Two summers ago, I had the pleasure of owning a
Hamilton Khaki Navy Frogman that housed a remarkable new (or rather reworked) ETA movement, which they dubbed Caliber H-10. Since then, this movement has popped up in Tissot, Mido and other Swatch Group pieces. (more on this movement later)
The subject of this article is the latest dive watch release from Mido, the titanium Ocean Star, which houses the aforementioned movement. This casual, yet elegant sports / dive watch flirts the line between serious tool and casual sport effortlessly. How about we let some pictures do the talking:
This all titanium diver is 42mm in diameter and a very svelte 11.75mm thick, making this one extremely cuff friendly. It all titanium construction equally make it very light and a pleasure to wear. In fact, you can barely tell you have it on at all. The case back is engraved with a beautiful star fish and is held down by 5 polished screws. The whole is water-resistant to 200m, while not quite the serious dive watch norm of 300m (the days), still way plenty for most earnest and even professional divers.
The bezel is nicely appointed with matching dial color, but is rather slick and a little difficult to turn. I can see where having wet/slippery hands may be an issue. I have similar quarrels with the crown, It is super slick and has a short screw down tube. Despite having to fiddle with it, it is quite secure and will not dislodge.
The dial, hands and markers are absolutely first rate. This includes the lume, which lasts all night and outshines most dim locations with ease. A lot of attention to detail went into it here and it shows. Unlike my old Hamilton, which was more of a functional tool, this one looks like it belongs in a office a little more than in the deep ocean. Very classy.
The bracelet and rubber strap are both excellent. Though I have never been a real fan of titanium, as it is so light and the lack of heft has a negative perception in my mind. It is no doubt, however, extremely well finished with beveled edges and a complex sliding/adjustable clasp.
It fits the watch perfectly. That said, it seems to have the same flaw as the crown, with really short treads for the adjusting screws. This made it very difficult to size. When the is is fully unscrewed, it does not protrude enough from the link to fully grasp it. Thus needing a small needle nose pliers and a deft touch to attempt removal. Be forewarned, may be best to let a qualified jeweler/retailer do this one.
The rubber strap is where this one really excels. It is of exceptional quality and extremely well finished. It also has the same sliding/adjustment system as the one on the titanium bracelet, which is very handy to get that "perfect" fit. I am normally a bracelet guy, but on this watch, I actually preferred the rubber strap and chose to wear that one most of the time.
I briefly spoke of the movement earlier and now it is time to go a little deeper into the Mido Caliber 80. It is basically a reworked ETA 2824. What have they done? Well, for one they have done away with the old regulating system and changed it to a high-tech, laser adjusted (pew-pew) version and secondly, they slowed down the beat rate. Going from 28,800 BPH (4hz) to 21,600 BPH (3hz) thus increasing its power reserve by a factor of two.
That is correct, you read that right, 80 hrs of power reserve! (hence the name) This means you can take your watch off on Friday evening and put it back on Monday morning again and it would not have stopped! How cool is that? This is perfect for someone who has an extensive collection and enjoys a variety of watches during the week. I also enjoy the sound of the lowered beat rate. I know this sounds silly, but to me 21,600 BPH sounds less "stressful" than 28,800.... but that's just me.
I know that some fear that lowere beat rate would affect the normally very steady ETA 2824 performance. Well, this is the second timepiece (really 2nd and 3rd) that houses this movement and it is quite remarkable, as all of them have keps above COSC Chronometer standard accuracy.
If you are looking for a sharp, casual/dress diver that will fit well under any cuff and is not seen on everyone's wrist, you should definitely consider the Mido Ocean Star. It is very reasonably priced (under 1300$ Canadian MSRP). In my opinion, this watch represents great value from a house that is a member of one of the world's largest and most respected watch conglomerates,
Bracelet or rubber strap, you cannot go wrong. Go check them out and like me, you will be pleasantly surprised!
