The Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition watch hands-on

Introduction

The Mido Decompression Timer‘s first edition sold out quickly, and its market price is on average twice as much as retail, according to the most visited watch marketplaces.

Its success is, in my opinion, explained by a rare combination of a vintage diver’s legacy, a stand-out and funky design and a price point so affordable that the hype around the timepiece has gone far beyond the watch community’s.

There you have it: the 2021 edition

Mido builds on the first series’s staggering success, and the 2021 release offers a second chance to those craving the “launch edition”. The truth is that the market demand-to-product availability was unbalanced. The Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition takes the nostalgia effect to full potential and mimics the original Decompression Timer as closely as possible. The white dial is bright and super legible, and the turquoise bezel is a vivid touch while clashing with the original’s whose design was in full steel; in contrast, the 2020 Decompression Timer‘s black dial and bezel turned the Mido “Rainbow” into kind of too classic timepiece, afar from its pedigree.

The Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition 2021 outperforms its 2020 sibling in either style and legacy; I nonetheless would have gone for a full metal bezel, despite this option being somehow inconsistent with the Tribute‘s collection’s family feeling. I’m referring to the blue Ocean Star Tribute, whose design holds as my so far fav vintage-inspired Mido sports watch.

According to the product’s spec sheet, the watch keeps measuring 40.5 mm across and 13.43 mm in thickness, while you’re provided with a new range of strap options to make the Decompression Timer a more versatile watch; the box comes with a turquoise fabric strap and a “patina” brown leather strap, both adopting a sleek and thin pin buckle. My opinion is they both complement the case a whole lot better than the ubiquitous mesh bracelet, whose mainstream design usually dilutes any timepieces’ design; nevertheless, I do see the vivid strap contrasts the matte bezel a bit too much.

As far as usability and touch and feel are concerned, I cannot deny that the Mido engineers worked hard to improve the bezel’s ratcheting, while it still is hard to grasp and rotate and a bit slippery. Instead, I barely believe you’ll wear a Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition during a pro diving session, although the watch is up to the task with its 200 meters water resistance.

The devil is in the details

When you’re swapping the strap, keep an eye on the lug’s inner surface; you’ll notice two tiny holes allowing you to adjust the replacement strap so that you can maximize comfort and let the timepiece seamlessly taper your wrist. It’s a nice touch indeed.

Price-wise, the 2021 Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 Limited Edition retails for € 1150, in line with the outgoing edition, and you could secure yours by visiting the official Mido website as of November 1^st.

The rally has begun; I’m sure it’ll sell like hot cakes; the Mido marketing team is aware they have a hot piece in-house and a brand empowerer and are eager to increase the product’s hype further.

Final thoughts

In summary, I’ll pick the new Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer over the previous one, no doubt; not only is it better looking, but it also holds that cool decompression-time-scale pattern and enhances the tool watch vintage feel. At such an affordable retail price, you get a four-season timepiece, offering plenty of options and a one-piece collection for those whose budget is in the 1000-Euro area. The improvement area includes a more usable rotating bezel, a better engineered yet less pinching mesh bracelet, and a more subtle strap-to-bezel colour combo.

(Photo credit: Marco Antinori for Horbiter®)

Gaetano C @Horbiter®

Instagram – Gaetano Cimmino