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Is the DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic the best Ternos of all time? At least at first glance. DAVOSA has done more than just cosmetic work and upgraded its popular diver’s watch. A new, durable movement is now ticking away inside. Read my new watch test to find out whether this and the other new features make the watch significantly better…
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The best Davosa Ternos ever?
DAVOSA is self-confident: ‘the best Ternos Professional ever’ is a statement to fans and competitors alike. Once again, the Swiss manufacturer has honed and refined its bestseller. However, the words of Managing Director Corinna Bohle make you sit up and take notice. DAVOSA seems to have responded to the wishes of its customers and has once again noticeably raised its premium standards.
But what makes the new Ternos Professional so special? After all, at first glance, the Tool Watch, which is popular with professionals and hobby divers, doesn’t look much different from the familiar Ternos Professional. It’s the subtleties. And these are once again mainly hidden under the black, minimalist dial.
The black dial unites all three references that DAVOSA released at the market launch. There is now also a fourth reference with a blue dial and blue bezel. My reference 161.538.05 for this watch review has the classic black bezel and the elegant PentaLink bracelet. If you want to add a little more colour to your wrist, you can alternatively purchase the watch with a blue or green bezel. All three variants are also available with the simpler TriaLink strap.
Impressive: the new DAV3121
The Ternos has been given a new movement. Until now, DAVOSA was mainly known for its DAV3021 calibre. Behind this cloak was a Sellita SW200-1, a copy of the world-famous ETA 2892. Equipped with a power reserve of 41 hours, the automatic movement was a solid, reliable endurance runner. But perhaps not necessarily the calibre that makes the hearts of die-hard watch fans beat faster. If you have a few mechanical watches in your collection, there is a good chance that you own two SW200-1s.
In this respect, the new Ternos brings a breath of fresh air to such watch collections. To coincide with its release, DAVOSA is embarking on a new collaboration with La Joux-Perret, a well-known but not omnipresent manufacturer from the Swiss Jura. The manufacturer supplies its G100 as the base calibre.
As we know from DAVOSA, it is refined by the Swiss brand before being installed in the Ternos and then bears the new name DAV3121.
That doesn’t just sound a class above, it is! Because the G100 from La Joux-Perret has a power reserve of an enduring 68 hours. I can’t remember the last time I wore a watch in this price range with such a powerful calibre on my wrist – wow! DAVOSA pays tribute to the performance and includes the power reserve in the name of the watch.
The accuracy of the automatic movement is at Elaboré level and should be around -4 to +6 seconds. The manufacturer’s specifications are consistent with my everyday experience.
Slimmer at last: the case of the DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic
The case has also been given a facelift. While the case of my DAVOSA Ternos Professional Nebulous Automatic test watch was still an impressive 14.50 millimetres thick, the DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic has been slimmed down and now measures just 12.80 millimetres – thanks in part to feedback from customers who wanted a slimmer case. The weight is 210 grams including the strap and the diameter of the case is 42 millimetres.
In everyday use, the Ternos is as comfortable to wear as ever. Of course, I did not take a dive during my test period. Nevertheless, I found the freedom of movement on the wrist to be very good. The DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic is suitable for both professional and amateur divers. With a maximum diving depth of 300 metres, the new Ternos easily exceeds the required standard of water resistance to a depth of 200 metres.
You don’t have to change something just to change it. And so the case is once again made of stainless steel with a satin finish. The quality of workmanship leaves nothing to be desired and, as usual, is worthy of a premium watch. The dial has a scratch-resistant sapphire crystal. This has been given an anti-reflective coating for better readability under water.
The crown with double seal and slip clutch has also been slimmed down and now blends more harmoniously into the overall look.
Bezel, dial and bracelet of the DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic
The unidirectional rotating bezel with a coloured inlay and high-gloss finish sets the tone. The diver’s bezel is made of ceramic, which makes it resistant to scratches. A new feature is the visually different minute scale. The bezel is now also fully coated with SuperLumiNova BGW9 luminous material, which means that the DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic offers optimum readability in the dark. The second and minute hands also stand out. For some time now, DAVOSA has been showcasing its recognisable feature, the compass rose. The striking hand design is a visual reminiscence of the Swiss manufacturer’s maritime symbol.
The DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic now also fits perfectly on the wrist thanks to DAVOSA’s newly designed WaveSlide clasp with fine adjustment. You can add interchangeable tools to the shopping basket, but on my wrist it was not necessary to remove one of the links. The fine adjustment was completely sufficient. In my opinion, the PentaLink stainless steel bracelet is of much higher quality than the conventional TriaLink stainless steel bracelet. However, the classic, three-link version is also available.
My conclusion on the DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic
DAVOSA’s Ternos update is more than just a small facelift. You could almost go so far as to describe the timepiece from this test as a completely new watch. The changes are visually subtle, but consistent and logical. Under the stainless steel case, however, the most exciting new feature is the new automatic movement based on the La Joux-Perret calibre. Thanks to its power reserve of an excellent 68 hours, the DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic can now finally keep up with Swiss premium watches powered by a modern, in-house manufacture calibre in terms of performance. With the small but significant difference that the DAVOSA Ternos Professional 68h Automatic costs only around a third of the price: 1,395.00 euros, regardless of the bezel colour. In view of the first-class quality, the new Ternos once again lives up to DAVOSA’s reputation as the secret price-performance winner. You simply don’t get more watch for your money!
Below you will find the most important links to all references in the shop. And if you’re really interested in DAVOSA now, why not take a look at my blog?
More about DAVOSA and the Ternos Professional 68h Automatic
All Ternos Professional 68h Automatic models at a glance in the shop
Even more DAVOSA watch reviews in my blog
All diving watches that I have tested
