An open-worked charmer from Mido.

Fancy the smoked gradient aesthetic that's all the rage these days? Also enjoy looking at open-worked dials? But is it a good idea to have both in a single watch? Mido goes for the jugular by not only fusing the two rather disparate features, but crank things up by several notches, embellishing them with a sports-inspired accents in the new Commander Gradient.

In theory, it all would have been a bit too much to take in – the machismo, the nods to old-world decorative timepieces, the spotlight on mechanical sophistication. Yet, everything seems to be in its right place on the Commander Gradient.

The watch’s 40mm steel case with barely-there bezel plays a huge role, ‘opening up’ the dial to allow for all the features to shine without getting in each other’s way. Also, kudos to Mido’s designers for their keen sense of proportion. The dial’s main features - chapter ring with hour markers, acrylic case with gradated smoked effect, open-worked movement framed by the date disc – are all accorded due and appropriate real estate. Meantime, the orange Super-LumiNova markers on the hands and indices ensure that legibility is never a concern. In fact, the Commander Gradient is very comfortable to look at, despite its various decorative embellishments.

Despite the Commander Gradient sleek, sportive styling, the watch is an honest-to-goodness mechanical workhorse. The engine inside is the automatic Mido Calibre 80, build on the famed Powermatic 80 movement with ETA 2824-2 base that, as the name implies, offers up to 80 hours of power reserve on a full wind. Do not, however, expect ornate finishing and decoration on the openworked movement, given the Commander Gradient’s entry-level mechanical watch price tag. That said, the gradated effect does the work superbly to both highlight the watch’s mechanical spirit with a tinge of enigma.

There are several versions to choose from – in steel or black PVD with metal bracelet; steel with fabric strap, and steel and rose-gold-coloured PVD on a leather strap – all emanating a casual, sportive feel recalling automobile-themed timepieces (the press communique credits the Eiffel Tower as the five-decade-old Commander collection’s original inspiration). Either way, one is guaranteed a lot of quality time musing the complex, yet harmonious design merits of the Commander Gradient – at a price that won’t break the bank.

Case	40mm steel, steel with black PVD, steel with gold PVD
Dial	Acrylic with gradated smoky effect, polished applied indexes with orange Super-LumiNova
Movement	Automatic Mido Calibre 80 (ETA C07.611 base)
Bracelet/Strap	Black synthetic fabric or steel bracelet
Functions	Hours, minutes, seconds, date
Power Reserve	80 hours
Water Resistance	50m
Price	From S$1,400

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