Look closely at the Certina logo and you’ll notice the distinctive pattern of a sea turtle’s shell. It’s a design that dates back to 1959 when Certina introduced the DS Concept protection system and wanted a logo that reflected the resilience of their watches. By pure coincidence 1959 was also the year that the Sea Turtle Conservancy (STC) group was founded and in 2017 Certina and the STC acknowledged this shared heritage and commitment to turtles with an official partnership. Now, in support of that partnership, Certina have created the DS Super PH1000M STC edition.
You may recognise the name DS Super PH1000M from the end of last year when Certina introduced the revival heritage model. Its highly distinctive appearance and striking yellow-orange dial proved very popular so it’s no surprise that Certina have revisited the model only half a year later. For the new collaboration with STC, the broad aspects of the watch are the same, but some design details have been updated.
The case of DS Super PH1000M STC is identical to its predecessor, featuring a tonneau shape measuring 43.5mm x 42mm in stainless steel with satin brushing. Atop the smooth, curved flanks of the case sits the unidirectional bezel with a very pronounced grip. Also, as the name of the watch suggests, it has a 1000m water resistance rating, which is incredible considering the relatively accessible price.
It’s the dial that really separates the STC edition from the previous versions. It’s presented in a glorious aquatic teal colour based on the specific colour of the STC logo. I would describe it as a type of aquamarine although Certina just call it blue. It reminds me of crystal-clear tropical waters (perhaps the Caribbean as the STC used to be called the Caribbean Conservation Corporation), the type you would see in a David Attenborough documentary on turtles. The colour also contrasts really nicely with the orange accents adjacent to each of the lumed hour markers.
Housed inside the DS Super PH1000M STC is a movement that everyone should already be familiar with, the ETA Powermatic 80. It’s the star of the show across a lot of the Swatch Group brands due to its accessible price point and 80-hour power reserve. It’s well known that in order to accommodate such a high reserve the movement has a reduced frequency of 3 Hz.
As with all of Certina’s collaboration watches with STC, a portion of proceeds from sales will go directly to the charity to assist them with their work. As for the price, the DS Super PH1000M STC is £885, which is some serious bang for your buck. Between the movement and water resistance rating, this watch has specs that seriously outperform its class. If you told me this was the best dive watch of 2024 so far, I wouldn’t need much convincing to believe you.
Price and Specs:
More details at Certina.
