Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Thought I would do a full review of this watch as I was not able to find any others on the forums yet.....apologies for creating two threads on the watch.
This Ocean Star Captain V is a new watch by Mido released at Basel this year that flies a little under the radar. I have always had an attraction for Titanium dive watches and I was captivated by the orange/gray accents and the interesting hands so I had to try it. Previous versions of the Ocean Star Captain line have been a little less diver oriented and have always been an acquired taste. I owned an Ocean Star Captain III years ago, as I have always been attracted to the brand. The watch lists for a little over $1k, but I found it new on Amazon with a two year Amazon warranty for $715 which seemed like a tremendous value and lent to obvious comparison to the Seiko Sumo.
The first impression:
The size and feel of the watch is similar to the Sumo - maybe a tad thinner wearing. At 42.5 mm wide and 11.75 mm thick it is an extremely easy wearing watch. I have given up on thicker divers and prefer thin watches. I was wearing my Tudor Pelagos at the time of this review, and the watch feels much lighter and less substantial. I believe it is about 20 grams lighter than the Tudor and 2 mm thinner, which is noticeable. The contrast of the graphite textured dial against the brushed hands and nicely polished raised markers is really striking in person.
The Bezel:
The bezel is a nice low profile design with polished edges and a matte gray aluminum inlay with orange markings. Bezel action is a firm 60 clicks. The thin bezel is a bit difficult to grip, but not as bad as my old SMP. The lumed pearl doesn't really stand out, being a rectangle and not the traditional triangle. Polishing is nicely applied and the aluminum has a nice matte finish.
The Case:
The case is very nicely finished, especially at this price point. What really sets it apart are the polished chamfers on the case and bracelet, which is probably more difficult to achieve with titanium. Not much else to say here that the photos don't show. Very easy wearing case shape with no sharp edges or uncomfortable surfaces. The crown action is fine, although the crown could be a little larger. It is nicely protected by the case when screwed down. No drilled lugs, which doesn't bother me as I usually stick to bracelets. The caseback is a little cheesy with the deeply embossed star fish, and oddly, it is attached with screws. It is nicely finished.
The Internals:
The movement is the Swatch Group's new Caliber 80, which is also known as the ETA C07.621. This was originally a variation of the 2824-2 with numerous modifications. Power reserve has been bumped up to 80 hours through the use of a larger Nivaflex spring but the beat rate has been reduced to 21,600 bph. The watch accuracy is set in the factory with a laser, with no manual adjuster, although I am told that it can be adjusted by a Swatch service center. The watch has been factory adjusted in three positions and is said to be much more accurate than the equivalent Elabore grade 2824-2. I will report back after I have time to gauge accuracy. I believe there are also shock protection upgrades and a few other changes. The 80 hour power reserve is very appealing to me, as I only cycle through a couple of different watches, and I can take this off on a friday and expect it to still be going Monday morning. Photo below is of the Chronometer version, but it is the only one I could find on the web.
The Dial/hands:
The graphite colored dial has a bit of a textured satin finish. The raised markers and brushed hands look great against it. The hands are a polarizing design, but I love the look, although I suspect the amount of lume won't knock me out as there is relatively little lumed surface. As far as overall dial lume, I will comment more when I can observe at night. The text is nicely done with the orange "CALIBER 80" text, although I might prefer to see the 200M WR rating shown here. It is oddly only on the caseback. The second hand looks similar to what Omega uses on the Planet Ocean line. Many don't like "Day Date" displays, but I find them functional, and it doesn't bother me on the dial. The craftsmanship/finishing of the dial/hands is very high, easily comparable to $2-$3k watches. I bought a cheap macro lens for my iPhone and tried it out below:
The Bracelet:
I am a bracelet guy, and I love this bracelet. It is light and flexible and has a very nice ratcheting divers extension. It is a simple brushed oyster design with polished chamfers on the outside edges. The sides are also brushed. The ratcheting clasp is very thin and can be extended with a button while wearing. Clasp is also Ti. Finishing is very nice and it was easy to size with screwed links. It includes two half links. I removed two full and two half links to fit my 7.25" wrists, so it should fit larger wrists fine. Being Ti, finger prints show up on the bracelet easily. Curiously, I noticed the finger prints on an Oris Titan I once owned. My Pelagos doesn't seem to show the finger prints. Not sure if this is because of the Ti grade/alloy?
My first thought is that it gives me the feel of the Orange 2500 Planet Ocean that I wore for several years - and like the PO, it is a great casual sports watch that will also slip easily under the sleeve of a dress shirt. .
This Ocean Star Captain V is a new watch by Mido released at Basel this year that flies a little under the radar. I have always had an attraction for Titanium dive watches and I was captivated by the orange/gray accents and the interesting hands so I had to try it. Previous versions of the Ocean Star Captain line have been a little less diver oriented and have always been an acquired taste. I owned an Ocean Star Captain III years ago, as I have always been attracted to the brand. The watch lists for a little over $1k, but I found it new on Amazon with a two year Amazon warranty for $715 which seemed like a tremendous value and lent to obvious comparison to the Seiko Sumo.
