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The Mido Commander Big Date is a 42 mm automatic watch built around an oversized date display at six o’clock and a published power reserve of up to 80 hours. Its headline specifications are appealing on paper, but this is a specification-led review: no reliable hands-on evidence establishes how it wears, keeps time, or performs in practice. The exact reference also matters: Mido lists both an anthracite PVD-coated version and a stainless-steel version, with different regional prices and availability.
What the Commander Big Date is
Mido describes the Commander Big Date as a celebration of the brand’s 100th anniversary in 2018. The defining feature is its large date aperture at six o’clock. Mido says two separate rotating discs form the display and describes its numerals as “almost three times larger” than those on watches of equivalent diameter. That is the manufacturer’s description, not an independent legibility comparison. Mido’s international product page and its Big Date collection description explain the design.
The available published specifications make it a fairly substantial everyday-style watch: 42 mm across, 12 mm thick, with 22 mm lugs. Diameter alone cannot establish how it will fit a particular wrist, and no sourced wrist-fit report or lug-to-lug measurement is available here.
Key specifications, and what they do—and do not—tell you
| Specification | Published detail | How to interpret it |
|---|---|---|
| Case | 42 × 42 mm; 12 mm thick; 22 mm lug width | These dimensions are listed for the cited references. Lug-to-lug is not stated, so the case’s footprint across the wrist cannot be fully assessed from the published measurements. |
| Movement | Automatic Mido Caliber 80; up to 80 hours’ power reserve | “Up to” is Mido’s published maximum, not a measured result for an individual watch. |
| Crystal and caseback | Sapphire crystal; exhibition caseback | Published for the cited references. |
| Water resistance | 5 bar (50 m / 165 ft) | This is the manufacturer’s rating; it does not by itself establish suitability for a particular activity. |
| Weight | 141 g | Listed for the cited product references; actual on-wrist feel is not established by the figure alone. |
| Warranty | Two years | Published by Mido for the cited products; check the terms applicable to your region and purchase. |
Sources: Mido international listing and Mido Canada listing, accessed in 2026.
#1 Best Overall
- Swiss Made Watch
- Movement: Automatic Mido Caliber - Power reserve 80 hours
- Case Type: Stainless steel - See-through case back
- Case Size: 42mm - Band Width: 22mm - Case Thickness: 11.97mm - Crystal: Sapphire crystal
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet - Folding clasp with push-buttons
Movement and oversized date
Caliber 80 and the reserve claim
Mido specifies an automatic Caliber 80 movement with up to 80 hours of power reserve. That published figure suggests the watch can continue running for longer than a conventional two-day interval after it is fully wound, but it should not be read as a guarantee of the reserve on every watch or as an independent test result. Mido’s 2021 European catalogue identifies ETA C07.611 and ETA C07.621 as bases for Caliber 80; it does not establish which base is fitted to every Commander Big Date reference. Mido’s 2021 catalogue provides that movement-family context.
On the international anthracite listing, Mido also describes a Nivachron balance spring, a titanium-based alloy that the brand says is intended to reduce magnetic interference. This benefit is Mido’s claim, and the listing should not be taken as confirmation that the same component is fitted to every reference. The anthracite reference page is the relevant source.
Rank #2
- Swiss Made Watch
- Movement: Automatic Mido Caliber - Power reserve 80 hours
- Case Type: Stainless steel - See-through case back
- Case Size: 42mm - Band Width: 22mm - Case Thickness: 11.97mm - Crystal: Sapphire crystal
- Strap: Stainless steel bracelet - Folding clasp with push-buttons
How the big date works
The enlarged date is the watch’s most distinctive practical feature: its placement at six o’clock gives the dial a strong focal point while keeping the date separate from the hands. Mido says two discs create the display. The brand’s “almost three times larger” comparison is not accompanied by an independent measurement or test, so treat it as product-description language rather than a verified legibility result. If you are comparing it with another watch, consider whether you prefer a prominent date over a more restrained dial.
