We talk a lot about value for money in these pages. Sure, we’re more than happy to gush over some unique piece that took a team of wizened artisans five years to produce, but at the other end of the spectrum there’s just something satisfying about a great watch for not a great deal of money. For years now, Certina has been occupying that particular spot in the wider Swatch Group portfolio. So, when they invited us to Seville for a friendly game of Padel, we took them up on their offer to talk to CEO Marc Aellen. It wasn’t just because I needed to catch my breath. Honestly.
Obviously the first question is why were we there? Well, Certina’s latest ambassador is one Marta Ortega – dubbed the Doctor or Martita by fans – one of the hot shots of the Padel world. Padel, in case you didn’t know, is a nascent combination of tennis and squash. It’s fun, fast-paced and up-and-coming here in the UK.
Marta Ortega, top 10 padel player and Certina ambassador
It might seem an odd sport to connect a watch brand to, but as Aellen explains: “It’s really the perfect sport for us. It’s a sport you can play for your whole life, it’s quite easy to learn compared to other racquet sports and, while we’re working with Professionals like Marta [Ortega], it’s basically a sport than anyone can do.”
For Certina, that kind of association is vital. Brands like Rolex and Omega don’t necessarily need their sports partnerships; they’re more of a flex than anything else. But for entry level watch brands whose tempting price tags are focused on mass production, the more eyes on they can get, the better. Perhaps the bigger problem however is deciding, through some augury of the market or design-led precognition, precisely in which direction to take the brand.
Certina DS-7 Chronograph Padel Edition by Marta Ortega
“That’s always the trick,” Aellen explains. “We have a very rich story, historically very strong with motorsports – not so much now – and we were one of the first brands to produce a proper diving watch. So, for us, developing new products is all about deciding which direction we want to take things. For example, we have a full range of classical watches that we never advertise, despite being our bread-and-butter, as that’s not the image we want to communicate to our customers. That’s why we have Padel, we have cross-country skiing, we have diving. We have to try and give the market what it wants – and we’re trying out best!”
Certina DS PH1000m (2023)
One direction of course that many watch brands have gone in the past few years is vintage, sending watch-loving Indiana Joneses down into their vast archives to raid quirky retro designs and long-lost references. With Certina’s own archives extending almost a century-and-a-half back, you could expect them to be doing the same.
“This is a discussion we had just last week! I believe vintage is good but we can’t just base our collection on the archives, that we need to bring something new to the playing field. Last year we brought out the PH1000m, which was a big, big success, but we need to balance that thinking with new technologies, new innovations. We will certainly have one or two more pieces per year… but I can’t speak about exactly what!”
Certina DS Action Diver
If you want to check out what some of those references are and place your bets, check out Vintage Certina. There are some seriously cool watched I’d love to see brought back to life, like the 288 or Biostar. The bottom line however is that the archives aren’t Certina’s main focus. That would be the Action Diver, the brand’s flagship with its modern look and ceramic bezel – and fantastic movement, a movement that couldn’t exist outside of Certina’s position in Swatch Group.
Certina Powermatic 80 movement
“If you look at our automatic movement, the Powermatic 80, it’s incredible. You see luxury brands fighting to get to a 60-hour power reserve and for us 80 is already the standard. Without the synergies between our sister brands, things like that just wouldn’t be possible. Of course, each brand has its own positioning, but we all benefit from shared knowledge and technology.”
Original Certina DS-3 Super PH1000M (1970s), image credit: Analog:Shift
It’s not just technology Swatch Group proliferates amongst its brands of course; information is just as important. If every brand finds their customers are tending towards specific designs, sizes, colours, whatever, then it’s valuable to know that, to be able to adapt your release slate to match.
“Even when you look at the vintage pieces we reintroduced like the PH1000”, says Aellan, “the original is much thicker and we try to modernise and improve on the original to suit current trends. But we’re not a fashion brand. We have to plan at least two or three years in advance and sometimes there are new trends coming in that time. We need to try and anticipate what’s going to happen, which is the beauty of the game. Sometimes we fail, sometimes we succeed.”
The Certina DS Action GMT uses the Powermatic 80 movement
Self-depreciation aside, Certina of late seems to be succeeding a lot more often than their failing. I’d say these days that they have a bit of a tailwind behind them, a cult following that’s pushing them higher in the estimations of many a collector. After all, even if you look at the raw specs of their Action Divers, there’s a lot to love. Throw in a handful of cool designs and you have the broadly appealing watchmaker. At the very least, Certina’s arguably the single best place to look for your first serious watch. As Aellen himself puts it:
“Not many people go straight into buying an Omega; in fact, it’s become almost a tradition in Switzerland to give a Certina as a confirmation gift. We offer great value at an entry level price, a great first step into the watch ladder. We still have a long way to go, but Rome wasn’t built in a day!”
More details at Certina.