The first impression:
The size and feel of the watch is similar to the Sumo - maybe a tad thinner wearing. At 42.5 mm wide and 11.75 mm thick it is an extremely easy wearing watch. I have given up on thicker divers and prefer thin watches. I was wearing my Tudor Pelagos at the time of this review, and the watch feels much lighter and less substantial. I believe it is about 20 grams lighter than the Tudor and 2 mm thinner, which is noticeable. The contrast of the graphite textured dial against the brushed hands and nicely polished raised markers is really striking in person.
The Bezel:
The bezel is a nice low profile design with polished edges and a matte gray aluminum inlay with orange markings. Bezel action is a firm 60 clicks. The thin bezel is a bit difficult to grip, but not as bad as my old SMP. The lumed pearl doesn't really stand out, being a rectangle and not the traditional triangle. Polishing is nicely applied and the aluminum has a nice matte finish.
The Case:
The case is very nicely finished, especially at this price point. What really sets it apart are the polished chamfers on the case and bracelet, which is probably more difficult to achieve with titanium. Not much else to say here that the photos don't show. Very easy wearing case shape with no sharp edges or uncomfortable surfaces. The crown action is fine, although the crown could be a little larger. It is nicely protected by the case when screwed down. No drilled lugs, which doesn't bother me as I usually stick to bracelets. The caseback is a little cheesy with the deeply embossed star fish, and oddly, it is attached with screws. It is nicely finished.
The Internals:
The movement is the Swatch Group's new Caliber 80, which is also known as the ETA C07.621. This was originally a variation of the 2824-2 with numerous modifications. Power reserve has been bumped up to 80 hours through the use of a larger Nivaflex spring but the beat rate has been reduced to 21,600 bph. The watch accuracy is set in the factory with a laser, with no manual adjuster, although I am told that it can be adjusted by a Swatch service center. The watch has been factory adjusted in three positions and is said to be much more accurate than the equivalent Elabore grade 2824-2. I will report back after I have time to gauge accuracy. I believe there are also shock protection upgrades and a few other changes. The 80 hour power reserve is very appealing to me, as I only cycle through a couple of different watches, and I can take this off on a friday and expect it to still be going Monday morning. Photo below is of the Chronometer version, but it is the only one I could find on the web.
The Dial/hands:
The graphite colored dial has a bit of a textured satin finish. The raised markers and brushed hands look great against it. The hands are a polarizing design, but I love the look, although I suspect the amount of lume won't knock me out as there is relatively little lumed surface. As far as overall dial lume, I will comment more when I can observe at night. The text is nicely done with the orange "CALIBER 80" text, although I might prefer to see the 200M WR rating shown here. It is oddly only on the caseback. The second hand looks similar to what Omega uses on the Planet Ocean line. Many don't like "Day Date" displays, but I find them functional, and it doesn't bother me on the dial. The craftsmanship/finishing of the dial/hands is very high, easily comparable to $2-$3k watches. I bought a cheap macro lens for my iPhone and tried it out below:
The Bracelet:
I am a bracelet guy, and I love this bracelet. It is light and flexible and has a very nice ratcheting divers extension. It is a simple brushed oyster design with polished chamfers on the outside edges. The sides are also brushed. The ratcheting clasp is very thin and can be extended with a button while wearing. Clasp is also Ti. Finishing is very nice and it was easy to size with screwed links. It includes two half links. I removed two full and two half links to fit my 7.25" wrists, so it should fit larger wrists fine. Being Ti, finger prints show up on the bracelet easily. Curiously, I noticed the finger prints on an Oris Titan I once owned. My Pelagos doesn't seem to show the finger prints. Not sure if this is because of the Ti grade/alloy?
My first thought is that it gives me the feel of the Orange 2500 Planet Ocean that I wore for several years - and like the PO, it is a great casual sports watch that will also slip easily under the sleeve of a dress shirt. .
Last edited by dnslater on Wed Sep 28, 2016 12:29 pm, edited 4 times in total.
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
As a follow up, it is worth noting that Mido makes a stainless version of this watch for less money, although the color combo is different. They Stainless line includes a black and blue version. Black has a black date wheel, which is very nice, but the overall watch is a little more traditional looking.
Blue version looks very appealing, although the white day/date wheel bothers me more than on the Ti version.
Blue version looks very appealing, although the white day/date wheel bothers me more than on the Ti version.
- Joeprez
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Thanks for the review Nick. The watch looks very nice for the price and I really dig the 80hr power reserve. The ratcheting clasp is a great addition at its price point. Please do provide your long term impressions of it, specially when compared to the Pelagos.
