I have a very clear memory of the time period around the launch of the Baltic MR01 collection, the first in their ongoing series of micro-rotor powered dress watches. It felt like a turning point for the brand, who up until then was really known as a heritage inspired sports watch microbrand. The MR series was a real left turn, and there was excitement around it across the watch community. The use of a micro-rotor powered automatic movement in a watch well under $1,000 was completely novel, and it signaled that Baltic had ambitions well beyond iterating on classic sports watch DNA. The intervening years have proven that out, as the brand no longer occupies such a narrow niche. If you had told me in 2021 that only a few years later my favorite Baltic would be their take on a cocktail watch, complete with stone dials, I never would have believed you.
The new MR Moissanite closes a chapter for Baltic. We’re told this is the final MR to be released in the current format, and that a refresh is coming. If that’s the case, Baltic has chosen to close out this incarnation of the MR with its most ostentatious execution to this point. The two dial variants seen here each feature bezels set with baguette cut moissanite gem stones, linking these watches in style and philosophy to the 1970s inspired Prismics linked above.
Moissanite, for the uninitiated, is a lab grown diamond alternative first introduced in the late 1990s. It has many physical qualities that are very similar to mined diamonds (including a similar hardness, a distinguishing characteristic of any diamond) and in some cases might be seen as optically superior. The use of lab grown diamonds in watches (particularly in the enthusiast segment) has increased markedly in recent years as a new generation of consumers has embraced these mined diamond alternatives because of their lower cost and the fact they are free of the moral and ethical baggage associated with mined diamonds. Moissanite offers collectors and enthusiasts a way to get the look of a “real” diamond at a small fraction of the investment. Personally, I remain a pretty big fan of the diamond set Oris Aquis, and see this new release from Baltic as being in a very similar wheelhouse.
The dial options here reflect the primary dial layouts seen in the MR collection since its inception. Both are jet black, for a dressier, evening wear kind of vibe, and one features Breguet style numerals (dubbed the “Classic” dial) while the other has a sector dial inspired layout that is perhaps a bit more casual (referred to as the “Roulette”). Both have a subsidiary seconds register between 6:00 and 9:00, a quirk of the Hangzhou CAL5000a movement that powers the MR watches.
The case of the MR Moissanite is identical to previous iterations of the watch, measuring 36mm in diameter and 44mm from lug to lug (it is 9.9mm thick, including the crystal). The case flanks are brushed and contrast with the polished lugs. The watch can be ordered on either a black calf strap or a vintage inspired beads of rice style bracelet with straight endlinks. The latter, in my opinion, is the way to wear a watch like this.
The retail price of the MR Moissanite is 1,100 euros on a strap and 1,160 euros on the bracelet. Each dial variant is limited to 100 pieces. Baltic
Zach Kazan
2026-02-12 15:00:00