Not all images were able to load for printing. Please close the print window and try again. Mido Adds a Chic Gold PVD Version to its Ocean Star GMT
Heading for the oceans and crossing borders with a chic touch of chocolate
Mido, a mid-level brand owned by the Swatch Group, is well known for its capacity to deliver solid horological content at a fair price, but also with a rather cool sense of design. Check the recent Ocean Star 39 and you’ll have a great idea of what we’re talking about. Another watch that always made a great impression on us is the Ocean Star GMT, a timepiece blending the practicality of a true GMT function (yes, rare enough in this price range) with strong diving credentials, making it a great offer for summer. Already available in several steel versions, the brand brings a new chic and flashy edition in gold PVD with chocolate accents, so you can both travel in style, dive securely, and look good at the poolside bar.
Most things have not changed compared to the inaugural editions presented in 2020 or the special edition of 2022. The fundamentals are still the same, with the mix between a travel-oriented movement and a dive watch case. And this feels when looking at the specifications, since the Ocean Star GMT isn’t the smallest of watches. Measuring 44mm in diameter and 13.28mm in thickness, it retains a manageable L2L measurement at 50mm. The Ocean Star GMT is a classic “dive and fly” watch as the 60-minute dive bezel has not been sacrificed or used for the 24-hour GMT function. Made from ceramic, the unidirectional rotating bezel allows the wearer to track elapsed time, while the 24-hour scale is placed around the dial. The case is water-resistant to 200m and the caseback is closed, engraved with 24 time zones.
What’s new with this edition of the Mido Ocean Star GMT is the colours. The brushed and polished case is coated in yellow gold PVD, and paired with a nicely integrated rubber strap in chocolate brown – a well-known, usually winning combination of colours. The velvety black base of the dial has been retained, but the angled inner flange with 24-hour flange opts for new colours, black for nighttime and brown for daytime. Matching the case, the main hands are gold plated while the GMT hand is brown varnished to fit within the whole colour scheme. A good point, the date disc is black like the rest of the dial. Large applied, and luminous markers also make sure that legibility at night or underwater won’t be a problem.
Under the hood is an evolution of the classic Powermatic 80 base movement, an updated version of the ETA 2824. Thanks to a reduced frequency of 3Hz and some work on the kinetic chain, it can store up to 80 hours of power reserve. It is equipped with a Nivachron balance spring, resistant to magnetic fields. But most importantly, it now comes with an additional GMT hand, with the travelling function being a so-called true GMT, and not an office GMT as often seen in this price range. This means that it’s the local hour hand that can be adjusted independently by one-hour increments when changing time zone, highly practical in the case of international travel.
The watch is secured to the wrist by a gold PVD folding clasp with diving extension and quick-release spring bars are also included. Part of the permanent collection and now available, this new gold/chocolate edition of the Mido Ocean Star GMT is priced at EUR 1,410 or CHF 1,350. More details at www.midowatches.com.
