I would equate a mesh strap to be more sporty than dressy, but that Mido is a bit more flashy so I think you could pull it off. Wear what you like in the end. People are wearing sports watches with suits every day. But if you are looking for a dressier option than just look for a leather strap. Just my thoughts...

 

The Commander has a vintage design, and that coupled with the mesh strap makes it a very versatile timepiece that you could potentially dress up or down with. Ultimately, it comes down to what you're personally comfortable with.

 

I have the same opinion. Aside of yours being gold-colored, which pushes it a little to the dressy side, the classical Commander is a kind of universal watch which fits everything.

 

You are putting too much thought into it. Just wear it and enjoy it as you would with any other watch.

 

I hear ya, but like I said, part of the enjoyment, for me, is having some understanding of traditional rules and obtaining watches that fit those traditions. Knowing that I am wearing a watch that is classically associated with a particular activity I'm engaged in or with a particular style of dress is part of the enjoyment for me.

 

There are no rules, just others opinions. If you let that influence you, then you are letting someone else dictate how to wear YOUR watch......

Where what you like and enjoy it.

A good part of this hobby is individuality, IMHO.

 

There are no rules, just others opinions. If you let that influence you, then you are letting someone else dictate how to wear YOUR watch......

Where what you like and enjoy it.

A good part of this hobby is individuality, IMHO.

What's kind of ironic here is I have explained multiple times that part of my enjoyment is knowing some of the watch wearing traditions and associations and adhering to them to some degree. Again, doing that actually gives me pleasure. And your advice is not do any of that as doing so detracts from watch-wearing pleasure.

Of course I deviate from "rules." I have 2 dive watches and have never gone scuba diving. But I enjoy knowing the purpose of those watches and generally wearing them when engaged in water activities. I don't like wearing a dive watch with a suit, even though I know some look good with a suit. I guess it is akin to liking to use a rubber mallet when I need a softer touch. Obviously, I could use my steel hammer and just try and be more gentle, but it's enjoyable using a tool specifically designed for your activity. It just feels good to me.

So, in order to obtain the same type of enjoyment from this potential purchase, I'd like to know typical usage of Milanese straps. I may deviate from those "rules" at times, but I like knowing that it is a deviation. You can't know you are deviating from a tradition or rule if you don't know the underlying tradition or rule!

Any way, I am not sure why I'm a bit annoyed that some folks are telling me to not worry about rules, or that rules are just opinions, etc., but I am. I couldn't care less if you wish to disregard all knowledge of watch history and traditions. You do you. What's so harmful about me liking to pair different types of watches with different styles of dress and activity? What's the harm in me liking to generally follow some sense of tradition? After all, mechanical watches are beyond obsolete. One of the major appeals is their tradition and history.

End of rant lol...

 

Mido Commander 1959 - How to wear it

I would wear it on my wrist…








Okay, and now serious again. I had a Mido Ocean Star Commander Chronometer Datoday for quite a long time, that's what the watch used to be called, with Milanese bracelet, but in steel, and I actually wore it with everything - jeans and T-shirt or suit, it didn't matter, even with a bathing suit when swimming in the pool. The watch went with everything and I think it's no different with the gold version.

 

Maybe you should start with a pair of good quality rubber strap.

 

I get your point IU. Just like some people like heritage dials, you enjoy the older customs that went along with things. Like don’t wear white after October, or watching reenactment battles, etc., where everything is period down to buttons. I think Google may be your friend on this subject. Then wear what you want. I do think watches/jewelry are different in this regard. Plus most people wear smart watches to the pool or a funeral and don’t know any difference anyway.😀

 

I too derive a lot of my watch-related enjoyment from working watches into outfits (and vice versa). I like thinking about how the various stylistic elements of the watch create consonance or dissonance with other things I'm wearing and the situation I'm dressing for (and then how to make creative use of that consonance or dissonance). I've found that clothing and fashion related topics are not particularly welcome on watchuseek, which is populated by many rather vocal folks who are either anti fashion or simply against the idea of being constrained by or even affected by rules. And big part of fashion/style is the rules. Not being bound by them, but rather knowing them and then playing with them, much like jazz! Long way of saying that I relate to your interest and also to you struggle to get good discussion on the matter.

As for the mido, I've always thought of a Milanese as a perfect fit for sharp casual. But I have no experience with or idea about styling gold mesh, that could be a completely different ballpark for all I know. In my view, making gold bracelets work has as much to do with things like cultural context, skin tone, and overall personal style as it does with any particular outfit.

Message me if you want to talk outfits some time.

 

I think the difficulty is that you're asking for fashion advice. There's nothing intrinsic to watches that dictates what you ought to wear with them, in what setting, etc. You know this, of course, because you say above that it's the rules and traditions around watches that you're into. But that's the sort of thing you'd expect to find on a fashion forum; it's more likely to be the case that on a forum like this, people are into watches in themselves rather than watches as social objects (accepting, though, that watches as status symbols very much is of importance here, and, equally, the perception of the size of a watch to others). You're more likely to find the kind of advice you're after alongside tips on shoes to wear with suits, or different ways of knotting a tie, or what the new boundaries of smart-causal are.

I think you're not alone in sharing this interest in the fashion coding of watches, and I do think there's a place for it here. It's just more niche than, say, discussion of how deep a watch can go underwater, or how many jewels its movement has, or which watch has the clickiest bezel. No reason it has to be like that, though.

 

I have been wanting a yellow gold watch and have very little experience with them. I also want something a bit vintage looking. Enter the Mido Commander 1959 in yellow gold with a champagne dial.

I've never had a Milanese strap and researching hasn't been terribly helpful in determining how they are best worn. I'd like to wear it with sport coats and dark jeans and sport shirts.

That’s pretty much how i view Milanese bracelets in my head - dark jeans and polo, or shirt, chinos and a sports jacket. A vintage precursor to modern day steel-bracelet sports watches, so maybe a slightly more old school “smart-casual” look.