I'm waiting for Sinn to produce more Ti models, plus a ratcheting clasp
Oh, and the blue Mido looks awesome too.
I'm waiting for Sinn to produce more Ti models, plus a ratcheting clasp
Oh, and the blue Mido looks awesome too.
Omega / Tudor / Rolex / Sinn / Doxa / Seiko
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Sure thing Joe. I love my Pelagos but would love it more at 2mm thinner. The MIDO wears like a lightweight SMP which is terrific. The Pelagos is not at all top heavy thanks to Ti, but the slab sided design makes it wear taller than it is.Joeprez wrote:Thanks for the review Nick. The watch looks very nice for the price and I really dig the 80hr power reserve. The ratcheting clasp is a great addition at its price point. Please do provide your long term impressions of it, specially when compared to the Pelagos.
I'm waiting for Sinn to produce more Ti models, plus a ratcheting clasp
Oh, and the blue Mido looks awesome too.
I will say with this pair it will be tough to go back to non ratcheting bracelets.
Update on the Mido's lume. It is not a torch like the Pelagos or MM300 but is solid. If those are a 9/10 than the MIDO is a 7. Bright enough but lumed surface is small. Glows blue like the Tudor.
- blowfish89
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Great watch Congratulations!
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Congrats Nick!
Wish the blue one was available in Ti
Wish the blue one was available in Ti
- streetracer101
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Excellent review and pics. It looks like a terrific value. I'd consider one used if it pops up.
If they would make this watch with the blue dial, it would be full of win.
If they would make this watch with the blue dial, it would be full of win.
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Great review, love the orange and grey but dig the hell outta that blue too...
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Great review Nick. I always liked Midos and that's one of the better ones I've seen. Congrats.
only accurate watches are interesting
- 59yukon01
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Nice review and has me looking at them. By the way do you know if the SS models have the same ratcheting clasp? For those interested the Blue yesterday was $640, but today it's down to $560 on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Mido-Captain-M02 ... 1A8SYMW129
https://www.amazon.com/Mido-Captain-M02 ... 1A8SYMW129
Last edited by 59yukon01 on Fri Sep 30, 2016 9:25 am, edited 1 time in total.
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Great Price! The Ti version actually went up in cost. As far as I know the bracelet configuration and everything else is the same other than color/material.59yukon01 wrote:Nice review and has me looking at them. By the way do you know if the SS models have the same ratcheting clasp? For those interested the Blue yesterday was $640, but today it's down to $580 on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Mido-Captain-M02 ... 1A8SYMW129
- 59yukon01
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Thanks! Also meant to post the blue is $560, and not $580.dnslater wrote:Great Price! The Ti version actually went up in cost. As far as I know the bracelet configuration and everything else is the same other than color/material.59yukon01 wrote:Nice review and has me looking at them. By the way do you know if the SS models have the same ratcheting clasp? For those interested the Blue yesterday was $640, but today it's down to $580 on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Mido-Captain-M02 ... 1A8SYMW129
- jeckyll
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Great looking watch Nick and a very nice review. I've not previously found any Mido's I like, but this one looks really good.
BTW, your old Titan C says "Hi", I'm actually wearing it as I type this
BTW, your old Titan C says "Hi", I'm actually wearing it as I type this
We all have the same enemy. The enemy is the tyranny of the dull mind. - - Tom Robbins
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Do I smell DWC Alpina of the month mass buy?
Wanna try it
Wanna try it
- streetracer101
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Sounds good to me. I'd like to try a preowned one.Panerai7 wrote:Do I smell DWC Alpina of the month mass buy?
Wanna try it
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
What's the verdict after almost a month of ownership, Nick?
Many will register, few will last
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Still like it a lot. Alternate it with my Pelagos for daily wear. Like the Pelagos better, but it costs substantially more. Great thing about the MIDO with its thin case and light weight is that it disappears on the wrist and you forget you are wearing it. Nice casual sports watch.r.palace wrote:What's the verdict after almost a month of ownership, Nick?
I did confirm that the movement meets or exceeds the 72 hour reserve. Took it off on a Thursday evening and was still ticking on Monday morning. This allows me to wear it every third day.
Interestingly the warm gray can read as a muted brown in some light.
- streetracer101
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Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
I'm gonna snag one of these when the prices come back down. It looks great the more I look at it.dnslater wrote:Still like it a lot. Alternate it with my Pelagos for daily wear. Like the Pelagos better, but it costs substantially more. Great thing about the MIDO with its thin case and light weight is that it disappears on the wrist and you forget you are wearing it. Nice casual sports watch.r.palace wrote:What's the verdict after almost a month of ownership, Nick?
I did confirm that the movement meets or exceeds the 72 hour reserve. Took it off on a Thursday evening and was still ticking on Monday morning. This allows me to wear it every third day.
Interestingly the warm gray can read as a muted brown in some light.
Re: Mido Ocean Star Captain V Review
Great review!! Thanks a lot
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