Jewellery & Watch News
Certina returns to one of their most historically important divers' watches with the all-new Certina DS Super PH500M watch. Inspired by a 1960’s model involved in the 1969 Tektite I and Tektite II experiments, the design was originally revived back in 2020 with a bold orange dial to honour the request of VDST (Association of German Scuba Divers). For 2021, the DS Super PH500M returns to its origins with a classic black dial perfectly suited to everyday wear.
The orange-dialled DS Super PH500M launched last year was one of the most satisfying hits for luxury dive watch aficionados for some time, especially those with a taste for historically-rich aesthetics. Its design was a revival of the original DS-2 Super PH500M watch Certina created as part of the Tektite I and Tektite II experiments which occurred during the 1960’s. In the experiment, governmental organisations such as the US Navy and NASA teamed up with General Electric from the private sector to study four scientists housed within a purpose-built underwater habitat for 60 days. The researchers and the scientists were also equipped with several timepieces for the experiment, understandably ones that could withstand high levels of water pressure. As experts in the dive watch industry, Certina became one of a handful of luxury watch brands on the list, suppling the experiment with the Certina DS-2 Super PH500M.
The Certina DS-2 Super PH500M proved itself to be a strong, powerful watch with an impressive 500 metre water resistant rating, a highly legible dial home to sword-shaped hands and box indexes and a unique rotating bezel with 14 facets. It is these very elements that are retained within the new Certina DS Super PH500M watch, both the bold orange dial revealed in 2020 and the new black-dialled variant introduced for 2021. The orange variant was originally unveiled under the keen eye of the Verband Deutscher Sporttaucher (VDST), a German diving organization as a special edition watch. For the new black reference, there is no mention of any “special” status but instead it offers a much more wearable, everyday design for land and ocean dwellers.
Just as the name suggests, the new Certina DS Super PH500M watch satisfies the requirements of the ISO 6425 standard and offers a robust 500 metre water resistant rating helped by the fully polished 43mm stainless steel case, screw in crown and screw down case back. Topping the case is the 14 faceted bezel engineered from black aluminium and decorated with a 60 minute divers scale and a luminous triangle marker. Sapphire crystal glass reaches the edges of the bezel and promises exceptional legibility of the smooth black face beneath with anti-reflective treatment on the inside.
Certina pays the ultimate tribute to the original DS Super PH500M watch from the 1960’s with the introduction of a sunray black dial which like the orange version comes equipped with sword hands, a cross-hair decoration, large rectangular markers and a bordered date window at 3 o’clock. The hour, minutes and seconds hands are all decorated in glow in the dark Superluminova and powered by the advanced Powermatic 80 automatic winding calibre. The movement is secured by a Nivachron balance spring impervious to magnetic fields and delivers an impressive power reserve of 80 hours.
To complete the black-dialled Certina DS Super PH500M watch, the curved horns are captured by a handsome black and grey striped textile strap. The material used is known as #tide ocean material which has been created from recycled plastic waste fished out from the sea. It’s a nice touch for a diver’s watch and we hope to see more Certina watches making use of this material in the future.
If you’d like to learn more about the Certina DS Super PH500M Black Dial watch and to order your own, head over to the C W Sellors website here. You can also get in touch with the team by calling 01335 453453 or send us a message at sales@cwsellors.com.
Specifications: Certina DS Super PH500M Black Dial (C037.407.18.050.00)
- Case Size: 43mm
- Case Material: Stainless steel
- Bezel: Unidirectional with 60 minute scale, black aluminium insert
- Glass: Sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating
- Crown: Screw in
- Case Back: Screw down
- Water Resistance: 500 metres
- Movement: Powermatic 80, automatic winding
- Functions: Hours, minutes, seconds, date
- Power Reserve: 80 hours
- Jewels: 23
- Frequency: 21,600bph
- Dial: Black with Superluminova markings
- Strap: Black and grey NATO #tide ocean material
- Buckle: Pin
- RRP: £770
