Hot Take: Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary

We take a look at the Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary Limited Edition.

Mido has been on a roll this year regarding new releases.  We last took a look at the Multifort Patrimony, but now we have more news.   In celebration of the watch’s debut in 1959, the Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary is here and in a nod to its birth year, only 1,959 pieces will be available.  As one of the most well-known names in the Mido lineup, it’s fitting that the brand has come up with a model to mark its 6th decade of existence.  Mido tells us that the Commander was originally created with the Eiffel Tower as its primary source of inspiration.  Perhaps it’s the clean lines, slim case bezel and linear indices and hands that are meant to remind us of the structural icon.  But enough of the back story, let’s look at the watch in detail.

Limited Edition of 1,959 Pieces

The new Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary comes in at 42mm and the case is in brushed stainless steel.  It features an anthracite dial (viewed via a faceted and domed sapphire crystal) with a large “big date” window at 6:00 and an applied “60” index at top to mark the watch’s anniversary.

Red highlights come into play on the sweep seconds hand and the 60-minute outer track.  Sharp applied indices with black inner coloring match similarly styled hands; each containing Super-LumiNova highlights.  A black 22mm leather strap comes with the watch and has red stitching along with a stainless folding clasp.

Mido Caliber 80 Automatic

Inside the Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary, we have the ubiquitous Mido Caliber 80 (the same as the Powermatic 80 in other Swatch Group products) automatic with 80 hours of power reserve.  It’s proudly on display via the screw-down case back and has Geneva striping on the signed rotor.

As you can see, each model is individually numbered.  The screw-down case back helps ensure a water resistance of 50 meters.

Pricing and Thoughts

The Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary will retail for $1,090, which is $100 more than the normal Commander Big Date on leather.  For a striking limited edition piece (it will come with a special box and numbered certificate as well), that’s not a large premium to pay.  Personally, I like Mido’s style of what I’d call mid-century modern and I’ve long thought of adding a vintage Commander to my collection.  They’re seriously cool watches that are still affordable.  For this modern anniversary piece, the colors are attractive and my only minor gripe is the inclusion of “Limited Edition” on the dial; it’s simply not necessary.  In the end, though, it’s a striking watch at an approachable price.

You can pre-order the Mido Commander Big Date 60th Anniversary here and watches will begin shipping on July 2, 2019.