There’s a special kind of satisfaction in finding a watch that punches so far above its weight, it feels like you’ve gamed the whole system. That’s kind of where I feel they landed with the Certina DS-X GMT—a watch that caught me by surprise and pulled me in with some fantastic colorways. After spending time with the spec sheet (and realizing what’s actually happening under the hood), I’m starting to wonder if this is one of the best travel tools the Swatch Group has ever buried in its catalog.
For the uninitiated, Certina is one of those “if you know, you know” brands that quietly lives in the shadowy corners of Swatch Group’s brand tower. Just solid specs, quietly killer value, and some of the most unfairly slept-on tool watches around. Their latest move—the DS-X GMT—is classic Certina. It’s a 41mm quartz-powered GMT that looks built to take a beating and keep on ticking, all while sneaking in one of the cleverest bezel tricks I’ve seen in years.
On paper, the DS-X GMT checks all the boxes you’d expect for a proper travel/adventure piece: 200 meters of water resistance, screw-down crown with guards, Super-LumiNova on the hands and indices, sapphire crystal, and a choice of either a three-link stainless bracelet or a sculpted rubber strap (both with quick-release).
Inside beats a quartz ETA caliber. But Certina’s use of quartz here isn’t some cost-cutting afterthought. The movement includes something called Heavy Drive tech, which sounds like a monster truck but actually refers to a shock management system that locks the hands in place during heavy impacts to prevent misalignment.
Then there’s Certina’s “DS Concept Extreme Shock Resistance.” The name might be a mouthful, but the guts are serious: reinforced sapphire crystal, a shock-absorbing plate between dial and movement, and a screw-in movement holder that makes the whole package reportedly exceed ISO 1413 shock standards by a wide margin. Basically, this isn’t just a “sporty” look—it’s designed to survive real-world abuse.
And then… there’s the bezel. This thing deserves its own paragraph. The DS-X GMT features a dual-function external bezel that genuinely surprised me. The inner ring is your standard 24-hour day/night setup for the GMT, but you have to press down and twist it like opening a childproof pill bottle. The outer ring is a separate friction-fit compass scale that rotates independently. It’s clever, it’s tactile, and it solves a problem most of us didn’t know we had. Well, maybe not. Let’s face it. None of us really need a dual function GMT+compass bezel.
The colors are fun too—black/green and black/red on either steel or rubber, or a surprisingly sharp white dial version on a blue strap with a blue/orange bezel. That last one is my personal pick—because if you’re going quartz, why not lean into the color?
Price is the part that kind of messes with my brain. CHF 520 ($652) on bracelet. CHF 495 ($620) on rubber. I mean, we’ve reached a point where brands will sell you a basic field watch for that, and here comes Certina with full shock resistance, GMT, a legit dual-function bezel, and Swatch Group tech for the same money.
Learn more about the Certina DS-X GMT on the brand’s official site.
Co-Founder & Senior Editor
Michael Peñate is an American writer, photographer, and podcaster based in Seattle, Washington. His work typically focuses on the passage of time and the tools we use to connect with that very journey. From aviation to music and travel, his interests span a multitude of disciplines that often intersect with the world of watches – and the obsessive culture behind collecting them.
This release surprised the heck out of me. I absolutely did not see it coming. That bezel is the epitome of unique, if maybe not 100% practical. Some of the colorways scream summer, but all of them scream value, without looking like they came out of the bargain sale bin at your local Macy’s. Speaking of, I sure wish Certain had more representation in the U.S. There aren’t many retailers of the brand.
Wait awhile and you’ll see it on jomashop for a steal. Certina makes lots of nice preci-drive watches too. They nail quartz.