Certina DS Action Diver 38mm Review: Best Diver Under $1000

If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, I do things a little differently compared to others. My main criteria is whether I would actually wear the watch, and how it fits on my wrist. While build quality, movement and case material is important, and deserves attention, it doesn’t sell me on a piece. For me, it’s three things:

Comfort, Aesthetic & Price

If this is your first time reading one of my reviews, I do things a little differently compared to others. My main criteria is whether I would actually wear the watch, and how it fits on my wrist. While build quality, movement and case material is important, and deserves attention, it doesn’t sell me on a piece. For me, it’s three things: Comfort, Aesthetic, Price.

With that out of the way, let’s find out.

Oh, and everything is shot on my Samsung S22 Ultra.

Obsession with divers

Ever since I allowed the first sum of cash to leave my wallet in exchange for a Seiko Monster (2nd Gen), I’ve been obsessed with dive watches. Since then, I’ve gradually downsized as I slowly began to realize my 6-inch wrists were not going to magically grow thicker. SKX009 (42.5mm), Sea Urchin (41.5mm), Longines Hydroconquest (41mm), Christopher Ward C60 Trident (40mm), Lorier Neptune (39mm), Steinhart Ocean 39, Baltic Aquascaphe (39mm), and finally, the SKX013 (38mm).

If you’ve been on a similar journey, you’ll know that the now discontinued SKX013 is the ultimate affordable diver for the smaller wristed. For me though, even the SKX013 felt somewhat top-heavy. And after owning and selling about 5 of those, I gave up and sold myself the story that my wrists just aren’t made for dive watches

Certina DS Action Diver

Well, that was until I found the Certina DS Action Diver, in 38mm.

There aren’t many reviews out there about this piece, so it was never on my radar. And it’s a relatively new release. But I hereby make this claim:
The Certina Ds Action Diver is arguably the best dive watch for us Six Inch Wristers under $1000USD, and a great GADA (Go-Anywhere-Do-Anything). It features a 38mm case size, about 12mm thick, and a 47mm lug-to-lug.

Oh and also, it gives me a Rolex 5-Digit Submariner vibes.

Case & Bezel

The Certina DS Action Diver takes on a pretty simple all brushed case, and at 38mm, wears like a charm. While relatively thin at 12.1mm, it’s got sharp, beefy lugs that doesn’t do much contouring, but angles down nicely, hugging the wrist. For my skinny 6 inch wrists, they’ll do just fine. I would appreciate it if they were rounded slightly more, and angled downwards ever-so slightly. If you’ve handled a Steinhart Ocean 39 before, it’s pretty similar. The difference with the DS Action Diver, is the lugs actually angle down, and at 47mm.

Is the bezel action any good? I’m am desk diver who uses their phone for anything timer-related. It’s got a 120-click aluminum bezel, nice tactile feel, and turns really easily with a bit of back-play. And as a ISO-certified diver, a lume pip on the 12 o’clock.

Crown is really easy to grab, signed “DS”.

Overall, the case construction is really solid, the finishing is done well which is expected from Certina, a member of the SWATCH Group. For the smaller wristed, the case is one of the most important factors when hunting for the next watch. The DS Action Diver is certified SIXIW-friendly.

Dial

The DS Action Diver takes on a classic submariner-like dial, with traditional round lume-markers, and slightly off-triangle-shaped markers on the 12, 9 and 6, with a date window at the 3 o’clock. I won’t The logo and text placement is very reminiscent of the Rolex submariner, and it’s something that is an on-going theme with the DS Action Diver – it can definitely be seen as a submariner homage, but it’s got it’s own unique identity.

The dial itself has a lacquered glossy feel that from far looks boring , but upon closer look provides a feeling of depth, and can be quite mesmerizing to stare into. The minute-markers that sits between the dial and the bezel plays a major role in separating the DS Action Diver from just another Submariner homage. The “60” that sits right above the 12 o’clock immediately stands out when looking at the time. Overall, the dial does give me a homage-vibe, but has enough unique characteristics to make it stand out as its own thing.

