INTRODUCING: Mido Ocean Star Tribute Special Edition & Ocean Star 200C

Mido offers a welcome reprieve from the summer heat with a pair of cool blue divers.

Blame it on global warming, but there’s nothing we’d rather do than chill out by the beach in this sweltering heat with a cold one on tap. And Mido has just released a pair of new seafaring watches to make our seaside jaunts that much cooler without breaking the bank– the Ocean Star Tribute Special Edition & Ocean Star 200C.

Although often overshadowed by its more illustrious counterparts under the Swatch Group, Mido boasts some serious watchmaking cred. As early as 1930, it was one of the pioneers of water-resistant watches with the invention of its “Aquadura” cork-crown sealing system, and, in 1934, it made history again with the launch of the Multifort, one of the first antimagnetic watches with a self-winding movement and built-in water- and shock-resistance. Leveraging its technical achievements, Mido released the Ocean Star in 1944, a watch renowned for its water resistance thanks to its monocoque case and Aquadura gasket system, and it has remained an enduring pillar for the company since. 

Ocean Star Tribute Special Edition

To be clear, the Ocean Star Tribute is not a new model. Introduced in 2019 to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the collection, it drew inspiration from archival divers of the 1960s instead of the original model, hat-tipping its predecessors with its retro aesthetics. While this year’s special edition retains vintage-inspired elements, such as the Milanese mesh bracelet and ‘glassbox’-style sapphire crystal, it’s the gorgeous matt blue dial that seals the deal for us as it transitions gradually from dark blue around the edges to a sky blue in the centre. Also sporting the cool hue is the aluminium insert on the unidirectional rotating bezel and an additional strap in semi-glossy navy blue textured rubber. With a 40.5mm stainless steel case and a solid screw-down caseback, it is water-resistant to 200m and equipped with the self-winding Mido Calibre 80.

Ocean Star 200C

If the Ocean Star Tribute Special Edition is made for the beach club, the new all-blue Ocean Star 200C is created for the open seas. Boasting a more assertive 42.5mm case in satin-finished and polished stainless steel, it’s unapologetically ocean bound with its sporty blue rubber strap and matt blue dial featuring a ‘waves’ décor in relief. Its unidirectional rotating bezel is fitted with a colour-matched ceramic ring, which is hypoallergenic and resistant to high temperatures, friction, and abrasion, making it an ideal companion for adventures in the high seas. Also boasting a 200m water resistance, the Ocean Star 200C is similarly driven by the automatic Mido Calibre 80 with a power reserve of up to 80 hours and a Nivachron balance spring.

With the Ocean Star Tribute Special Edition retailing at S$1,590 and the Ocean Star 200C at S$1,540, one would be hard-pressed to find Swiss-made, value-proposition divers as well-specced as these. While the latter offers more bang for one’s buck with its ceramic bezel insert and larger case size, the former’s additional strap option is too good to pass up. We reckon a trip to a Mido authorised retailer is the only way out of this conundrum.

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