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Certina Heritage DS-1 Big Date 60th Anniversary DS Concept Special Edition 41mm Mens Watch
Ref. C0294261109160
Sits in Certina’s upper tier here — more premium than three quarters of the Certina watches we list, which start at £400.
Price range £400 to £1,180 across 32 Certina watches in stock.The DS Concept was Certina's answer, in 1959, to a question the watch industry had not quite asked yet: what would it take to build a watch that could genuinely absorb the conditions most owners would put it through? Double Security — reinforced case geometry, sealed crown, redundant gaskets — became the founding principle of the line and has remained it. This special edition marks sixty years of that commitment, and the sunburst green dial, fading from bright centre to darker edge, makes it legible as a celebration rather than a routine catalogue addition. At 41mm and just over 10mm thick the watch sits well without bulk, and the Milanese mesh bracelet follows the wrist closely enough that there is none of the rigidity a link bracelet brings to a casually dressed wrist. The big date aperture at six o'clock uses a panorama window wide enough to read without having to tilt the watch, which is the kind of thing that only registers as thoughtful after you have worn something with a cramped date for a while. The ETA Powermatic 80.651 carries a Nivachron balance spring in place of the traditional metal hairspring, which gives genuine magnetic resistance rather than the token kind, and its 80-hour reserve means a watch set down on a Friday morning is still running on Monday.
- Reference
- C0294261109160
- Brand
- Certina
- Collection
- Heritage
- Case size
- 41mm
- Case thickness
- 10.33mm
- Case material
- Stainless steel
- Case shape
- Round
- Dial
- Green
- Crystal
- Sapphire
- Movement
- Automatic
- Calibre
- Powermatic 80
- Functions
- Date
- Water resistance
- 100m
- Bracelet / strap
- Mesh bracelet
- Strap colour
- Silver
- Clasp
- Deployant clasp
- Retailer
- Goldsmiths
Additional specifications
- Power reserve
- 80 hours
- Origin
- Swiss made
Learn more about Certina
Adolf Kurth founded a watchmaking business in Grenchen in 1888 with his brother, and the family produced movements and complete watches under several names before settling on Certina — from the Latin certus, meaning sure — in 1938.
The house built its identity on shock protection at a time when a dropped watch usually meant a repair bill. The DS system, introduced in 1959, stood for Double Security: a reinforced case, a strengthened crystal, a screwed caseback with an O-ring seal, and a shock-absorbing mount for the movement. The turtle emblem that marks DS watches became the brand's signature.
The system was tested in public and in earnest. Certina DS watches accompanied the Swiss Dhaulagiri expedition to the Himalayas in 1960 and were worn on subsequent scientific and diving expeditions, including deep-sea work off the Mediterranean coast.
The company was among the founders of the General Watch Co consortium in 1971, which later folded into ASUAG and then the Swatch Group, where Certina sits today.
Its modern position is value-focused Swiss mechanical watchmaking: the DS Action and DS PH200M dive watches, the DS-1 and DS-2 dress and sport lines, and widespread use of the Powermatic 80 movement with its eighty-hour reserve. Certina has timed motorsport and cycling events, including a long association with the Dakar Rally.
- 1888
- The Kurth brothers found the company in Grenchen.
- 1938
- The Certina name is adopted.
- 1959
- The Double Security system and turtle emblem are introduced.
- 1960
- DS watches accompany the Swiss Dhaulagiri expedition.
Also in 6 collections
This watch appears in Back in Stock (3,988), Stainless Steel Watches (2,814), Automatic Watches (1,546), Green Dial Watches (383), Mesh Bracelet Watches (190) and Limited Edition Watches (184).
Best of 2 retailers
What the specifications mean
A mechanical watch for everyday wear.
Strengths
- 100m water resistance covers swimming and watersports
- Sapphire crystal, which resists scratching
- 80-hour reserve survives a weekend off the wrist
- One of Certina's more premium watches
Certina Heritage DS-1 Big Date alternatives
Watches from other brands at a similar price, style and size, so you can see what else your budget can buy.
| Specification | C0294261109160 | WWEW01 | H70315130 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £960 | £995 | £1,035 |
| Case size | 41mm | 41mm | 41mm |
| Water resistance | 100m | 100m | 100m |
| Movement | Automatic | Automatic | Automatic |
| Strap | Mesh bracelet | Rubber strap | Stainless steel bracelet |
| Power reserve | 80 hours | — | 80 hours |
| This watch | Closely matched | Closely matched |
Your new watch
Frequently asked questions, and things you should know about this watch
Can I swim with it?
Yes. At 100m it is rated for swimming and snorkelling, though not for diving.
Water resistance explainedWill the glass scratch?
Unlikely. Sapphire is second only to diamond in hardness and shrugs off everyday marking.
Sapphire, mineral and acrylic comparedDoes it need a battery?
No. It is automatic — the motion of your wrist winds it, and there is no cell to replace.
Quartz, automatic and solar comparedHow long does it run for when it's not worn?
About 80 hours fully wound — enough to sit off the wrist over a weekend and still be running.
Is it a men's or women's watch?
Listed as men's.
Cheapest place to buy
Both Mappin & Webb and Goldsmiths list it at £960, so choose on delivery and warranty rather than price.
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