Incoming

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Ceegee
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Incoming

Post by Ceegee »

So I'd been looking at panda dial chrono's for what seems like an age and had decided on the one I liked. This speedy

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However, I'd already bought the Tudor Pelagos this year so my budget wouldn't quite stretch to the Omega. But I knew the look I was after...

I had also decided I wanted another quartz watch. I had too many autos and just occasionally I'm in a rush in the morning and just want to pick up a watch and go. Not have to bother setting the date and time and giving it a wind. Not every day but just occasionally.

Then I started thinking it would be nice to own a thermo compensated (two words? Hyphen?) HAQ watch. Never had one of those. Only, I didn't like CW's offerings - sorry folks - and Sinn and Breitling were again over budget. I liked the idea of a crazy accurate watch that was accurate to seconds in a year.

The search began...

And I found this. Box first.

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Yip, it's a Certina. From what I understand, they sit somewhere between Tissot and Hamilton in the Swatch group. With the focus on sporty watches. They sponsor the Sauber F1 team for example. They're not quite so prevalent in the UK, or USA, as say Tissot or Hamilton but seem to be pretty popular in mainland Europe. I bought mine from a Spanish dealer on the advice of a WUS forum member where there is a 30+ page thread on this watch.

The inner box. Very nice faux wood. Or is it actual wood. I can't tell.

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It's a limited edition, introduced on Certina's 125th anniversary last year. More on that below. Here's the watch.

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It's a DS2 precidrive chrono. It comes in many guises but the panda dial just happened to be the more pricey limited edition COSC certified version. The movement is a Thermo compensated Quartz ETA 251.264.CEN PreciDrive, accurate to +/- 10 seconds/year and is currently only used by Certina apparently.

Some more pics

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I rather like the ickle turtle on the case back

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It has many other bells and whistles including a 1/100s hand which whizzes around merrily and can be seen in this YouTube ad
http://youtu.be/pAk1MWxqeJE

And the DS concept shock proof and water resistance. Nice applied indices, a decent slightly domed AR coated crystal and well put together bracelet. Not bad really, for the money.

And finally a wrist shot.

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(Excuse the less than perfect photos I'm not that impressed with this HTC one ultra pixel camera).

Anyhow, It's early days, so I won't yet comment on whether it's a keeper. Only time will tell. Pardon the pun. Will that black date on a white background bug me? What about all the text? I can live with both I think. For now...

Thanks for reading.
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downer
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Re: Incoming

Post by downer »

Interesting find. I've also been thinking about panda dials, - although I'm still at the thinking stage..
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Re: Incoming

Post by ItsAliveJim »

downer wrote:Interesting find. I've also been thinking about panda dials, - although I'm still at the thinking stage..
Waits with baited breath ... :)

BTW Isn't a true panda dial just two registers?

Sorry, nice Certina Ceegee :thumbup:
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Re: Incoming

Post by gbbird »

You can see the Tissot connection in that.
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MiniMpi
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Re: Incoming

Post by MiniMpi »

Well done !
Congratulations on getting such a lovely piece.
I am starting to like panda dials and that looks fantastic.
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Re: Incoming

Post by Fnew »

I REALLY like that! I like how the dial is balanced and no numbers were harmed in the making of that dial.
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Re: Incoming

Post by nbg »

Congratulations; Iooks good and I think that the red works well.

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Ceegee
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Re: Incoming

Post by Ceegee »

downer wrote:Interesting find. I've also been thinking about panda dials, - although I'm still at the thinking stage..
Be interesting to see if you take plunge and which one you go for.
It'sAliveJim wrote:BTW Isn't a true panda dial just two registers?
Not sure about that. I thought first "true panda dial" was the tricompax 1963 Rolex Cosmograph Daytona ref 6239. But I'm no expert.
MiniMpi wrote:Well done !
Congratulations on getting such a lovely piece.
I am starting to like panda dials and that looks fantastic.
Thanks Ferg. I've always loved panda and reverse panda dials with this particular layout of sub dials 3, 6, 9. That Rolex mentioned above would be my holy grail. Completely unobtainable.
Fnew wrote:I REALLY like that! I like how the dial is balanced and no numbers were harmed in the making of that dial.
Precisely, it's amazing how many chronograph sub dials cut through numerals on the watch face. Something the that bugs me too.
nbg wrote:Congratulations; Iooks good and I think that the red works well.

Neil
Thanks Neil. I've a thing for hints of red on a black or white watch face. I find myself strangely drawn to them. My Omega Seamaster chrono also has dashes of red and I likes it.
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Re: Incoming

Post by watchstudent »

Great pick up. Panda dials are awesome! The new Tag Heuer CH80 is also a lovely example.
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Re: Incoming

Post by barry72 »

I've also recently did a search for affordable panda dials and also came across this one. Nice pick up!
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Re: Incoming

Post by vikingdrvr »

great looking chrono! Congrats!
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Re: Incoming

Post by Leo David »

Very nice, ceegee. Congrats on finding something different. Looks like a substantial weighty piece you have there.
Fnew wrote:I REALLY like that! I like how the dial is balanced and no numbers were harmed in the making of that dial.
It drives me mental... why deface the face by cutting through numerals. I can't stand it. Anyway, it's good to see C's watch has not suffered that fate and it is all the better for it.
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Re: Incoming

Post by hughesyn »

Lovely watch.
CW need to put thermocompensated quartz in a slightly more normal looking package. .

There's lots of talk on the High Accuracy Quartz forum about the Certina. You've got the best version IMO.

I'm currently trying to get a JDM Citizen HAQ at the moment, but otherwise the Certina would be high on the list.
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