Mido’s Canada product page cautions against setting the date between 8 p.m. and 2 a.m. Follow the exact setting procedure in the manual for your watch rather than extrapolating beyond that stated instruction. The Canadian product page includes the caution.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsRank #3
- Swiss Made Watch
- Movement: Automatic Mido Caliber - Power reserve 80 hours
- Case Type: Stainless steel - See-through case back
- Case Size: 42mm - Band Width: 22mm - Case Thickness: 11.97mm - Crystal: Sapphire crystal
- Strap: Blue Fabric Strap - Pin Buckle
Which Commander Big Date variant is listed?
Finish, dial colour, price and availability depend on the reference and market. The following are page listings captured in 2026, not guarantees of current stock or transaction prices.
| Reference and market | Dial and case/bracelet finish | Listed price and stock |
|---|---|---|
| M021.626.33.061.00; Mido international page | Anthracite dial; anthracite PVD-coated case; grey steel bracelet | CHF 1,130 including VAT; page reported out of stock when accessed. |
| M021.626.11.051.00; Mido Canada page | Black dial; stainless-steel case and bracelet | CA$1,325; page reported out of stock in the captured listing. |
| Green-dial bracelet variant; Nordstrom listing | Green dial; bracelet; listing describes the same 42 mm, 12 mm, 22 mm, sapphire, exhibition-back and 80-hour specifications | Sold out; retailer page said there were no reviews yet. A reference number was not established in the listing evidence. |
Sources: Mido international listing, Mido Canada listing, and Nordstrom listing. Verify the exact reference, finish and local availability before buying; a collection name alone is not enough to confirm that two listings describe the same configuration.
Rank #4
- Swiss Made Watch
- Movement: Automatic Mido Caliber - Power reserve 80 hours
- Case Type: Stainless steel with Two Tone rose gold-color PVD coating - See-through case back
- Case Size: 42mm - Band Width: 22mm - Case Thickness: 11.97mm - Crystal: Sapphire crystal
- Strap: Two Tone Stainless steel bracelet - Folding clasp with push-buttons
Who should consider it—and what remains uncertain
It may suit you if
- You want an automatic watch with a large, centered date display rather than a discreet date window.
- You value the published 80-hour maximum reserve and are comfortable treating it as a manufacturer specification, not a tested result.
- You have a preferred finish or dial colour and are prepared to shop by reference number, since the listed variants differ.
Look more closely before deciding if
- Case fit is a priority: 42 mm diameter and 12 mm thickness do not tell the full story without a confirmed lug-to-lug measurement or a try-on.
- You need verified performance information. The available evidence does not establish measured timekeeping accuracy, actual power reserve, comfort, finishing quality, long-term reliability or service costs.
- You plan to rely on water resistance for a specific activity. The published 5 bar rating is available, but the evidence here does not establish activity-specific suitability.
How to compare it with another watch
Compare the exact references, not just brand or collection names. For a useful like-for-like decision, check:
- Case diameter, thickness and lug-to-lug; the cited Mido references list the first two and a 22 mm lug width, but not lug-to-lug.
- Date display size, position and whether the design suits your reading preferences.
- Movement architecture and the wording behind any reserve claim, distinguishing a manufacturer maximum from independent measurement.
- Steel versus PVD-coated finish, dial colour and bracelet or strap configuration.
- Water-resistance rating, warranty terms and the current price and stock in your region.
Verdict
The Mido Commander Big Date’s case dimensions, automatic movement, large date at six and up-to-80-hour published reserve make it a clearly specified proposition, with useful choice between steel and PVD-coated variants in the cited listings. Its largest unresolved buying questions are personal fit and real-world performance: published specifications cannot tell you how the 42 mm case wears or how a particular watch keeps time. Confirm the reference and regional listing, and try it on if fit is decisive.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- Swiss Made Watch
- Movement: Automatic Mido Caliber - Power reserve 80 hours
- Case Type: Stainless steel with rose gold-color PVD coating - See-through case back
- Case Size: 42mm - Band Width: 22mm - Case Thickness: 11.97mm - Crystal: Sapphire crystal
- Strap: Black Leather Strap - Folding clasp
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
