Plenty of dive watch fanatics will be quick to tell you that Certina’s DS Action Diver is the most underrated affordable option out there. I’ll concede that it’s at least the top contender from Switzerland.
Certina itself is the top Swiss sleeper brand, unjustly overshadowed by Swatch Group family members like Omega, Longines and Hamilton. But the newly revamped DS Action Diver, featuring a titanium case and bracelet decorated with a trio of tastefully flashy dials, might just earn the credit it deserves.
The DS Action Diver 38mm Titanium is the epitome of a straightforward, no-nonsense tool watch that offers everything you need at an affordable price. Even the name, which divulges some key attributes, doesn’t mess around.
As advertised, this pragmatic diver has a 38mm-wide by 13mm-tall titanium case, which isn’t new because Certina already nailed it. It’s the same case introduced in steel last year, when the brand’s Extreme Shock Resistance midcase debuted in the Goldilocks case size.
The titanium case is paired with a matching titanium three-link bracelet, secured with a good, old-fashioned folding clasp with diving safety lock. It has quick-release endlinks, a diver extension and is finished in the same scratch-masking vertical brushing as the case.
