Calling your watch Baroncelli Smiling Moon is a bold move.
For one thing, it sounds like the house band on a Far East cruise holiday. Then there’s the actual smile on the dial, which is pure Marmite. Love it or loathe it. Some will find it’s cheery face a cute touch, but most watch collectors will probably give this a miss.
It’s also part of a matching His & Hers watch collection, which always rings the Ideal World alarm bell here at NWC mag. You can imagine the two suits guys selling the dream of matching outfits at a wedding do, complete with identical Mido watches.
The gents model has an ETA derived, Mido tweaked automatic calibre, with 72 hours of reserve. Impressive and of course it is Swiss made, so that adds a few points. The classic link bracelet harks back to the 90s a bit for us, but some will find it elegant. Case width is 39mm, with the ladies model being 33mm.
I would say many ladies prefer a 35-36mm case watch nowadays, as the old 33mm size is too small to read the time clearly, especially when you’re eyes are getting older. Let’s be honest, this watch has no appeal for anyone under 40, except perhaps in China where the Smiling Moon name might be considered lucky/cute.
Verdict; At £890 this isn’t too expensive for a Swiss watch, but the Mido name doesn’t impress like a Cartier, Rolex, Chanel or even a Gucci for many ladies, so don’t expect a stack of brownie points if you spring this as a wedding anniversary gift.
More here.