingly enough, despite their beauty they are somewhat... ordinary. As far as design goes, that is. But when you're putting together a review and you wear that watch every day, observing it from all angles, hear people's comments of praise on it, you start to notice the true strenghts and just how powerful can this seeming simplicity be.
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Let's begin with the design. The producer's photos of the watch probably would not make you want it right there and then. Pretty bold indices, the bordering of diamonds... it's all built somewhat asymmetrically compared to the dial size. It's only when you see them with your own eyes, on your wrist especially, you will come to realise just how well the concept of elegance/sport actually works.
The hour markers, hands and the diamond bordering are in polished steel so the watch gives off a feeling of luxury. Not that it would be all that necessary as the presence of six (certified) diamonds itself will have you feeling extraordinary. However – and that is the mainstay in my opinion – the subtlety is preserved. You don't get an unfashionably shiny model that looks cheap. Not at all, quite on the contrary actually.
The dial itself is rather simple. In terms of colours, we can choose from either the mother-of-pearl variant (which has a special appeal and is a great enticement for its natural subtlety) or the gradient variant, meaning the colour gradually blends into a lighter shade. It might be a relatively simple concept but it's no less interesting to look at. This colour choice is quite popular nowadays, though it's more common with men's models.
In total, there are four colour combinations to choose from: silver with mother-of-pearl dial, golden bicolour with mother-of-pearl, silver with black dial and rose gold bicolour with brown dial.
The processing is also worth mentioning and since this is by no means an inexpensive watch, I would expect nothing less but precision. The surface of case is grounded yet there are fine polished lines along the lugs. The bezel is then polished entirely, which I would say always looks better and somewhat more proper when it comes to classy watches. Let alone with women's models, that should be the clear choice.
The burnished, five-row bracelet might appear robust, but in no way does it take away from the femininity. The butterfly clasp is also fast and comfortable. What is more, the bracelet is made out of steel so it's more durable than, let's say, leather – and durability is one of the major attributes that the DS Action line has to offer.
That durability is exactly why I have such a weak spot for Certina – the DS Action line especially. While I would guard the previously mentioned Mida or Hamilton like the apple of my eye just so nothing happens to them. But Certina is designed to withstand, meaning you don't need to worry about them too much during your daily life.
I'm, of course, also pointing at the exceptional water-resistance that reaches as far as 200 metres. We would expect this value with purely sport watches, or dive watches for that matter. But finding it in a watch you can wear with a suit, elegant dress or festive gown? Rare, to say the least.
For the high water-resistance we can thank not only DS Concept, but also the screw down crown and the case back. Certina put a lot of thought into the crown, which is often the place of the highest risk when it comes to water-resistance, and the screw down crown seals the watch considerably better than a regular crown. Here the crown is even protected by these projections of the case. It may be an aesthetic obstacle for some, but speaking from experience, it's much easier to accidentally break the crown off that it would seem so better be safe than sorry.
Naturally, I was concerned if the protruding crown protection looks "bad" or if it bothers you while you have the watch on your wrist, however, none of my worries were proven to be true. The watch looks just amazing.
Speaking of wrists, I can't help but praise the size variants and how comfortable the watch is while wearing. The diameter of the case is 34,5 mm so it isn't a chunky watch but considering the robustness, it's quite far from puny as well. And for my 14,5 cm wrist, the size is just perfect. That was probably the point where this model started winning me over.
Similarly, the smaller rows, that don't stick out anywhere, allow the steel bracelet to nicely wrap around your wrist. Yet, we are still talking about steel here so you will feel the watch on your wrist, but it's definitely not a weight that would unpleasantly pull you to the ground.
Now that we've gotten to know the outside of the watch, it's time to look inside as well since that is what sets this model apart from the wide spectrum of women's watches on the market. The DS Action has a mechanical movement Powermatic 80.611 with automatic winding. That already tells us a thing or two – mainly a very gratifying power reserve of 80 hours and antimagnetic qualities because of spring made out of Nivachron.
Especially with ladies watches, I would say that antimagnetism is quite a big of a deal. Think of all the hairdryers, curlers, purses or wallets with magnetic clips... The proximity to these objects could torment the watch a bit after all and the consequent inaccurate performance would be a headache as well. Nivachron is built on titanium, a material that is naturally antimagnetic, so the watch should be safe even when exposed to a larger magnetic field.
I was also pleasantly surprised with how quiet the watch is, compared to my Seiko Presage it's really a noticeable change. You could even say that Powermatic 80 combined with Nivachron is currently the best you can find at Certina, for a reasonable price as well.
To sum this article up merely for practicality, here we have a model with reliable, high-quality automatic movement, remarkable water-resistance, quality processing of both the steel case and bracelent, and a dial adorned with maybe small, but no less real diamonds.
For me, Certina is a clear proof that you can have a beautiful, elegant ladies watch that is mechanical and durable at the same time. There are only few alternatives that would contain this many qualities for such price, and I can hardly remember any of them. Perhaps Certin DS PH200M Powermatic 80, but those are downright for divers.
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I might have rejected Certina DS Action Automatic in the beginning for the design simplicity, but eventually, I was persuaded about their true potential on present-day market. The elegance makes it possible to wear in formal settings and the durability will satisfy any hard-to-please owners, who don't want to worry about their watch too much. We also can't forget ladies, who just yielded to the magic of mechanical watches...
However, if this model is not entirely to your taste, be sure to take a look at the other mechanical watches of ours, and if you don't insist on the mechanical movement but still want this all-purpose, subtle design, you surely can't miss out on the popular Certina DS Action Lady Precidrive C032.051, which already lured a great number of women in. Only time will show if the mechanical alternative gets as much recognition.
