Your Ultimate Guide to Mido Ocean Star Watches
The Mido Ocean Star collection has been around since the 1960s. A crowd favourite to this day, the Mido Ocean Star offers exemplary dive watches that are beautifully designed. Find out what this collection has to offer and check out which Mido Ocean Star model best fits your style and needs.
The Aesthetics of Mido Watches
When Georges Schaeren founded Mido in 1918, he had a brand philosophy in mind that combined functionality, innovation, and aesthetics. Despite hailing from the heart of the Swiss Jura mountains, the brand’s name actually comes from the Spanish phrase, “Yo mido”, which means “to measure”.
Staying true to its name, the brand puts a heavy focus on the functionality of its watches, creating excellent automatic movements. The brand also takes inspiration from iconic architectural pieces in its timeless designs. It combines cutting-edge technology with high-quality materials to create highly durable watches of style. With these three pillars combined, Mido has truly made a name for itself in the world of Swiss-made mechanical watches.
Mido was founded in 1918 by the experienced Swiss watchmaker, Georges Schaeren. In 1920, Mido gained success in the automotive market and began producing watches with designs by the automotive scene. A decade later, Mido became a pioneer in absolute water tightness by inventing the cork-crown sealing system. In 1934, the branch launched the Mido Multifort line, one of the first antimagnetic self-winding watches that had built-in water-resistance and shock-resistance. Jumping forward to 1959, the first Mido Ocean Star was released. The Ocean Star was revolutionary with its single-shell case that further reduced water-resistance problems. They would also end up producing several innovative watches such as the smallest women’s automatic watch manufactured in an assembly line, a watch with an integrated security alarm, and the first analog watch that instantly indicated the local time anywhere in the world.
The Best of Mido Ocean Star Collection
The Ocean Star has been a part of Mido’s history since 1959. And to this day, the Mido Ocean Star dive watches continue to conquer the oceans.
1. Mido Ocean Star Chronograph
The Mido Ocean Star Chronograph comes in two variants: a silver-tone titanium case and bracelet with a blue dial, and a black DLC-coated stainless steel case with a black rubber strap and black dial. It runs on a Caliber 60 automatic chronograph movement with a power reserve of 60 hours, which is much longer than the industry standard of 48 hours. For the Ocean Star Chronograph, Mido uses a sapphire glass with double-sided anti-reflection for its crystal. Sapphire glass is perhaps the most scratch-resistant among the watch crystals. It’s sturdy, shock-resistant, and it offers optimum readability. It is also water-resistant up to 200 metres, which is just about perfect for diving.
For the silver-blue variant, the watch uses titanium in both the case and link bracelet. Titanium is known to be much stronger than stainless steel without the added weight. It’s durable, hypoallergenic, and quite lightweight, adding much comfort to the wearer. But what’s particularly advantageous in using titanium instead of stainless steel for this dive watch is titanium’s resistance to seawater. This is definitely a watch that can take on the harsh conditions of the ocean.
The all-black variant, on the other hand, has a stainless steel case with a black diamond-like carbon (DLC) coating. This coating adds a layer of resistance to the watch. DLC has a good balance of hardness and flexibility, which is why several watchmakers love using it for their watches. The handsome deep black finish it offers also adds a nice touch to the aesthetics. For the strap, Mido opted for a high-quality rubber in black. It’s highly resistant, lightweight, antiallergenic, water-resistant, and quite comfortable to wear. The black rubber strap gives off this stylish sporty look that is quite perfect for a dive watch.
2. Mido Ocean Star GMT
You can probably guess from the name alone what makes this Mido Ocean Star different from the others. This Mido Ocean Star has a convenient GMT function that displays both the home time and the local time. It even has time zone indicators engraved at the back of the case to make it even more convenient for you. It’s super easy to use and comes in three variants: a stainless steel watch with rose gold PVD coating, plain stainless steel, and stainless steel with a blue fabric strap.
The Mido Ocean Star GMT runs on a Mido Calibre 80 automatic movement. It’s water-resistant up to 200m, making it a perfect companion for your dives. The Ocean Star GMT is made of high-grade 316L stainless steel. It’s durable, anti-magnetic, and corrosion-resistant. The stainless steel also has a nice sleek finish that makes it a classy and timeless piece. For the watch crystal, Mido uses the ever scratch-resistant sapphire glass. Sapphire crystal is pretty sturdy, and with the added anti-reflective coating on both sides, it makes reading the dial even easier.
For the rose gold variant, Mido applies a highly technical Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) coating process. It adds a layer of corrosion-resistance to the watch through an impurity-free film. This thin film enhances the watch’s robustness and hardness while adding a beautiful finish in rose gold. And don’t worry, this material is hypoallergenic so it’ll still be comfortable to wear.
3. Mido Ocean Star Diver 600
The 600 in the Mido Ocean Star Diver 600 stands for 600 metres. That’s right, this watch is water-resistant up to a whopping 600 metres! Typically, dive watches are only water-resistant up to 200 metres. So, you can bet that this watch can certainly withstand an exploration of the depths of the ocean. It is specifically designed to survive the deep water conditions and it’s even a COSC-certified chronometer, ensuring high accuracy. The Mido Ocean Star Diver 600 comes in two variants: stainless steel with a blue dial and a back DLC-coated stainless steel with a black rubber strap.
