Mido is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, and to mark the occasion the storied Swiss brand is releasing a handful of centennial novelties throughout the year. One such watch is the Mido Baroncelli Big Date, which, as the name indicates, features a big date complication.
I?m a big fan of the Baroncelli line. As someone who often prefers more classically styled watches, the Baroncelli collection delivers on presenting reasonably priced, traditionally designed pieces with certain flourishes that make them stand out among their peers.

Powering the Big Date is the Caliber 80 movement, which is ETA?s 80-hour automatic caliber. It?s used, in one form or another, throughout Swatch Group?s lower to mid-tier brands, and it?s a nice touch of added value beyond a traditional ETA 2824.
The Big Date will come in two versions?both with 40-millimeter cases. The first features a two-tone case and bracelet, mixing PVD rose gold and classic steel. The second is rendered entirely in rose gold PVD and comes fitted on a black leather strap. The crystal is domed sapphire with AR treatment on both sides, and around back the movement is visible via an open case back.

The dial picks up cues from the rest of the Baroncelli line. Polished, applied indexes sit over a grained white dial. One of my favorite details across the Baroncelli range is the way Mido executes the hands. The hands, which are in fact flat, appear to be faceted through the use of mixed finishes?one-half i...