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Certina DS Action Precidrive overview

15K views 20 replies 9 participants last post by  Econoline 
#1 · (Edited)
Ever since I got my Scurfa I've been on the hunt for another quartz diver. I wanted something in the 40-41mm range but not a Scurfa lookalike. I chose something that isn't seen that often on WUS and had the look I was going for, the Certina DS Action Precidrive, in titanium:

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Like many quartz watches the second doesn't always hit the markers dead on but this one's pretty darn close the majority of the time. It's off just a fraction of a mm in a couple spots around the dial. The bezel is 60 click and lines up perfect, although the action isn't the greatest and because it's somewhat smooth, isn't as easy to grip as other bezels I've used.

In case you were wondering, "DS" is something Certina came up with in 1959, it stands for "Double Security" and it consists of 5 factors: sapphire crystal, o-ring seal on the stem, 2 o-rings on the crown, a special seal on the caseback (haven't looked yet), and a reinforced caseback. It's 300 meters water resistant. Speaking of the caseback, the turtle represents the security concept:
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The Ti version has a subtle monochrome look to it that appealed to me. Not quite as stark as black, but in low light it can appear so, it changes slightly depending on the lighting:
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One nice touch is the extension clasp, something I wish more of my watches had. Each increment is roughly 3mm:
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The lume is okay, nothing to write home about, and I knew that going in. As much as I love ultra bright lume, in reality I don't get much use out of it:
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The dial is very attractive, applied indices, cool cut out hands, a splash of red on the seconds, and a nice sunburst finish that catches the light nicely:
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Dimensions are 41mm x 11mm (thin!), L2L about 47mm, lugs are 20mm and the bracelet tapers to 18mm. It weighs an astounding 94.5gm (4 grams less than my Scurfa with a rubber strap) so it's ultra comfortable. To top it all off, it has a 3 jewel, thermo-compensated ETA F07.411 movement which is supposed to be accurate to +/- 10 seconds per year.
Since I mentioned Scurfa at the beginning, here they are side-by-side for a size comparison:
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Certina also has SS models in green, blue, and black. I have to say I'm tempted. Any questions let me know. Have a great weekend!
Ferg
 
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#3 ·
Thanks for the review. Joma sells it under 500 bucks. What is the time of battery life? I've also read that bazel insert is made from the titanium. Do you know how will show titanium insert compared to aluminum bezel - regarding scratch resistance? Enjoy in your new watch

Sent from my BLA-L29 using Tapatalk
 
#4 · (Edited)
It is very thin for a 300m watch, maybe it's that "DS Action" magic ;)
You are correct, as I mentioned the clasp is extendable.
I'm guessing battery life is 3-4 years, some of the Certina literature says up to 5 for a 3 hander.
In one old review I read the bezel was aluminum with and epoxy/acrylic-like coating, which can be polished sort of like acrylic crystals. Whatever it is, it has a glossy finish.
 
#5 ·
Thanks for the write up and pics! I have been tempted by one of these for awhile. Just not sure if black, blue or the TI model. Might have to try the TI, as I do not have one and don't think I'll splurge for a Shogun until I am convinced I like TI. I tried a Pelagos on for a while once and found it felt...odd to be so light for it's size. I'm also afraid of scratching and dinging the heck out of a Ti case. So this might be the Ti watch to try. And the extension on the clasp is a plus.
 
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#7 ·
Wearing it today, ultra comfortable. Not worried about scratches because it's not the typical matte finish seen on other watches I've had, it's basically brushed (not the bezel which is polished). I can see easily brushing out minor scratches myself just like I would on a SS.
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I could be wrong but these DS Action Precidrive, both SS and Ti, might be discontinued, not sure.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the review and pictures. I have really been looking at this hard because the regular DS Action Diver is too big for me.

I really like the size and the finish of the watch. I have a couple of other Certina's that are great as well.

Just wished they put the time into their lume that they do to their cases and bracelets and the world would be perfect.....
 
#10 ·
I have the auto version, the bezel insert might be aluminum... but there is a coating on it that can be buffed to remove scratches, guessing it to be acrylic but can't be sure.
Most of the case and bracelet are brushed, so touch up to cover marks is pretty easy.
The bezel insert seems to hold up nicely, but mine has discolored a bit toward yellow or perhaps greenish... it actually looks pretty great on the Ti / grey. I've heard the new edition DS's don't suffer the same discoloration issues.
The clasp on mine is where I see the most scrapes and wear, luckily it buffs out easily.

I'm not certain if the Precidrive models have been discontinued, but the Ti auto has been gone for at least a couple of years.
 
#12 ·
Just caught wind of this brand within the last few months; I think they're overlooked by most, which is a shame. Been eyeballing the DS-2 chrono (the one with the green hands) - 40mm in a chrono is almost unheard of. Glad to see they're making divers of the same quality. And from what I've seen, great brand for the money. Been moving away from divers lately, but these are definitely cool.

Great write-up.
 
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#13 · (Edited)
Certina does offer a couple other watches besides the DS Action Precidrive which are 41mm. The chrono you mentioned is pretty slick:
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They also have a GMT that I'm drawn to for some reason:
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I do like certain other Certina models but they're all larger than 41mm and that's my arbitrary limit at this point in time.
 
#15 ·
Here are a few more pics of mine:

View attachment 14387965 The hand design allows you to see the hour hand under the minute hand.

View attachment 14387967 View attachment 14387971 Sits very low on the wrist and has nice curved form fitting lugs.

View attachment 14387977 Another lume shot after holding it to a light bulb for 10 seconds or so.

This is my first foray into the brand, and I'm very pleased so far.
Gorgeous. I really like the way they shaped the lugs to hug the wrist like that. It's like it was poured onto your arm.

I'm not fickle for lume but I like that tint. Reminds me of Bulova lume a little - has a cool hue to it.

Damn you guys I'm getting closer to pulling the trigger on that DS-2 Chrono... And I'm not even a Chrono guy! It's all your fault!

Sent from my Pixel 3 using Tapatalk
 
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