The Certina DS Podium Automatic is the first watch I might buy two of. I’ve had it on every waking moment since I got it 3 weeks ago. It is thin, comfortable and fast reading. The dial comes in white, black or gray. You can see I went for the gray.

One of the downsides of this line of watches is that it lacks a no date option. Fortunately for me, I prefer a date window Monday to Friday anyway so it works out.  Another is that it has a lot of shiny parts that are going to get banged up. While the markers, hour and minute hands are lumed, that lume is not very strong. If for some reason you want to check the time shortly after walking into a darkened room though, this watch has you covered.

During the day I find the Certina DS Podium Automatic extremely easy to read. The dial design lets the eyes center promptly and the hands and applied markers are bold enough to see quickly.

The fit is great thanks to its size and bracelet. End links fit well and the bracelet comes with half links and an adjustable clasp. The watch is 10 mm thick including the flat sapphire and the case has a 38mm diameter and crown guards even though it is clearly not a dive watch. The watch is water resistant to 100 meters even without a screw down crown. The exhibition case back shows the standard red bits and a signed rotor on an otherwise basic ETA 2824-2, which I am happy to have. The newer ETAs have more power reserve but at the expense of the smoother sweep of the 28xx. That difference is noticeable and I find the smoother sweep more enjoyable.

The Certina DS Podium Automatic is a gem in this price range. I would suggest it as a daily driver candidate to anyone looking.