This thread will be reserved for important posts. I expect to update it as needed and do not need anyone else to post here.
This is a long item but I think it marks a very significant event in the world of HAQ. We have a brand-new TC movement - the ETA 251.264.CEN PreciDrive - installed in a brand-new watch from a long-established Swatch Group watch manufacturer. Unlike all the other announcements of the last year or so, that have only a very limited (albeit exciting) appeal, like the Hoptroff CSAC watch, or are still apparently vapourware, like AtomicTime and Morgenwerk, this one is real and is currently being shipped to retailers at a very reasonable price.
Certina's effort in announcing and publicising their new watch, after the initial press releases, has been feeble and confusing, with retailers and their distributors having very little information and even Certina's web site has almost no useful information. There are currently six models with cosmetic variations and they are shown here:
certina.com/collection/gent-quartz/ds-2#m=1
It appears that they all have the TC movement but only the more expensive LE version has a COSC certificate (and a fancy box).
My recently departed, and not greatly missed, Aerospace has left an HAQ-sized gap, just in time to receive my own Certina and I hope the photos give a good idea of the whole package. If you want wrist shots, or a photo of the movement, then you'll have to buy your own.
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Chronograph Indications
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Detailed specification (from Certina and my own watch)
A brief initial review
First impressions are that this is a very nicely designed and finished piece, quite 'normal' in appearance. The case has a good mix of brushed and polished sections, as does the bracelet, although I fear that the large polished centre links will soon show scuffs and scratches. The bracelet was quite easily adjusted to size with two sizes of link, and there are helpful arrow markings on the bracelet to avoid the disaster of attempting to insert or remove the split pins in the wrong direction. I would have liked to see micro-adjustment but this is probably impossible with a butterfly fastening.
Rather surprisingly for a 100m WR watch, the back is pressed in rather than screwed in. However, Certina make a big deal of their DS (Double Security) Concept, and there is a relief of a turtle on the back, so I have to assume that they know what they're doing! It does mean that I'm in no hurry to have a peek at the movement.
On the wrist it's quite comfortable and doesn't feel too big. It's on the upper size limit for my taste, and I prefer titanium for lightness, but it's OK. Absence of a rotating bezel is a major plus point for me.
Readability is good, helped by the slightly domed crystal, with internal AR, that avoids the problem with a flat crystal of the dial disappearing behind one large reflection. In the absence of an outer AR coating this is good enough. The dial has a very subtle sunburst effect for the main dark grey part, with black sub-dials that have a raised annular ring pattern.
Operation is perfectly straightforward, with all the functions working as expected. The independent hour hand is for me a mandatory feature for any HAQ . Perpetual calendar would have been nice but it seems unachievable with a chronograph. You have to turn the hour hand through 24 hours to change the date (works in both directions). Lume seems adequate but I haven't tried an 05:00 time check yet.
The chrono buttons work smoothly but I must make a comment about the 1/100[SUP]th[/SUP]-second feature. This was greatly hyped in the initial press releases, as if it's a must-have unique feature. To me it's a complete nonsense. Trying to read an elapsed time that requires reference to 4 separate hands (12-hour and 30-minute sub-dials, plus 60-second and 1-second main hands) is a serious test of one's patience. Omitting the 4[SUP]th[/SUP] hand would give a perfectly serviceable 1-second stopwatch. If you need sub-second resolution then any cheap digital stopwatch is infinitely better.
The user manual is perfectly adequate, being written in good English (plus 16 other languages) and contains everything you need to know on 12 tiny pages. This includes simple instructions for resetting the chrono hands, which was necessary when my watch arrived.
So, my initial conclusion is that I am very pleased with this attractive watch at an attractive price. I cannot understand why Christopher Ward doesn't do something similar with sensibly-priced COSC quartz, instead of their bizarre special editions that are commemorative of nothing very significant.
I am now starting my test of accuracy and will report as soon as the SPY value starts to settle down. +/-10 SPY is not usually a problem for ETA TC movements.
I'll be happy to attempt to answer any questions.
This is a long item but I think it marks a very significant event in the world of HAQ. We have a brand-new TC movement - the ETA 251.264.CEN PreciDrive - installed in a brand-new watch from a long-established Swatch Group watch manufacturer. Unlike all the other announcements of the last year or so, that have only a very limited (albeit exciting) appeal, like the Hoptroff CSAC watch, or are still apparently vapourware, like AtomicTime and Morgenwerk, this one is real and is currently being shipped to retailers at a very reasonable price.
Certina's effort in announcing and publicising their new watch, after the initial press releases, has been feeble and confusing, with retailers and their distributors having very little information and even Certina's web site has almost no useful information. There are currently six models with cosmetic variations and they are shown here:
certina.com/collection/gent-quartz/ds-2#m=1
It appears that they all have the TC movement but only the more expensive LE version has a COSC certificate (and a fancy box).
