Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Certina Doubles Down with the New DS Super PH2000M Sea Turtle Consverancy (Incl. Video)
A good-cause limited edition to debut a new and rather good dive watch collection.
Certina has a very long legacy in keeping watches safe from the effects of shocks and water, dating back to the Double Security system introduced in 1959. This has remained a key element in the brand’s watches, which it expanded last year with the DS Concept Extreme Shock Resistance system. Doubling down on this legacy, Certina sends its DS Action Diver collection to new depths with the bold DS PH2000M Sea Turtle Conservatory. And as its name suggests, this is a seriously formidable dive watch, tied to a very good cause! Let’s dive straight in!
Alongside this devotion to keeping your watch safe from the elements and unwanted shocks, another key element of the brand is its sustainability efforts, including its partnership with the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Like the DS Concept, this environmental protection agency was also established in 1959, and it aims to preserve and protect sea turtles through a range of programmes. Collaborating since 2017, this new DS Super PH2000M STC is Certina’s fifth special edition in support of the Sea Turtle Conservancy. Yet where previous editions leaned into simpler dive watches or distinct retro-inspired designs, this one takes things to the next level, and not just by size alone.
Where the last STC special edition watch, the DS PH1000M Sea Turtle Conservancy, takes inspiration from the 1970s and historic Certina dive watches from that era, this one is quite a bit more modern in design. The DS Super PH2000M comes in grade 2 titanium and measures 43mm in diameter and 16mm in height. And as you have probably guessed, it’s water-resistant to impressive depths of 2,000 meters. More than you and I could survive, but you can safely navigate the seven seas and then some, if you want to. The choice of material significantly reduces the heft, despite its bulky dimensions. In terms of weight, when fitted to the strap, the watch weighs 117 grams. When fitted with the titanium bracelet, it will obviously go up a bit, depending on the bracelet length.
The watch feels rock-solid, with a closed caseback and a unidirectional rotating bezel sandwiching the stout mid-case. The bezel has a polished black ceramic insert with a teal-blue 60-minute graduation and a security system to prevent accidental adjustments. To set it, you simply press it down firmly and rotate it counter-clockwise, with a spring system securing it back in place once you let go. It also has a helium escape valve and a sapphire crystal, and incorporates Certina’s latest, ultra-robust DS Concept Extreme Shock Resistance technology, introduced about a year ago.
Moving to the dial, the DS Super PH2000M STC comes with a punchy teal-blue dial with a sunray brushed finish and a subtle gradient effect. The design is balanced, legible and coherent, with luminous applied markers, a luminous handset including an oversized minute hand and a minute track in white. It also has a bevelled, outlined date window, with details including the Certina logo and name up top and the watch name in the bottom half. And if this colourway is a bit much for you, there are three non-limited editions available: a black dial and bezel, a white dial with a blue bezel, and a yellow dial with a black bezel.
It should be no surprise that Certina turns to the Powermatic 80.611 for this one. Used throughout Swatch Group, it’s an excellent and reliable movement perfectly at home in this level of watchmaking. Based on the architecture of the famous ETA 2824, it uses a lower-frequency movement and a reworked gear train to achieve an impressive 80 hours of power reserve. It also features a Nivachron hairspring to combat magnetism and shows you the hours, minutes, seconds and date. It’s hidden from view by the solid grade 2 titanium caseback that proudly bears the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s logo, which is fittingly reminiscent of the turtle emblem Certina uses to mark its Double Security (DS) system.
The DS Super PH2000M STC comes on a very supple teal-blue silicone strap with a titanium folding clasp and an integrated wetsuit extension, giving you 15mm of on-the-fly adjustability. Alongside it, you also get a grade 2 titanium bracelet that can be easily swapped thanks to the built-in quick-release pins. The price is set at a rather fair CHF 1,235, and it is limited to 1,959 pieces to tie it to the year of the Sea Turtle Conservancy’s founding as well as the year Certina introduced its Double Security system. And as with all editions before it, a portion of the proceeds of the sales is donated to the STC organisation.
We’ve always been a fan of the Certina DS PH series, and even more so the Sea Turtle Conservancy sub-collection. With this new DS Super PH2000M STC, Certina goes beyond what it has done before, delivering a watch that is much more than the sum of its parts. It supports a noble cause, comes with truly strong specifications and designs, and is overall a very, very solid watch!
For more information, please visit Certina.com or ConserveTurtles.org.
