New Certina DS Action GMT Powermatic 80 is a stylish travel watch

The new Certina GMT is a real looker with a great spec sheet to boot

The Certina DS Action GMT Powermatic 80 in water with lights in the background
(Image credit: Certina)
Quick Summary

Certina has unveiled a new range of their DS Action GMT watches.

These pack in a Powermatic 80 movement and a host of sumptuous colour options.

Certina have just unveiled a whole new range of DS Action GMT Powermatic 80 watches. The new lineup sees a trio of different models, with design queues taken from iconic vintage watches like the Rolex GMT-Master II.

That's great news for users, as the three feel instantly familiar. You'll find steel bracelets on the black-and-green and red-and-blue variations, with a black-and-brown model surrounded with yellow gold-toned material and a leather strap.

It's not just a pretty face, either. Inside, you'll find the Powermatic 80 movement. Popularised on models like the Certina's Swatch Group stablemate – the Tissot PRX 80 – the movement has become synonymous with great power reserve and reliable operation.

As has become synonymous with the Certina DS Action Diver series, the water resistance is phenomenal here. 200m of resistance should make this one of the hardiest GMT watches on the market. Even the Rolex mentioned above can't boast that.

You'll be able to track up to three time zones, too. The standard hour and minute hands are paired up with a GMT hand on the dial, to track the time in a second part of the world. If you can comprehend it, the bezel also rotates, which can give you a third time zone, too.

Those bezels are sapphire crystal, too. That's perhaps a slightly less common material for that part, though it should provide a lovely glossy finish. Underneath, the finish is split into two sections, providing the iconic dual-finish bezel which GMT watches have used for generations.

You might be reading all of this thinking it's going to be extortionately expensive. That's not the case, though. Priced at 1,070 CHF on a bracelet and 1,040 CHF on the leather band, these should hit the market around the £1,000 mark. That's a lot of watch for the money, and should make for a fairly compelling option – even in a crowded market.

Sam Cross
Staff Writer

Online news writer at T3.com, Sam has five years of experience in online and print journalism, with work featured in publications like Metro and Last Word on Sports. After years writing about music and football, Sam now turns his hand to bringing you news about new phones, smart home products, smart watches, laptops and TVs. Sam is a longtime fan and user of Apple products, including iPhones, MacBooks and Apple Watches.He’s also T3’s resident football expert, bringing you everything you need to know about the big games, including how to watch them. In his spare time, Sam is a keen guitarist, watch lover and (very) amateur golfer.