As a woman, I feel that it is not nearly as difficult to find a gorgeous wristwatch for dressier occasions as my husband. It’s one of those situations in which I can run into any Nordstrom or Saks and pick up a watch for a few hundred dollars with a designer label, a dainty face and the perfect look for dressy nights out, events and occasions. After all, who wants to spend a boatload of money on a fancy watch they only wear a few times a month? With four small kids, my husband and I are not able to go out and do anything super fancy as often as we once did, so spending thousands on a dress watch is almost silly at this point. My husband and I both rock our Apple watches throughout the day; they count our steps, monitor our workouts and make life so much simpler all the way around.
Still, though, my husband finds that men’s watches are bulky, busy and not quite right for dressier occasions; though he is marginally satisfied with his Armani. The Mido, however, is a watch I’ve recently discovered, and I think that it might just change the way that men view affordable watches for dressier occasions. In particular, it’s the Baroncelli Heritage I am a bit obsessed with at the moment. For one, the name itself is just so elegant, “Baronchelli Heritage,” and that makes me want to share it with you.
History
Mido is a brand of watches that has been around for quite some time. It’s not a new brand, and it’s not an overly trendy brand; but it is one that is highly durable and it is elegant with a stellar reputation. It was 1918 when a very dapper Georges Schaeren decided to found this company. He was an experienced watchmaker in his time, and he knew his creations should be made individually to live on long past the time in which he would live. The company was founded to bring elegance back to the wrist in a manner that Mrs. Schaeren found timeless and classic.
Within the first two years of his business, Mido was more than just popular. The simple designs and the elegant look of both ladies watches and men’s watches had taken over the world of time, and everyone who was anyone wanted a piece of this business. That’s when the brand exploded, but somehow managed to maintain its reputation for integrity and for classic timelessness. We should mention, too, that Mido was big on leading the pack in updated technology, such as creating a watch with exceptional water tightness that was virtually unheard of in those times.
Throughout the decades that have passed in the brand’s 98-year history, not much has changed in terms of design and elegance. Mido likes to design watches that are made to last, and made with the simplicity that so many other watch designers forgo as a way of making a reputation. While many people want more technologically advanced watches, there is always a place in fashion and design for simplicity and elegance. Mido is a company that knows and recognizes this.
Design
The Baroncelli is classic. It is a 39mm watch with a simple black band. It’s thick with a 6.95 mm height, but it’s not bulky. The entire concept and design of this watch is very throw-backish and amazing. It’s simple, and it’s elegant. It’s the perfect wristwatch for a man who needs something dressy but not fussy, and one that actually does what it’s supposed to od and nothing more.
The face offers a small box in which you can see the date – but just the actual date of the month. Mido knows that today’s man is quite intelligent and does not need a face filled with numbers and letters; he knows the month and the year already. The face reads “Mido Automatic” at the top and “Baroncelli Heritage” at the bottom in a simple, but lovely font.
The numbers are nonexistent, with mere lines marking the time every 5 minutes as well as smaller marks notating the time in between. The second, minute and hour hands are all simple and sleek, and nothing takes away from the simplicity of this design. It’s everything spectacular about the brand in one wristwatch. Each of the hands on this watch is uniquely made with a bit of a diamond shape though it has a sandblasted finish married nicely with a policed finished. It’s coarse, but sophisticated and masculine at the same time.
Price
Perhaps the most alluring feature about this watch is the price. Unlike so many other designer watches, this one is not priced so high that only the wealthiest men and women in the world can afford to wear it. It’s expensive enough to make it a watch not just anyone can own, but affordable enough that it’s not out of range for the average upper-middle class man to call his own. Should you choose the steel model Baroncelli Heritage, you will pay only $1,100 for this lovely watch.
There is also a rose gold version. Do not fear, gentlemen; it’s not feminine in any way. In fact, it is quite lovely in all manners. It is a watch that looks and feels very masculine despite the seemingly feminine color palette. The rose gold version is slightly more expensive coming in at $1,200 per watch.
All in all, this is a watch we like to see on a man who is taking his lovely wife out on a date night. We love it for evenings that are a bit more upscale than others, and we like it for the office. However, it’s a bit too simple for the everyday man to wear all the time, which is why we like it so much for evenings. At this price, you cannot afford not to own this Mido. It’s a slice of designer wristwatch heaven on your arm. What’s not to love about it?