Hands

The hands is the final piece of the puzzle that differentiates it from just another submariner homage. While the seconds and minute hand takes huge inspiration from the famous diver, the sword-shaped hour hand gives it a more modern feel. All feature BGW9 and glows really nicely in the dark. For me, the hands takes this diver off the “Another Submariner Homage” category. Yes, the seconds hand is pretty much a direct copy of the Sub, but notice that it doesn’t have a counter-balance lume-pip. While the sword hands are relatively familiar, the arrow-shaped hour-hand is what makes the difference for me in the overall design of the DS Action Diver. It completes the whole “Yes I am drawing inspiration but hey I am my own thing” look.

Bracelet

No surprises here, a traditional oyster-style bracelet that tapers from 19mm to 17mm. Links are brushed top and sides, held together with push-pins and it does annoyingly have male end-links. Here’s the thing, it’s not the fit or comfort that annoys me about male end-links, I don’t find them more uncomfortable than female end-links. So, in terms, of comfort, the end-links angle dramatically and hugs my wrists nicely, Aesthetically, however, it’s an eye-sore, just seems like they didn’t bother with the extra step and left it as is. On the wrist however, there are no complaints.

The clasp is milled, but is definitely the weakest point of the entire piece as it feels extremely thin, and only has two micro-adjustment holes. For my 6-inch wrists however, the fit is practically perfect with the use of half-links. Here in Sydney Australia, the weather can go from 30-degree Celsius to 15 in 6 hours, and the fit held together pretty well, although slightly loose during the cold, but that is to be expected.

The bracelet is one of those things that I do not care about. It’s either a pass/fail. Whether it’s solid, hollow, stamped, milled. I just need it to fit nicely on my wrist, and weigh enough so the watch doesn’t feel top-heavy. The one on the Certina DS Action Diver is nothing special, but it does the job.

Personally, the bracelet is one of the least important aspect of a timepiece. Bracelet no good? Swap it out for a nato strap (my favorite), a FKM rubber strap, a leather strap, you get the idea. Can’t do that for the watch head. Stock bracelets are a pass/fail for me, whether it’s solid, hollow, stamped, milled, tapering, it just needs to allow the watch to fit nicely on my wrist and not have it top-heavy. This one is nothing special, I have seen better around this price point, but it does the job.

Comfort & Wearability

This is where a watch is make or break for me.

Is it going to sit in the watch roll? Or will I want to wear it. If you’re part of the SIXIW, you know how many watches we smaller wristed folks miss out on because of size, and ultimately comfort. I’ll gladly stare at a Seiko SKX009, but I will probably never pick it unless it was the only watch I had.

The Certina DS Action Diver in 38mm is perfect. For years I’ve been convincing myself dive-style watches are not for me. The affordable ones are too big, and the well-sized ones are too expensive. But this, at just under $1000USD, is SIXIW-Certified.

Sure, it’s hefty, but the weight is distributed evenly across the head and bracelet. The 12mm thickness is a sweet spot for me, any thinner and it feels like you’re wearing a frying pan. The half links are a sizing dream, even with the lack of micro-adjustment options. It’s proportions are spot-on. When I put this on my wrist, it just sits right. Solid, and sized perfectly as a modern sports watch with a tinge of vintage appeal.

Why the Certina DS Action Diver?

If I had to do it all over again, with the knowledge and experience I’ve had with divers up until this point, I’d go straight for the DS Action Diver 38mm and save thousands of dollars. To think that at various points in my watch collecting journey thus far, I’ve convinced myself I was simply not a dive-watch person, but in reality, I’ve just never found the diver that fits my wrists, in the right price bracket.

Now, by no means is it an affordable watch, it retails slightly under the $1000 mark, which sits alongside tough competition such as the Baltic Aquascaphe, Steinhart Ocean 39’s, Seiko SPB147 (used), the list goes on. But with the DS Action Diver, you’re looking at an extremely well-rounded ISO-certified diver, with SWATCH Group credentials, an appealing vintage charm, and a feeling of closure when I have it on my wrist. For my, it symbolizes the end of a long journey, after owning over a dozen divers/dive-style watches, I’ve found the one. I’ll never buy the Rolex Submariner, but for me, this is the ultimate affordable alternative, and a great watch in its own right.

I can forgive the male end-links, I can look past the lack of micro-adjustment, and even though I could probably get a better made watch at just under the $1000 mark, I’m satisfied.

Certina DS Action: To Close

Has it got the aesthetics? Simplicity, vintage charm, and design cohesion.

What about comfort? It’s SIXIW-Certified.

And Price? Can’t go wrong under $1000

---