MIDO Ocean Star GMT new REF.

While I mightn’t be entirely convinced of just why anyone would need a new GMT / World-timer in the midst of a global pandemic, it seems that I might be in the minority – well at least as far as the Swiss watch industry is concerned because here’s yet another!

We met the Ocean Star GMT last summer but seeing as Mido has just released another new ref. that btw makes excellent use of orange for its GMT hand, 24hr scale and seconds pointer; 

here’s a second look at the watch, and in case you aren’t entirely convinced of Mido’s diving credentials, I’ve lovingly included a gratuitous wrist-shot of the non-GMT variant, below – looks ocean ready to me.

Still it’s amazing what a DLC-coating and a bit of neoprene does for even the most ordinary looking diver’s watches. 

Okay, back to the new ref. Last year, Mido released a trio of Ocean Star diver’s watches; one of which was the Ocean Star GMT which joined the Ocean Star CHRONOGRAPH and the totally unexpected, multicolored, Ocean Star DECOMPRESSION Timer 1961 Limited Edition.

The Ocean Star GMT diver’s collection comes equipped with a practical GMT function clearly displaying the time in two different time zones: home time and local time. 

Mido say that rather than the going the route of a world-timer, which many view as being obtrusive on a diver's watch face, they opted to engrave the world's time-zone indications on the watch’s case-back instead.

Now to the case which is in Stainless steel with a ceramic bezel and a Sapphire crystal with double sided anti-reflection treatment. 

Meanwhile power comes courtesy of an automatic Mido Caliber 80 base (ETA C07.661) with date and GMT functions as well as an impressive power-reserve of up to 80 hours or more.

The case btw has a diameter of 44mm, a height of 13.3mm and a lug-width of 22mm. Water-resistance is 200 meters. Finally, the watch comes on a Stainless steel 3-link bracelet. 

The new Ocean Star GMT Ref. M026.629.11.051.01 has a Swiss MSRP of 1’130CHF (incl. VAT).

Thoughts? I think the watch is pretty cool but I’m not a huge fan of these crowns that are so deeply nestled into the crown-guard and it would be good to know what type of clasp the bracelet comes with. What do you think?