The Powermatic 80 hour auto movement is one of the biggest bargains in Swiss watchmaking. Most commonly found in the entry level Tissot or Hamilton watches at about £450 or so, this movement is being fitted to the latest, special edition, Certina DS PH500M dive watch. Consider this; many Rolex automatics can only manage 40 hours reserve, so the technology inside this sub-£1000 Swiss watch is impressive.

The orange dialled beauty, captures the spirit of 1968, when Certina made an orange dialled DS dive watch. This modern re-creation features a steel case, screwdown crown, 500m depth rating and a pair of straps, so you can do that Tri-athalon swim without any worries. One strap is extra long by the way. There’s a sapphire crystal too.

The watch retails at a reasonable £795 in the UK and offers excellent value compared to many other Swiss dive watches with a 500m depth rating. On the rear of the case you get the logo of the German Divers Association, as they had a hand in the development of this watch. There’s a uni-directional bezel so you cannot click-stop the wrong way – essential detail for diving we reckon.

It’s a 43mm case size so a very nice compromise between making a statement and being big enough to see the time at a glance. We love the 60s vibe this has, which is very reminiscent of Yema, Doxa or Favre Leuba models from those heady Austin Powers days.

For us, this makes a versatile everyday watch that nails the retro look very well, has the cachet of Swiss quality and an 80 hour reserve so you won’t spend much time winding this one to get some tension on the mainspring.

It’s availble to buy from the end of June.