A quick dash across the ditch to NZ with the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer
Jamie WeissFew countries are connected as intimately as Australia and New Zealand. but, as an Aussie, it’s easy to forget that New Zealand isn’t exactly close to Australia. Yanks and Poms might be “across the pond” while we Aussies and Kiwis are merely “across the ditch” – yet that proverbial ditch is still a four-hour flight from Melbourne to Auckland, crossing some 2,624 kilometres and two time zones. In short, it’s a proper international trip: Australia and New Zealand might be culturally close, but geographically, they’re distant.
Last month, I had the chance to (as you may have guessed by now) cross the ditch to Auckland for the final tour stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving 2023 World Series, during which I wore a Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer. Using a world timer to track a two-hour time difference might be overkill. Still, there’s nothing like an international trip to help you get accustomed to a watch, and I found my time with this globetrotting, retro-inspired Mido in NZ rather enjoyable.
Let’s dive in
So, as the name implies, the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer is quite a multi-functional timepiece. First and foremost, it’s a dive watch, boasting 200 metres of water resistance, a screw-down crown and a diving bezel. Well, it’s only kind of a diving bezel. While it does have 10-minute gradations like a typical diving bezel, it’s not unidirectional, and it’s also a world-time bezel, with the names of cities dotted around its periphery (including Auckland and Sydney!)
That hints at its second function as a travel watch. The Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer is also a true GMT watch, with a travel time zone hand in red accompanying its arrow-shaped handset. A shaped date window at 3 o’clock can also be found, bisecting its 24-hour scale, which frames the decompression timing marker rings in the centre of the dial.
Deciphering the dial
You might be asking, what’s the purpose of the decompression timings? Let me explain. If you dive deep or long enough, it’s important that you make one or more stops during your ascent back to the surface to give your body time to safely release gases like nitrogen or helium that dissolve into your body tissues during your dive. If you don’t decompress properly, you can suffer from decompression sickness – sometimes called “the bends” – which can be excruciatingly painful and potentially cause permanent damage to your body.
Most recreational divers will never need to consider decompression, making this Mido’s feature one for real purists – although professional divers are almost certainly going to use a dive computer rather than a retro-inspired mechanical watch to time their decompression stops…
Sharp Magazine has penned an exceptional explanation of how to use these timing rings, but even after reading that explanation, I still find them confusing. But that’s okay. Most people who buy this watch will never use those timing rings for their intended purpose. Their value is in how they give the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer a uniquely busy and colourful look; like an Everlasting Gobstopper spat onto a watch dial. I love how trippy this Mido looks.
Practical considerations
Those decompression timings might not be hugely practical, but there’s still plenty to love about the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer. While its wild, colourful dial and tool watch form factor mean it will never be mistaken for a dress watch, its Goldilocks 40.5mm diameter suits a variety of wrists, while its pleasantly polished case and boxed sapphire crystal give it a charming air. The bezel is easy to use, the 24-hour scale and hand are easy to read, and the lume is surprisingly bright.
Its Mido Calibre 80 (a version of the ETA C07.661) also ticks a lot of boxes: not only is it a true GMT movement, but it’s also COSC-certified, boasts an 80-hour power reserve and a Nivachron balance spring. The Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer also comes with two strap options: a Tropic-style rubber strap or a Milanese bracelet, both of which feature quick-change mechanisms and suit the watch (although I prefer the rubber, which is what I wore during my stint with the watch).
Closing thoughts
If there’s one word I’d use to sum up the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer, it would be overkill (or, as the Kiwis say, “overkull”). While it’s no Patek Philippe Grandmaster Chime, it crams a hell of a lot of features into one very wearable watch, at a very accessible price point. Its busyness is probably not everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it makes a great travel companion, whether you’re just shooting across the ditch or you’ve got a bigger trip planned.
Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer pricing & availability
The Mido Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer is available now from the Time+Tide Shop, online or in-store at our Melbourne Discovery Studio. Price: A$2,100.
| Brand | Mido |
| Model | Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer |
| Reference Number | M026.829.17.041.00 |
| Case Dimensions | 40.5mm (D) x 13.4mm (T) |
| Case Material | Stainless steel |
| Water Resistance | 200 metres, screw-down crown |
| Crystal(s) | Domed sapphire |
| Dial | Blue with multi-coloured decompression timing marks |
| Lug Width | 21mm |
| Strap | Steel Milanese bracelet or blue rubber Tropic-style strap with pin buckle |
| Movement | Mido Calibre 80 aka ETA C07.661, ETA 2824-2 base, automatic, COSC |
| Power Reserve | 80 hours |
| Functions | Hours, minutes, seconds, date, GMT, bidirectional world time bezel, decompression timer |
| Availability | Available now for enquiries |
| Price | A$2,100 |