One of the great things about enjoying the best watches on the market is the sheer variety of offer. Everything from cheap and cheerful rugged pieces to fabulous designs with intricate movements and five-figure price tags are available, meaning there really is something for everyone.
One area of the market which remains a little underwhelming, though, is the one for affordable automatic chronographs. It’s not hard to see why – chronograph movements are intricate beings, and making them cheaply is often a tough ask.
Fortunately, there’s a new model hitting the market – and it looks set to be a really appealing prospect. The new Certina DS Action Diver Chrono fuses the best bits of the iconic Certina dive watches, but adds in a full automatic chronograph functionality.
The case is crafted from 316L stainless steel, with a ceramic bezel sat around the dial. The case is a whopping 44.6mm wide though, and coupled with a 16.17mm height, this has all the makings of an absolute behemoth.
On the wrist, it was notably less cumbersome than you’d expect. No-one’s saying it’s got the wearing experience of a vintage ladies piece, but you’ll certainly get more mileage from it than you’d think.
(Image credit: Sam Cross)
That’s all powered by a Valjoux movement. Those are excellent third-party chronograph movements, and should offer a really impressive performance.
It even features a whopping 300m of water resistance. That’s the same as it was on the Certina DS Action Diver I tested last year, but it’s far more impressive to see on a chronograph.
The model I got hands on with features a cream dial, and sits on a gorgeous black and gold NATO strap. However, there are other models in the collection, too, with black and blue dialled models on steel bracelets.
So, is the Certina DS Action Diver Chrono worth the money? I’d certainly say so. Priced at £1,695 (approx. $2,160; AU$3,280), this is certain to be a head turner for many enthusiasts.
Sure, it’s not the most shapely of things – those with properly skinny wrists may well need to look elsewhere – but for large swathes of the market, this offers a killer option.