My recently departed, and not greatly missed, Aerospace has left an HAQ-sized gap, just in time to receive my own Certina and I hope the photos give a good idea of the whole package. If you want wrist shots, or a photo of the movement, then you'll have to buy your own.
View attachment 1278880
View attachment 1278881
View attachment 1278883
View attachment 1278884
View attachment 1278885
View attachment 1278886
View attachment 1278887
Chronograph Indications
View attachment 1278889
Detailed specification (from Certina and my own watch)
- Model number: C024.447.11.081.00
- Movement: Thermocompensated Quartz ETA 251.264.CEN PreciDrive, +/- 10 seconds/year
- Battery life: more than 2 years (silver oxide 394/SR936SW), EOL indication
- Functions: Centre hour & minute hands, small-second, date,
time-zone (hour hand setting is independent),
date adjustment using hour hand, NO perpetual calendar - Chronograph: Centre 1-second hand with 1/100[SUP]th[/SUP]-second graduations,
runs for first minute, subsequently displayed when chronograph is stopped
Centre 60-second hand
Small 30-minute and 12-hour dials - Case: Brushed/polished 316L stainless steel
41mm diameter, 12.54 mm high, lug width 22 mm
Aluminium bezel with tachymeter scale - Dial: Anthracite with polished hands and nickelled indices
Sub-dials black with textured finish
Superluminova on hour & minute hands and hour markers
See the Certina link for other variations - Water resistance: to 10 bar (100m)
- Crystal: Sapphire crystal, domed, with inner anti-reflective coating
- Watch strap: Three-row 316L stainless steel (brushed/polished)
with twin push-button butterfly buckle
Removable links with split-pin fixings - Dimensions: Case 41 mm diameter, 12.54 mm high, 22 mm lug width, 51 mm lug-to-lug
Weight of watch with full bracelet 150 g
Maximum wrist circumference of watch + bracelet 21.5 cm
Bracelet 22 mm wide, tapering to 19 mm,with removable links 7 mm (x2) and 10 mm (x5) - Warranty: Two year international warranty, service through normal SG Group centres
A brief initial review
First impressions are that this is a very nicely designed and finished piece, quite 'normal' in appearance. The case has a good mix of brushed and polished sections, as does the bracelet, although I fear that the large polished centre links will soon show scuffs and scratches. The bracelet was quite easily adjusted to size with two sizes of link, and there are helpful arrow markings on the bracelet to avoid the disaster of attempting to insert or remove the split pins in the wrong direction. I would have liked to see micro-adjustment but this is probably impossible with a butterfly fastening.
Rather surprisingly for a 100m WR watch, the back is pressed in rather than screwed in. However, Certina make a big deal of their DS (Double Security) Concept, and there is a relief of a turtle on the back, so I have to assume that they know what they're doing! It does mean that I'm in no hurry to have a peek at the movement.
On the wrist it's quite comfortable and doesn't feel too big. It's on the upper size limit for my taste, and I prefer titanium for lightness, but it's OK. Absence of a rotating bezel is a major plus point for me.
Readability is good, helped by the slightly domed crystal, with internal AR, that avoids the problem with a flat crystal of the dial disappearing behind one large reflection. In the absence of an outer AR coating this is good enough. The dial has a very subtle sunburst effect for the main dark grey part, with black sub-dials that have a raised annular ring pattern.
Operation is perfectly straightforward, with all the functions working as expected. The independent hour hand is for me a mandatory feature for any HAQ . Perpetual calendar would have been nice but it seems unachievable with a chronograph. You have to turn the hour hand through 24 hours to change the date (works in both directions). Lume seems adequate but I haven't tried an 05:00 time check yet.
The chrono buttons work smoothly but I must make a comment about the 1/100[SUP]th[/SUP]-second feature. This was greatly hyped in the initial press releases, as if it's a must-have unique feature. To me it's a complete nonsense. Trying to read an elapsed time that requires reference to 4 separate hands (12-hour and 30-minute sub-dials, plus 60-second and 1-second main hands) is a serious test of one's patience. Omitting the 4[SUP]th[/SUP] hand would give a perfectly serviceable 1-second stopwatch. If you need sub-second resolution then any cheap digital stopwatch is infinitely better.
The user manual is perfectly adequate, being written in good English (plus 16 other languages) and contains everything you need to know on 12 tiny pages. This includes simple instructions for resetting the chrono hands, which was necessary when my watch arrived.
So, my initial conclusion is that I am very pleased with this attractive watch at an attractive price. I cannot understand why Christopher Ward doesn't do something similar with sensibly-priced COSC quartz, instead of their bizarre special editions that are commemorative of nothing very significant.
I am now starting my test of accuracy and will report as soon as the SPY value starts to settle down. +/-10 SPY is not usually a problem for ETA TC movements.
I'll be happy to attempt to answer any questions.