After two years of ownership, to say the watch has worn on me, would be putting it mildly.
When I received it I was pleasantly surprised by how accurate it was at keeping time. Well… 2 years later and the accuracy continues. After 7 days it is running 2 seconds slow. Not per day, per week. I’m planning to track it for the month and see where it is at by month-end.
(Maybe someone reading this will know why and could explain. It seems to oscillate between running fast and slow. I’ve noticed that some days it’s a second fast. Some days a second slow. But it’s averaged to 2 seconds slow over the week.)
With an 80 hour power reserve, the Caliber 80 movement is clearly very well designed and assembled.
The quality continues throughout the piece. The case is beautifully finished. It is solid and it feels solid. Something I’ve come to appreciate more the longer I’ve owned it.
The refined bracelet makes this watch incredibly versatile. I’ve worn it with formal attire, throughout my travels in Europe, on business trips, and on numerous backcountry adventures. It’s by no means flashy. Yet it always fits the occasion.
And this is exactly what I was looking for. A tool watch that would suit many purposes and stand the test of time.
The dial is simple. It’s not trying to be anything more than what it is. A remake of the original 1970s Mido dive watch. With a black dial and printed indices the orange second hand is the only pop of color. A throwback to the original.
Yet the combination of the simple face with the polished bracelet works. It’s not unlike arriving in simple black suit with an elegant date in a beautiful dress.
And the weight of the bracelet, in my opinion, matches the 39mm case perfectly. The bracelet is incredibly comfortable. Not heavy, but not dainty. It feels like a masculine watch.
You’ll perceive the weight of the watch. It doesn’t feel like a toy when you put it on. It has substance. Which I like. But it’s not too much, as you don’t notice it while wearing it.
I have a broad range of interests. One thing you may observe if you’ve looked through this blog. And I enjoy learning. When I uncover something of interest, like an untold story, I tend to share the discovery with others.
One of these untold discoveries, that I had not known about, was Mido’s more than a 90 year long history in “waterproof” watches.
If you’re unfamiliar with Mido you may be surprised to learn, as I was, that Mido made the first wristwatch in the world to be considered watertight – and certified as waterproof. Without the need of an additional case to house the watch.
Mido Multifort was tested to a depth of 120 meters and an elevation of 16,600 meters and temperature range of 50°C to -40°C by New York Electrical Testing Laboratories Inc in 1933.
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To put this into perspective, one must understand the milestones in technology of the time.
Rolex was innovating water resistant wristwatches as early as 1926, and demonstrating that one could swim with one (1927) and it would still run after. They weren’t designed to be immersed in the water. But rather to sustain brief splashes, rain or water immersion. A major innovation in the late 1920s.
To achieve this Rolex used a screw-down crown, case back and bezel. However, all of which were susceptible to leaking under pressure or sustained immersion.
Following the path forged by Rolex, by 1932 Omega released a screw-down case with a sealed crown. While it too wasn’t designed for sustained water immersion. It was a precursor to the more advanced water-resistant watches that would come in the 1940s and 1950s.
The introduction of the sealed crown mechanism greatly improved water-resistance.
Then in 1934 Mido introduced the world’s first “completely waterproof” watch design. It utilized a solid case back and a screw-down bezel creating an airtight seal. But what it made it unique was the use of a cork crown stem sealing system. Giving it the ability to sustain water immersion even under pressure.
In 1933, the Mido watch was tested to 120 meters (393.7 feet) by the New York Electrical Testing Laboratories (NETL). The test confirmed that the watch with a crown could withstand submersion in water at this depth without any leakage, making it the first wristwatch to be officially certified as waterproof.
While not a dive-watch by today’s standards, 120 meters was an extraordinary achievement of the time, it demonstrated a level of water resistance that was previously unheard of for wristwatches. And helped lay the groundwork for more advanced water-resistant designs that would follow.
While there were other watch makers that were also developing water-resistant watches then – Longines, Jaeger-LeCoultre, even Tudor (sister company to Rolex) – it is a fact that the world’s first certified waterproof watch was a Mido. A fact many brands would love to be able to call their own.
Mido released the waterproof case and crown to the market with the Multifort. The first in the world to combine a self-winding movement, anti-magnetic properties, watertight case, and impact resistance was truly ahead of its time and laid the foundation for the modern sports and tool watches that would later become so popular in the following decades.
A tool watch of the age, yet they had in fact just produced the world’s first true sports watch. Combining the qualities of water-resistance, shock-resistance, durability and functionality needed for active or sporting lifestyles. A combination that we now consider standard.
Yet, as a brand, Mido is understated. They simply produce quality timepieces that the Swiss can be proud to call their own.
I’m grateful for my Mido Oceanstar. To me it represents quality of life. It’s a watch I hope to wear well and then pass on to my child or grandchild. I appreciate the role that Mido has played in the history of watch making. And I can see that proud history on display in a simple, well-made and elegant diver.
If you value quality, you’ll love the Mido.
