Certina Gives the Black DS Action Diver 38mm a Brighter Edge

Certina’s DS Action Diver has usually played the role of the sensible diver, more concerned with durability than drama.

The latest 38mm black PVD versions don’t abandon that brief, but they do give the watch a sharper visual identity through bright orange and teal accents.

It’s a small shift on paper and a meaningful one in the metal, because this is the first time Certina has paired the black PVD-coated case with this kind of colour treatment.

At a glance

• Certina has added orange and teal colourways to the black PVD-coated DS Action Diver 38mm.
• The new references keep the 38mm case, 300m water resistance, ISO 6425 certification and Powermatic 80 movement.
• Each version is priced at £860 and comes with both a matching silicone strap and a black DLC-coated steel bracelet.

The black case finally loosens up

The DS name comes from Certina’s Double Security concept, introduced in 1959, which suspends the movement in a rubber ring inside the case and pairs it with a sealed screw-down crown.

That kind of engineering sits at the heart of the brand, even if it’s not the sort of detail that immediately sells a watch from across a room.

The black PVD DS Action Diver 38mm already existed, but only in a restrained all-black configuration on a NATO strap.

These two new references keep the same 38mm diameter, 13.2mm thickness and case shape, including the downward-curving lugs that help the watch sit close to the wrist.

The difference is all in the perimeter details.

Colour now appears on the graduations of the matt ceramic bezel, the lacquered flange and the seconds hand, giving the black case a more athletic character without changing its underlying diver format.

Orange is bold, teal is the quieter standout

The orange version is the louder watch, with a high-contrast accent that stands out immediately against the black case and dial.

The teal version is more nuanced, sitting somewhere between blue and green depending on the light.

That shifting tone gives it more depth than a straightforward blue accent would, while still keeping the watch firmly in sporty territory.

Certina has kept the rest of the dial restrained, with Super-LumiNova on the indices and hands and a date window at three o’clock.

That restraint matters because the colour works best when it’s allowed to live around the edge of the watch rather than fight for space at the centre.

Certina links the colours to its padel sponsorship, which began in 2021, and the connection makes sense.

Padel has a fast, bright, visually energetic feel, and these watches bring some of that energy into what has traditionally been one of Certina’s more sober sports models.

Two strap options change the value equation

Each new reference comes with both a colour-matched silicone strap and a black DLC-coated steel bracelet.

That’s a notable upgrade over the earlier all-black PVD version, which was offered only on a NATO strap.

The silicone strap makes the stronger case for the design, because it carries the colour from bezel to flange to wrist and gives the watch a more cohesive personality.

The black bracelet is more restrained and broadens the use case, though it also brings two practical caveats.

This isn’t an especially light-feeling watch for its size, particularly on the bracelet, and the clasp doesn’t include micro-adjustment.

At this price level, the absence of fine adjustment is a real omission for anyone who’s particular about fit.

The familiar Powermatic 80 remains the point

Inside, the watch uses Certina’s Powermatic 80, with an 80-hour power reserve and a Nivachron balance spring.

The Nivachron component is intended to improve resistance to shock and magnetism compared with a standard hairspring.

The movement is housed within the same DS Concept Extreme Shock Resistance package that defines this generation of the line.

It’s not an exotic calibre, and it isn’t trying to be one.

For Certina, the appeal is still rooted in robust, practical watchmaking rather than mechanical theatre.

Details & Specifications

The clasp could be better and the weight is worth considering, but the new orange and teal models make the black DS Action Diver 38mm a more rounded proposition.

For £100 more than the earlier all-black NATO version, they add stronger personality and a more useful strap package without losing the Certina traits that made the watch sensible in the first place.