The Certina DS-2 Chronograph Automatic (Live Pics & Price)

There’s nothing like a good story to boost a watch’s appeal. The latest DS-2 Chronograph Automatic is a descendant of a famous Certina Chronolympic model that reached the summit and descended Mt Everest in 1970 on the wrist of Japanese daredevil Yuichiro Miura as he skied down the slopes at breakneck speed. Picking up on retro 1970s design cues, the new DS-2 Chronograph flaunts a funky tonneau-shaped case, a bicompax chronograph layout and an upgraded Valjoux-based automatic movement with a silicon hairspring and an increased power reserve.

Following the DS-1 of 1959 with its robust Double Security (DS) shock, dust and 200m water-resistant case, the Certina DS-2 of 1968 combined resilience with various complications, including chronographs, and captured the design mood of the day with its tonneau-shaped steel case. The DS-2 Chronolympic was a line of chronographs introduced in the late 1960s with high-grade manual movements.

In 1970, Certina equipped a Japanese expedition to the highest peak in the world with five models of its DS-2 Chronolympic. Just shy of 8,000m, Yuichiro Miura strapped on his skis and raced 2,000 metres down the mountain, reaching speeds of up to 160 km/h, slowed only by using a parachute. His daring downhill run was documented in the Oscar-winning documentary The Man Who Skied Down Everest and consolidated the reputation of Certina’s DS line as a reliable and resilient companion for extreme sports.

The new DS-2 Chronograph is an evolution of Certina’s retro-inspired DS-2 Powermatic 80 collection, launched in 2022. Flaunting a period-correct tonneau case in stainless steel or stainless steel with a yellow gold PVD coating, the burly 200m water-resistant case measures 43.3mm across and has a thickness of 15.25mm. The crown screws down, and the screw-in caseback has a sapphire crystal for a view of the movement. While the flat bezel and case middle display a sporty brushed finish, the sides, pushers and crown are polished, attracting light to the case.

The layout of the dark matte blue or green dials we photographed is faithful to the bicompax display of the DS-2 Chronolympic ref. 8601 800 (1970-1974). With contrasting silver-coloured small seconds at 9 and the 30-minute chronograph counter at 3 o’clock, the white-framed date window at 6 o’clock and the white tachymetre scale were also features of the original.

There are colour scheme variations on the two dials; the blue model uses applied silver-coloured indices with yellow tips and a yellow central chronograph seconds hand, while the green model relies on golden-coloured indices and a white central seconds hand; the blue dial uses red to highlight three areas of the 30-minutes counter, the green uses gold. To assist legibility in the dark, the flat hour and minute hands and indices are treated with Super-LumiNova.

The yellow gold PVD model is fitted with a brown leather strap with an embossed crocodile print, while the sportier steel model comes on a blue fabric strap with yellow stitching, both with a quick-change system.

The reverse side provides a view of the ETA A05.231 automatic chronograph movement, a contemporary update of the famous Valjoux 7750 of the early 1970s. Also used by sister-brand Tissot, this cam-and-lever operated chronograph has a longer power reserve of 68 hours and is fitted with an anti-magnetic silicon hairspring.

Availability & Price

Available at all authorised Certina dealers worldwide and on the brand’s website, the steel with gold PVD and green dial of the DS-2 Chronograph Automatic retails for CHF 1,995; the steel and blue dial for CHF 1,980. For more information, please consult www.certina.com.