If you’re in search of a no-frills classic looking three-hand mechanical timepiece, the Mido Baroncelli is one of the most sought-after and long-lasting too, given it has turned forty-three in 2019. The collection’s most remarkable anniversary was, no doubt, celebrated in 2016, when the Swiss brand added the Heritage line-up along with a COSC model that runs for no less than 80 hours when fully wound.
It is, to date, the only mechanical watch in its category to combine three exclusive features: it is Chronometer certified, has a silicon balance spring, and, last but not least, a massive eighty hours of maximum power reserve. The first two specifications are linked to each other since the silicon’s anti-magnetic properties help outperform a standard architecture when it comes to running precision.
How much are these performances valued by the consumer, it’s hard to figure out, nonetheless I can affirm that few are the brands whose timepieces can compete with these Mido and, in case, they all belong to the premium luxury.
With that said, the specs sheet is often not the most effective selling point unless you combine such features with the right style, overall build quality, and finishes. It seems Mido‘s designers’ efforts are geared, in 2019, towards raising the perceived value of some date-caliber-80-watch-hands-on-horbiter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mido Baroncelli watches for him even further; I believe therefore the upgraded Baroncelli Mido 80 Caliber Chronometer Silicon is, in perspective, the desire to offer something as aesthetically pleasing as mechanically refined.
Usually, Product Managers‘ primary challenge when creating a new “solo tempo” watch is to make sure their proposition stands out, a hard-to-get task considering there’s no room for creativity here.
To attract new buyers, you need to come with further aesthetic details that keep grabbing their attention and trigger the purchase more than the most compelling product specification might ever do.
That is why the designers at Mido worked, in my opinion, on making the Baroncelli‘s dial more refined: they introduced a new anthracite–colored one, whose surface showcases a finely micro-waved pattern to mimic a slate stone’s surface, on which they then applied Gold PVD-treated indexes and logo.
The 2019 Mido Baroncelli Caliber 80 Chronometer Silicon is a new, somehow unexpected luxurious take on the standard Baroncelli, according to a strategy that is geared towards transforming a robust and understated watch into something more charming: the same goes with the Mido Ocean Star Tribute Special Editions, for example, a vintage take on a modern product.
Other than that, the Baroncelli Caliber 80 Chronometer Silicon preserves the signature 40mm wide and 9,43mm thick case, whose main pro is on-the-wrist comfort during even those hardest working days when you face back-to-back job meetings.
The whopping total 80 hours of power reserve, makes it the perfect classic business casual watch, retailed at a reasonable €1,000 price, approximate (€1,010 to be precise). Wearability is amplified by the adoption of a folding clasp too, although I consider this to be a letdown; I would have opted for a tang buckle instead, whose logo would be sized as the Mido logo applied on the dial.
(Photo credit: Horbiter®)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
