Introducing The MIDO Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer

It's safe to say we've been nursing a healthy obsession with MIDO's revival of its 1960s Ocean Star Decompression Timer since 2020. Maybe it's the thrill of finding a vintage-inspired dive watch that nails all the tiny details. Maybe it's the colorful decompression scale that captures the imagination of watch newbies and seasoned collectors alike. Whatever the case may be, we are happy to introduce you to MIDO's latest expansion of its heritage dive watch collection: the Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer, now with an additional GMT function recreated in both the original "rainbow" as well as a new vivid colorway.

Staying true to previous partnerships with MIDO, the Hodinkee Shop is proud to offer the Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer for a period of U.S. retail exclusivity at launch. These watches' predecessors have a storied history of selling out fast, so we're thrilled for this timepiece to reach those that might have missed their chance to get their hands on MIDO's previous limited edition models.

The new Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer first catches your eye with its striking visual cues but holds your attention with its powerful technological capabilities. The inner decompression scale was revolutionary when it came out in the 1960s, offering SCUBA divers a way to calculate their decompression stops, which are intervals spent to "off-gas" nitrogen that builds up in the blood at depth before surfacing. The scale is divided by color into different depths, and as a diver correlates their "bottom time" at a given depth they can then see on the scale how long the deco-stop needs to be. Most divers would reset the minute hand back to 12 before their dive so the scale can be more easily read. 

Measuring at 40.5mm, the new Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer is only slightly larger than the original 1960s model and is still a comfortable size for everyday wear. That touch of extra real estate houses the updated model's namesake: the added 24-hour GMT function and world city bezel, which makes an already highly capable watch ready for adventure of any kind. Working from the outer bezel inward, you'll first find both the rotating dive timer and world cities scale. Just beneath that is the minute track with hour markers, followed by the 24-hour scale with GMT hand, the date window, and finally the famous decompression scale.

Now that we are all caught up with the meaning behind the colorful scale, it's about time we talk about the new colorway. We're still huge fans of the original rainbow, but we are equally excited for the new orange palette, which some people might find to be more wearable for every day while still making a statement. Bringing to mind sunsets on a California beach, the new orange colorway definitely makes for a great spring and summer watch, but we can see it blending seamlessly into any fall styling.

MIDO's Caliber 80.661 movement provides automatic winding, a Nivachron balance spring, a whopping 80 hours of power reserve, and, in our opinion, represents one of the best mechanical devices available at this price point. In typical dive watch fashion, the Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer sports water resistance up to 200 meters, as well as glowing Super-LumiNova in the hands and indices. The closed steel caseback is emblazoned with the signature starfish engraving that has been featured across the Ocean Star line since the 1960s.

Both models of the Decompression Worldtimer ship with an interchangeable, tropical rubber strap as an homage to the original, along with a stainless steel mesh bracelet that's every bit as 1960s as the rubber strap.

You don't have to be a diver to bask in the mystique of one of the most fascinating dive watches ever produced, and with the added GMT function, the new MIDO Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer makes the perfect travel companion wherever life takes you.

THIS POST WAS ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED ON www.hodinkee.com