{"id":26336,"date":"2021-03-24T07:02:58","date_gmt":"2021-03-24T07:02:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horbiter.com\/the-mido-baroncelli-big-date-a-big-date-on-a-budget\/"},"modified":"2023-10-15T08:35:46","modified_gmt":"2023-10-15T06:35:46","slug":"mido-baroncelli-big-date-caliber-80-watch-hands-on-horbiter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horbiter.com\/en\/mido-baroncelli-big-date-caliber-80-watch-hands-on-horbiter\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mido Baroncelli Big Date watch hands-on"},"content":{"rendered":"

With the launch of the 2018<\/strong>\u00a0Mido Baroncelli Big Date Caliber 80<\/strong>, this is actually the sixth time I have\u00a0reviewed a Mido<\/strong> watch that belongs\u00a0to one of the brand\u2019s historical collections, the\u00a0Baroncelli<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The hands-on review of the Big Date<\/strong> adds to the long list of articles aimed at\u00a0celebrating\u00a0the brand\u2019s\u00a0100th<\/sup> Anniversary<\/strong>, a milestone in the history of Mido<\/strong>\u00a0that has\u00a0launched this year a\u00a0long series of new products featuring\u00a0technical specifications that\u00a0often represent a world\u2019s first in their respective segments.<\/p>\n

I refer to the launch of\u00a0the 2018<\/strong>\u00a0Datometer<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, the\u00a0Mido Commander Shade Special Edition<\/strong><\/span><\/a> or the Mido Ocean Star Caliber 80 PVD Rose Gold<\/strong><\/span><\/a>\u00a0just to name a few,\u00a0but I\u2019m also talking about the introduction of new mechanical complications, such as the Big Date<\/strong>\u00a0based on the caliber 80<\/strong> platform.<\/p>\n

\"mido<\/p>\n

The reason why\u00a0ETA<\/strong>\u00a0decided some years ago to start reducing\u00a0their supply\u00a0to brands not belonging to the Swatch Group<\/strong>\u00a0has\u00a0now been answered.<\/p>\n

The caliber 80<\/strong>\u00a0was the base for the development of a new family of mechanical movements\u00a0that include\u00a0today\u00a0a Big Date\u00a0<\/strong>complication thus helping this Mido Baroncelli<\/strong> achieve two results: this is the only three-hands timepiece to combine a Big Date<\/strong> complication with more than three days of power reserve<\/strong>, in its segment.<\/p>\n

\"mido<\/p>\n

Mido<\/strong> keeps therefore promoting itself as a brand that drives market trends and combines a sleek design, that can easily be appreciated by a wide audience, with state-of-the-art technology.<\/p>\n

The design language of a Mido.<\/h2>\n

From an aesthetic point of view, the Baroncelli<\/strong>\u00a0has always been among my favorite time-only wristwatches and there is no doubt that if you\u2019re looking for an understated yet elegant three-hands watch, that combines a\u00a0classic style\u00a0with a modern evolution of a stock 48 hours power reserve ETA<\/strong> caliber, the Mido Baroncelli<\/strong> is currently unmatched.<\/p>\n

\"mido<\/p>\n

The\u00a0Baroncelli Big Date<\/strong> has made a mechanical complication you are usually forced to pay no less than\u00a010.000\u20ac, popular, all of a sudden. Mido<\/strong>\u2018s\u00a0designers (and ETA\u2019s engineers) crafted a timepiece that includes two separate disks (for tenths and units) placed under the dial at six o\u2019clock.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re visible, and extremely readable, through two narrow windows and their\u00a0font clearly seems to draw\u00a0inspiration from the Bauhaus<\/strong>\u2018 style.<\/p>\n

\"mido<\/p>\n

The only flaw is in my opinion represented by how\u00a0the two disks are displaced: there\u2019s a visible vertical gap between the two that affects a bit their perceived quality.<\/p>\n

Width and thickness.<\/h2>\n

The Mido Baroncelli Big Date<\/strong> is 40mm<\/strong> wide but just 10,38mm<\/strong> thick. It means the entire case\u00a0is less than one millimeter thicker than a Baroncelli Chronometer<\/strong>\u2018s case that is equipped with the same base caliber. A great result indeed.<\/p>\n

\"mido<\/p>\n

The leather strap sports a folding buckle with an\u00a0embossed Mido<\/strong> logo; the goal was perhaps to give the\u00a0Mido Baroncelli Big Date Caliber 80<\/strong>\u00a0a premium luxury touch and feel but I would have personally gone for a more comfortable pin buckle that allows the wearer\u00a0to tighten the watch to his wrist so as to ensure the leather strap, that is stiff in its as-new condition, can perfectly wrap around the wrist, something that is usually hard to get even with the most refined folding buckle.<\/p>\n

Many variations and a great price point.<\/h2>\n

The\u00a0Mido Baroncelli Big Date Caliber 80<\/strong>\u00a0comes in many different versions, either with a steel case on a leather strap or with a bracelet, with a case and bracelet in steel and pink gold PVD<\/strong>-treated steel (and two different shades of dial) or full PVD<\/strong> case. Whatever the version, including the one sporting a full PVD<\/strong> treated case, the price list is below the psychological threshold of 1,000<\/strong>\u20ac.<\/p>\n