The Automatic Mido Calibre 80 Si is a COSC-certified chronometer. For those not familiar with the COSC, they basically put watch movements through extensive testing for a period of 15 days. If the movements meet the COSC’s high testing standards, then they are rewarded with chronometer certification. This indicates that the movement is highly accurate according to the COSC guidelines.
The Caliber 80 is a Mido flagship movement, and it is further enhanced with the addition of the silicon balance spring. It’s anti-magnetic and is also shock-resistant. The movement also has an exceptional power reserve of 80 hours. For reference, the industry standard is just at 48 hours.
This watch has an anti-reflective sapphire crystal and stainless steel case. For the black variant, the stainless steel case has an added DLC coating. The DLC coating not only adds a handsome black finish to the watch but also gives it another layer of resistance. One watch has a classic stainless steel bracelet, while the other has a more sporty black rubber strap.
4. Mido Ocean Star 200
The Mido Ocean Star 200 is perhaps the most versatile when it comes to design as it has nine available design variants. There’s a stainless steel watch with a blue dial; a stainless steel watch with a black dial; a stainless steel case with rose gold PVD coating, blue dial, and blue fabric strap; a stainless steel case with rose gold PVD coating, black dial, and black rubber strap; a plain stainless steel watch with black dial and rubber strap; a stainless steel watch with rose gold PVD coating and black dial; a titanium watch with anthracite dial; a titanium case with orange rubber strap; and finally, a stainless steel watch with rose gold PVD coating, green dial, and brown Patina leather strap.
The Mido Ocean Star 200 runs on a caliber 80 automatic watch movement. This movement offers up to 80 hours of power reserve, which is almost twice that of other watches. The watch has a water-resistance of 200 metres and has an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. It has Super Luminova indexes and skeletonised watch hands for easy readability. The back of the case is engraved with the Ocean Star logo for added aesthetics.
For the case, the Ocean Star 200 offers either 316L stainless steel or titanium. Titanium is known to be stronger than stainless steel while still being lightweight. For the rose gold variants, the stainless steel is coated with Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD) which gives it a thin layer of added hardness and resistance. The rose gold PVD coating also extends to the stainless steel bracelet for some of the variants, while the others are the typical stainless steel. There are also high-quality rubber straps in black and orange. One watch has a blue fabric, while another one has brown patina leather. The patina refers to the unique pattern that often forms on natural leather over time. It’s quite soft and has a nice sheen to it.
5. Mido Ocean Star Tribute
The Mido Ocean Star Tribute is a special edition watch made for the company’s 75th anniversary. It pays homage to the iconic Mido dive watches of the 1960s by reinterpreting their aesthetic codes in a more contemporary way. The watch comes in two variants: one in black and another in blue.
The Tribute runs on a caliber 80 automatic movement, which has a maximum power reserve of 80 hours. That’s way more than the typical power reserve of other calibres. The watch is also water-resistant up to 200 metres, making it suitable for your diving needs. Readability is no problem, thanks to the scratch-resistant and anti-reflective sapphire crystal.
This watch has a 316L stainless steel case and bracelet. However, it also comes with interchangeable straps. The black dial is also available in a black leather strap, while the blue dial comes with a blue fabric strap.
6. Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition
When it comes to aesthetics, the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition definitely stands out. But the design isn’t just for the looks, it’s also functional. This limited-edition watch takes on the vintage charm of a Mido classic. The Ocean Star Skin Diver was quite a popular model in the 1960s and to this day, people still look for it. Thankfully, the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition is available for purchase.
This watch runs on a Calibre 80 automatic movement, which offers up to 80 hours of power reserve. The watch is water-resistant up to 200 metres, just perfect for diving. It has a 316L stainless steel case and bracelet. Its beautiful multicolor dial is protected by an anti-reflective sapphire crystal. It’s got a rotating bezel with a countdown timer and multicoloured decompression stops on the dial that gives it a cool retro look. Aside from the stainless steel bracelet, the watch also comes with two interchangeable black leather straps for when you feel like changing up your look.
Where to Buy Mido Ocean Star Watches
If you’re wondering where to buy a Mido Ocean Star watch locally, you can simply check out Mido’s store locator on their official website. There are two ways you can use Mido’s store locator. You can either manually input your country or region and then your city, or you can turn on your device’s location and click the “locate me” button. The page will then show you the store locations in that area. If you’re planning to drop by the store, we suggest calling in advance to inquire if they do have your desired Mido Ocean Star model on hand.
If they, unfortunately, do not have the model, don’t fret. You can always try ordering online. It’s completely safe as long as you’re on the right sites. Mido’s official website also has an e-commerce platform so you can easily order from the safety of your home. You can also check out Amazon for other options. And we’ve made it even easier for you, since you can also order from our very own shop, here at The Watch Company. You’ll even find the links to some of the Ocean Star models above.
Final Thoughts
Mido has certainly made a name for itself in the Swiss watchmaking world. And one of its best collections available today is the Mido Ocean Star series. This series offers beautifully designed dive watches of high quality. They’re functional, innovative, and stylish — true to the brand’s three pillars.
For more watch guides and reviews, check out this review we made on the Citizen Chronomaster.
Photos are courtesy of Mido Watches and The Watch Company.
