Certina doubles down on an enduring dive watch legacy

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2,000 metres below the ocean’s surface, you’ll find a depth commonly referred to as ‘the midnight zone’. It’s a suitably eerie name for a pitch-black place; silent, almost freezing — and home to vampire squid, fangtooth fish and gulper eels. But, as of this summer, you’ll find something new down there, too — the latest timepiece from Certina: the DS SUPER PH2000M.

Built on the Swiss watchmaker’s DS concept introduced in 1959, as well as the PH diving watches of the 1960s, this new launch doubles down on the brand’s previous performance standards. And ‘down’ is the word — whereas the original DS models could reach 200 metres in the 1960s, and the DS-2 Super PH1000M made it to 1,000 metres in 1970, this latest iteration ventures into even more rarefied waters, rated to an unfathomable 2,000 metres of water resistance. That means it’s able to survive even the crushing pressure of the midnight zone, where it’ll tell time among the monsters.

It’s the natural evolution of decades of underwater expertise, with the various inventions and innovations of Certina — itself founded by the Kurth brothers in 1888 — refined into a single high-performance, deep-diving watch. Among them is the latest iteration of the DS Concept, the brand’s ‘Double Security’ system for extreme shock resistance, which sits alongside the proven reliability of the automatic Powermatic 80 movement, fitted with a Nivachron balance spring that delivers an 80-hour power reserve, long-term precision and resistance to magnetic fields.

The tonneau-shaped case is crafted from Grade 2 titanium — the same material used to make boat propeller parts and seawater piping — and integrates a screw-down crown and caseback, along with a helium escape valve positioned at 9 o’clock, designed to release built-up helium during decompression.

Across the four new models, defined by bold material and colour combinations and available on titanium, rubber or fabric straps, you’ll also find a unidirectional ceramic bezel with a secure push-to-turn system — highly resistant and virtually scratch-proof. It’ll preserve the depth and intensity of its colour (whether blue, orange, white or black) over time and, as you’d expect from a watch so at home in deep water, lashings of Super-LumiNova will ensure legibility even in the most darkest abyss.

Because Certina has never shied away from exploration. The Swiss brand’s watches have accompanied adventurers, pioneers and jet-setters on some of the world’s most challenging missions — from Himalayan expeditions to subsea research programmes, including keeping time for the aquanauts of the 1970 Tektite II underwater experiment.

And yet, while the watchmaker’s models are world-beating and globe-trotting, Certina is also deeply respectful of the planet. A long-standing champion of conservation and ecological protection, the new DS SUPER PH2000M is also offered in a ‘STC Edition’ — a limited run and the fifth watch in the brand’s Sea Turtle Conservancy sub-collection. A portion of proceeds supports one of the world’s oldest sea turtle conservation organisations, dedicated to protecting endangered species and their habitats through research, education and conservation programmes across the globe.

Coincidentally, both the STC and the DS concept were introduced in 1959. And so, to mark this shared milestone, Certina is producing just 1,959 pieces of this turquoise-dial, black ceramic-bezelled special edition.

This turquoise edition — in the signature shade of the Sea Turtle Conservancy — joins a trio of other colourways. There’s a classic white-dial option with a blue bezel and orange accents, a striking yellow-dialled model with a black bezel, and — perfectly suited to the inky midnight zone — an all-black version, pairing a deep black dial and ceramic bezel with orange accents on the hands, indexes and bezel graduations.

Each DS SUPER PH2000M is also fitted with a lightweight titanium bracelet engineered for extreme conditions, along with a second strap — in fabric, silicone or rubber depending on the model.

It’s a tremendously impressive timepiece, and another beacon of performance, resistance and exploration from Certina. Because, whether in the world of conservation or, more literally, down in the midnight zone, the Swiss watchmaker has been a leading light for decades. This new watch simply takes those achievements to new heights. Or should that be depths…