{"id":26473,"date":"2020-01-01T09:00:37","date_gmt":"2020-01-01T09:00:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horbiter.com\/mido-commander-big-date-anthracite-pvd\/"},"modified":"2022-12-23T21:45:12","modified_gmt":"2022-12-23T20:45:12","slug":"mido-commander-big-date-anthracite-pvd-m0216263306100-watch-hands-on","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horbiter.com\/en\/mido-commander-big-date-anthracite-pvd-m0216263306100-watch-hands-on\/","title":{"rendered":"The Mido Commander Big Date Anthracite PVD watch hands-on"},"content":{"rendered":"

Between a Mido<\/strong> watch and the Big Date<\/strong> complication, there\u2019s a long-lasting \u201clove affair\u201d<\/em>, it seems, at least since the Baroncelli Big Date<\/strong><\/span><\/a>, the most classic yet mechanically complicated wristwatch from the Swiss brand, has hit the market. Another Mido<\/strong> watch, the Commander<\/strong>, has this year celebrated sixty years of production; Mido<\/strong> has therefore extended what did in 2018<\/strong> when a Limited Edition Commander Big Date<\/strong> joined the line-up of products released to honor the brand\u2019s first 100 years of watchmaking<\/strong>. The Commander<\/strong> pictured here is currently the most accessible proposition to have recently joined the crowded group of full steel sports watches, a business whose sales have never plummeted since the first premium timepieces appeared in the early seventies.<\/p>\n

\"mido-commander-big-date-M0216263306100-sette\"There are two main topics I\u2019d like to touch here: from a design perspective, this specific Commander<\/strong> debuts a never-seen-before anthracite<\/strong> PVD<\/strong> coating. It is interesting news, even more so when mated to a Big Date<\/strong> complication. The satin-finished steel case\u2019s color achieved has a somewhat ceramic plasma or titanium look and feel.<\/p>\n

Nonetheless, bracelet and dial sport the same finish: the Commander Big Date<\/strong> M021.626.33.061.00<\/strong> is the most refined and understated variation belonging to the collection, especially when compared to the 2018<\/strong> Limited Edition<\/strong>, whose sparkling colors aimed at primarily highlighting the brand\u2019s corporate colors (black and orange).<\/p>\n

A vivid green Super<\/strong>\u2013Luminova<\/strong>\u00ae contrasts the grayish look and is applied to both indexes\u2019 end tips and hands: it is a remarkable touch and a useful feature too, considering how poor is visibility under dim light on all the timepieces that belong to such product category.<\/p>\n

\"mido-commander-big-date-M0216263306100-cinque\"Additionally, the Mido caliber 80<\/strong> integrates a Big Date<\/strong> complication; if eighty-hours of maximum power reserve are no first-page news any longer, although the competition keeps struggling in closing this gap, the outsized date is quite surprising.<\/p>\n

I did use a Mido<\/strong> with the Big Date<\/strong> when I got my hands on the brand\u2019s Baroncelli<\/strong> that comes equipped with the same mechanical movement, last year: offering such a feature on a timepiece that costs nearly \u20ac1<\/strong>,000<\/strong> approximate, is a challenge, primarily from a profitability standpoint.<\/p>\n

From a technical perspective instead, I was more than surprised to discover how smooth and quick is the date change, and how has been improved the displacement of the two discs inside the window placed at six o\u2019clock, in comparison to a Baroncelli<\/strong>, where the gap between tens and units is too wide instead, from what I can tell. Finally, if you get familiar with an outsized date, a single date window will look poor and outdated all of a sudden.<\/p>\n

\"mido-commander-big-date-M0216263306100-due\"I would hardly list the Commander Big Date<\/strong> among classic-looking sports watches as among cutting edge timepieces; my feeling is that it combines the spirit of the former with the design language of the latter: this is the direction the development team embarked during the design process, I believe.<\/p>\n

The anthracite<\/strong> PVD coating<\/strong> adds on the sports watch with integrated bracelet\u2019s feel, that is, anyhow strengthened by the bracelet\u2019s vaguely H<\/strong>\u2013shaped<\/strong> link design. The case combines traits from the historic Commander collections<\/strong><\/span><\/a> with sharp edges and multifaceted surfaces, like the faceted glass, the circular case (42mm<\/strong>, across) with a no bezel style, and a slightly rounded and faceted case back too. Additionally, I would mention polished applied indexes and hands, filled with green Super<\/strong>\u2013Luminova<\/strong>\u00ae along with a polished rectangular window frame around the Big Date<\/strong> visualization.<\/p>\n

\"mido-commander-big-date-M0216263306100\"As sleek as it gets, once on your wrist, thin enough to slide under the cuff (it is less than 12mm<\/strong> thick), the Mido<\/strong> Commander Big Date<\/strong> was also conceived with resistance-to-wear in mind, thanks to the PVD<\/strong> treatment that helps reduce, never eliminate, the nicks and dents resulting from unwanted shocks.<\/p>\n

Considering how prolific is Mido<\/strong> in often being one step ahead of the competition in terms of performances, I would instead suggest them to introduce a feature that is today restricted to the premium luxury, like applying a self-service device to remove (or add) the bracelet\u2019s links quickly. That would be yet another massive improvement.<\/p>\n