Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary Limited Edition

Founded in 1918, Mido reached a huge milestone last year and celebrated its centennial. The occasion was marked with the release of the Commander Big Date featuring a big date aperture at 6 o’clock. So big, in fact, that Mido claims it’s the “largest on the market in this price segment.” First released in 1959, the retro-inspired Commander collection has been in continuous production and this latest model celebrates sixty years. Similar to the 2018 Big Date release with cosmetic upgrades, the Commander Big Date 60^th Anniversary Limited Edition works as both a dress or more casual toolish watch and is a fitting ambassador for the collection.

The 42mm x 11.97mm stainless steel case has a satin finish with polished bezel with a three-piece design and is water-resistant to 50 metres. The faceted and domed sapphire crystal protects the dial, while a screw-down caseback with sapphire exhibition window displays Mido’s decorated automatic movement. Many models within Mido’s portfolio are inspired by architecture and the Commander Big Date pays homage to the Eiffel Tower. It may seem like a curious connection to the Parisian monument, but its enduring lifespan and recognizable silhouette make it an iconic piece for Mido, not unlike the Paris tower.

Most Commander models sport a day/date window at 3 o’clock, but the new Commander Big Date line’s date complication is positioned at 6 o’clock with two independent rotating discs within a polished frame. The sunray satin-finished grey dial has an oversized “60” index applied at 12 o’clock, honouring the line’s 60^th anniversary. Polished stick indices mark the hours with white Super-LumiNova, while the diamond-cut hour and minute hands also feature lume inserts. The outermost minute track has red numerals and markers, and the seconds hand sports a matching red, dressing the dial with a sportier aesthetic than the more traditional 2018 Commander Big Date.

The 60^th-anniversary watch is powered by Mido’s Calibre 80 automatic (based on the ETA C07.651) with 25 jewels, 21,600vph (3Hz) and an 80-hour power reserve. It’s an elaboré-grade movement with a decorated rotor (Côtes de Genève and Mido’s logo) and is found in many of the brand’s models (minus the big date modification) with functions of central hours, minutes, seconds and big date aperture at 6 o’clock. The black leather strap has a crocodile texture and polished steel folding clasp, and red stitching to match the red accents on the dial.

The Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary Limited Edition is limited to 1,959 pieces, honouring the date of the Commander line’s launch. It comes in a special box with a limited edition certificate and the caseback is individually numbered. The watch retails for USD 1,090 with shipping starting on July 2^nd. Mido offers a two-year warranty and orders can be placed at Mido’s website.