Hands-On: Milus Snow Star - Black Dial by Ariel Adams

Classy and elegant (with watch-enthusiast wearers in mind), the Snow Star is a leading model currently produced by Swiss Milus. In this article, I go hands-on with the Milus “Snow Star Black,” the black-dialed variant of the Snow  Star which currently complements the Milus Snow Star Silver (aBlogtoWatch review here). Both of these watches are the same price and are, technically, identical. What separates the two current Snow Star models is the dial color and strap — but style-wise they, indeed, have two different personalities.

If you recall from the article about the Snow Star Silver, Milus believes a watch just like this was included in a “survival kit” the U.S. Navy used during World War II for pilots flying in the Pacific theater of war in Asia. While there is some question as to what precise Milus watch was featured in the kits, there is no question that Milus watches were part of a selection of jewelry that was intended to be sold or traded for help if a pilot landed in hostile or unfamiliar territory. Such a store is compelling and part of the brand’s history, and, for the purposes of this watch, can serve as pleasant icing on an otherwise tasty piece of horological cake.

The brightly polished steel case has such a nice tone as it is in 904L steel (more or less the same as what Rolex uses), as opposed to the more common 316L stainless steel used on most other luxury timepieces. For the most part, people will not be able to tell the difference, but the trained eye can see how the Snow Star case has a bit nicer polish than one might typically expect from such a watch.

Read article