Certina DS Podium Chronograph Automatic introduction – Elegant with racing in its DNA

Tags: Presentation | Certina | Men's | Classic | Traditional

12.5.2021 | 5 MIN

A watch with an incredible charisma? The men's Certina DS Podium Chronograph Automatic with an ageless, sporty-elegant design received a few minor but effective adjustments in 2021, and I must say it fits it. We are expecting the arrival soon, specifically in May of this year, so let's take a brief look at them.

About the DS Podium line – Racers by every inch

To show how the new DS Podium is different and innovative, it is necessary to put them into the context of the entire  DS Podium line. Models from this line fit into the Certina sports collection with the distinctive name Sport, which gets its inspiration in motosport – we often find the chronograph function (stopwatch) in DS Podium watches, with some having an accuracy of 1/100 s (in motorsport tenths of a second also play a role).

The DS Podium sports line was introduced by Certina in 2005, when the brand sealed ties with the then Swiss Formula 1 racing team Sauber Petronas. The team debuted the F1 race in 2005 and as an expression of support, Certina introduced the DS Podium line. And ever since, there is a racing DNA in all the DS Podium watches.

Certina is characterized by a really elaborate workmanship of cases, and that applies especially to sports models with the DS mark.

DS stands for the so-called Double Security concept – ie double protection, which includes several security elements: reinforced sapphire crystal, sealing ring on the crown shaft, double crown seal, special seal in the back of the case, reinforced back of the case. Watches with the DS mark are thus especially resistant to mechanical influences and at the same time well protected against a water ingress – all watches with the DS mark are also water resistent to a minimum of 100M.

It has to be said that DS Podium is a strictly men's business, which is confirmed by the size of the case that is usually, specifically in the models with chronograph, around 44 mm, making the modern sports pieces look good. Watches from the DS Podium line is thus one of the largest watches from Certina, and thanks to the constant popularity of large watches, but also quality workmanship, timeless, sporty-elegant designs and affordable prices, it has become one of the brand's most popular series.

Watch with a typical "racing" design from the DS Podium series.

However, as far as automatic chronographs go, they have so far been available in a 42 mm case. But as the dictate of modern times call for an even bigger watch, Certina decided to listen to it and introduced a newer version of automatic chronographs in a 44 mm case, which we will talk about today.

In the previous chronographs, we could find in addition to quartz models with the extremely precise Swiss Precidrive movement, also automatic with the ETA C01.211 movement, which however did not have an antimagnetic fiber made of the innovative Nivachron alloy, which increases the accuracy of the movement. And that has also changed this year.

The new DS Podium will impress with its size, sporty charisma and classic elegance

This year's DS Podium finally got a "men's" size of 44 mm, which a size only his quartz siblings had so far. Certina also left them more distinctive sports colors, as if she subconsciously sensed that lovers of mechanics would be more interested in the muted shades of metal and the classic brown leather strap with an alligator embossing, which generally gives a more luxurious, sophisticated impression.

It is the enlarged dimensions of the steel case and dial that make the seemingly busy sports elements stand out, which, however, do not detract from the clarity of the watch and relatively good readability. The readability is also enghanced both raised Arabic numerals and large indices in a color that contrasts with the background of the dial, as well as the excellent luminescence of Super-LumiNova on wide hands and also an anti-reflective layer on a sapphire, practically non-scratch glass.

Certina's design is well recognized on the watch - from the contrast of a polished bezel and cut elegantly elongated lugs, through the depth of the dial, around which goes a wider chapter ring with a minute scale, to decorating the chronograph sub-dials with effective engraving of concentrated circles. It would seem there are too many details on the watch, but Certina has successfully kept it under control and the overall look seems perfectly harmonious.

Another interesting detail is the "racing" tachymetric scale, which would normally play a lead role in sports watches. In the new DS Podium, however, it is somehow muted as the embossing of small numbers with black color recedes into the background and lets the rather elegant side of the watch stand out.

The tachymeter on a watch is basically a mechanism for measuring the average speed on a precisely determined section through which the body passes in less than one minute. The measuring is performed using a numerical scale, which essentially converts time to speed, usually using a stopwatch, which is a part of a watch with a tachymetric scale. The tachymetric scale is either a fixed, non-rotatable bezel, or we can find it on the inside on the circumference of the dial.

As I mentioned earlier, inside the watch there is a Swiss ETA C01.211 mechanical movement with automatic winding, which in addition to a power reserve of 45 hours, hacking and manual winding also includes a Nivachron alloy fiber, which increases resistance to magnetic influences and affects the accuracy of the watch.

In what color variants are the new DS Podiums made?

In 2021, DS Podium are available in three color variants, two on quilted brown leather, one on a more robust steel bracelet. All of them received a very classic look, sober shades of metal and the elegance of the popular rose gold, which was achieved with a PVD finish.

The most interesting model is probably the first model on a leather strap, combining the silvery color of steel with pink-gold elements on the dial, which stand out against the muted background of the anthracite dial.

The following model is an all-steel model with the most dynamic design, which is mediated by a sharp contrast between the black dial and light steel.

Last, the model in pink-gold with a light dial is the most elegant one.