It’s been 20 years since Mido released a five lines of watches recognizing major architectural monuments. For 2022, they’re releasing a series of limited edition watches to celebrate the anniversary. Earlier this year, they released the All Dial 20th Anniversary Limited Edition, which commemorated the Roman Colosseum. They followed that up with the Baroncelli Signature Limited Edition, which represents the French Rennes Opera House. Now, they’re releasing the third watch, the Ocean Star 20th Anniversary which is the watch we’re reviewing here.
This is a dive watch, inspired by the Europa Point Lighthouse. The Europa Point Lighthouse is located on Gibraltar, where it marks the north end of the strait and where its light is easily visible from North Africa. It’s a beautiful piece of architecture, painted mostly in white with the exception of a red band across the center. First built in 1841, it has been updated over the years. It’s been automated since 1994, and has used LED lights since 2016.
Even so, it has a timeless appeal, and Mido has given a nod to its birth year by issuing their limited edition in 1,841 pieces. I’ve taken a close look at it; here are my thoughts.
A Lighthouse-Inspired Dial
If you’re already a fan of Mido’s watches, you may be familiar with the existing Ocean Star line. The dial on the 20th Anniversary edition is very similar, but with one major – and prominent – alteration. At 12 o’clock, the applied index isn’t just a simple white rectangle. Instead, it has a red band across the middle and is slightly tapered towards the top, an obvious nod to the Europa Point Lighthouse.
The rest of the dial is pretty much the same as the original. The background is rich blue, the color of the ocean when you get out into deep waters. Around the outside, there are fine white hashes denoting the single minute marks. At the five-minute marks, there are larger applied white indices that are coated with a lume finish, with a double block at 6 o’clock.
The hands are open-worked, with skeletonized bottom halves. The frames are bright silver, and the outer halves of the hands are filled with white lume stripes. The second hand has a lollipop-style design, with a white lume-filled pip and red lacquer at the tip.
The rest of the dial is fairly spartan, without a lot of complications or other nonsense. The words “Mido Automatic” are printed at the top in a spare white font, with the words “Ocean Star Limited Edition” at the bottom. The day and date window is simple black text on a white background, and is located at 3 o’clock.
The uni-directional rotating bezel has a blue ceramic inset with white hashes and numerals. It’s a dive-style bezel, with most of the detail in the first 15 minutes. However, it’s a solid color, not a Pepsi-style bezel.
A Dive-Worthy Case
The stainless steel case has a broad profile, at 42.5mm in diameter and 11.6mm thick. The 22mm lugs are neither too long nor too narrow, and blend smoothly into the rest of the case. The screw-down crown at 3 o’clock is well-protected, with a flared set of guards above and below.
The Ocean Star is water-resistant to a standard dive watch depth of 200 meters, making it a true dive watch. You can take it out into deep water and not have to worry about any damage.
On the front is a sapphire crystal, with a smooth, flat surface that doesn’t distort the dial. It’s coated on the front and back with an anti-reflective finish, so glare is a non-issue under all but the most extreme conditions.
The caseback itself is also easy on the eyes. In the center is an engraved image of the Europa Point Lighthouse. At the bottom right is the serial number, verifying that the watch is a special edition.
Movement, Strap, and Extras
The Ocean Star 20th Anniversary is built around an in-house Mido Caliber 80 movement. This movement is based on the ETA C07.621, a popular 25-jewel movement. It’s almost chronometer-grade, but not quite, with an accuracy of around +0.7 seconds per day. It also boasts an 80-hour power reserve, enough to take off for three days with a little bit extra.
The nylon strap is deep blue, a close match for the dial. The texture of the stitching actually looks like a series of ocean waves. I’m not sure whether this is intentional or whether I’m reading too much into things, but either way, it gives the strap a striking visual appearance. It closes with a standard pin buckle which seems pretty sturdy and is easy to fasten and unfasten.
Mido backs their watches with a two-year manufacturer’s warranty. During this time, you’ll be fully protected from defects in material or craftsmanship.
For more information please visit the official Mido website here.
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