Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. The Style-Conscious Certina DS-1 Big Date
Certina is back with a more urban, stylish take on the DS-1 with a big date complication.
If you’re going to have a date function on a watch, make it legible. For people of a certain age, there is nothing more frustrating than squinting your eyes to consult the date. Big dates are the heavyweight champions of the date function, proudly revealing their double digits. While the big date display is intimately associated with A. Lange & Söhne’s Lange 1, the double date or twin date complication, has been adopted by brands far and wide, including sports watch brand Certina. Introduced in 2019, the Big Date marked a big milestone in the DS Concept’s timeline, designed to celebrate its 60th anniversary. Today, the brand releases two new references with trendy, matte PVD cases.
While Certina’s core business is rugged sports and dive watches, the brand’s Double Security (DS) concept is applied to the Big Date, a more elegant yet robust daily beater. Introduced in 1959, the DS concept marked a big step toward making watches more reliable and water-resistant. Like the hard shell of a turtle, adopted as the brand logo in 1960, the DS concept has been adapted over the years to reflect the latest technology. Today, the reinforced cases, combined with specialised seals and scratch-resistant sapphire crystals, provide exceptional resistance to external aggressions.
The latest DS-1 Big Date models update their wardrobe with two matte PVD-coated steel versions: one with an on-trend all-black look and a second gold-toned version with an elegant blue dial. The 41mm cases have a thickness of 11.9mm and are water-resistant to 100 metres.
The sleek, urban matte black model comes with a sunray-brushed black dial and silver-coloured appliques. The sharp, faceted silver indices, which resemble tiny daggers, are a nod to the markers on vintage Certina watches and match the colour of the central hands. The two windows corresponding to the big date have silver frames, and the date is displayed in black numerals against a contrasting white background. The black DS-1 Big Date comes with a black bracelet with matte external links and a polished central link.
The more classic gold PVD version is paired with a sunray-brushed midnight blue gradient dial and an elegant blue calfskin strap. Like the case, the indices, hands, appliques and double date window are golden. Both the black bracelet and the leather strap come with a folding clasp and can be easily exchanged thanks to the Quick-Release spring bars.
More complicated than a single date window, a big date complication uses two separate discs, one with the numbers 0 to 3 and the other with the numbers 0 to 9. The date discs are controlled by separate gears, allowing them to jump simultaneously at midnight. Equipped with Swatch Group’s Powermatic 80 movement, with its substantial 80-hour power reserve, the Nivachron balance spring is resistant to magnetic fields, temperature fluctuations and shocks.
The all-black model retails for CHF 895, and the golden and blue reference has a price of CHF 875. More information at certina.com.
