One of the Best Affordable Dress Watches Drops a Grail Version As Its Swan Song

Shine bright like a moissanite.

Close-up of a black watch face with silver numerals and a moissanite-studded bezel on a textured black leather strap.

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Published February 13, 2026

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Baltic debuted its MR series in 2021, and it immediately shot up through the ranks as one of the best affordable dress watches on the market.

What made it the MR such a standout, in addition to its classic, attractive styling with its Breguet-numeral-adorned dial, was its micro-rotor movement. Normally reserved for very high-end watches, Baltic found an attainable workaround by using a Chinese-made Hangzhou micro-rotor movement.

Now, five years on, Baltic is retiring the first generation of the MR. But first, it’s giving the watch a fitting sendoff with a glam grail version featuring a sparkling moissanite-studded bezel.

Silver Baltic wristwatch with black dial and Arabic numerals on a glass table next to a brown leather notebook. — Baltic’s MR is going out with a bang, or rather, a bling.

Moissanites are forever

What is moissanite, you ask? It’s a silicon carbide that, while naturally occurring, is mostly produced in a lab as an alternative to diamond. Introduced commercially in the late 1990s, moissanite is as close as you can get to a diamond without actually getting one. It’s exceptionally hard — 9.5 on the Mohs scale to diamond’s 10 — and offers great clarity. It even offers superior fire to diamond, reflecting light in a more colorful way.

The bezel of the Baltic MR Moissanite is set with 40 baguette-cut moissanite gems arranged in a circular pattern, creating quite the blingy show on the wrist. The flashy bezel is paired with a glossy black dial for maximum elegance, which sits beneath a domed Hesalite crystal to give off those retro vibes Baltic is known for.

Black Baltic wristwatch with silver bezel and black leather strap worn on a wrist with a black leather jacket sleeve. — The watch’s bezel is set with 40 baguette-cut moissanite gems.

There are two dial variants for the MR Moissanite, one for each of the model’s dial styles.

The “Classic” variant is based on the original MR design and features polished, applied Breguet numeral hour markers and polished leaf hands. The ’70s-inspired “Roulette” version boasts printed roulete-style hour markers and faceted dauphine hands. Both dials feature the same radial-guilloché small seconds display at 7:00 and the same railroad minute track.

Two Baltic wristwatches with black dials and moissanite bezels, one with a silver metal bracelet and the other with a black leather strap. — There are two dial variants for the MR Moissanite: Classic and Roulette.

The case is the same compact, classic-looking vessel you’ll find on other MR references. It’s in stainless steel, features a mix of brushed and polished finishes and measures 36mm across and 9.9mm thick (including the 1.9mm-tall crystal).

The micro-rotor movement is also the same Hangzhou CAL5000a as usual, but as an added bonus, the bridges and mainplate been given a frosted black finish. It always looked high-end for the money, but now it looks even better.

Close-up of a mechanical watch movement with visible gears and a gold rotor engraved "BALTIC WATCHES" inside a silver case with a black leather strap. — The movement’s mainplate and bridges have been given a black frosted finish.

Availability and pricing

Both versions of the watch offer the same three strap options: a calf leather strap with curved ends, available in black or camel, or a steel beads of rice bracelet. On leather, the watch retails for €1,100 (~$1,306), while on the bracelet, it’s €60 more (~$1,377).

Both versions are limited to just 100 pieces each and won’t be produced again. Unfortunately, the Classic version — which I think is the more attractive version, and the more natural match for the moissanite bezel — sold out almost immediately. There are still examples of the Roulette version left on Baltic’s website, but you’ll have to act fast.

Black dial Baltic wristwatch with silver case, baguette crystal bezel, and textured black leather strap.

Baltic MR Moissanite

Specs

Case Size	36mm
Movement	Hangzhou CAL5000a micro-rotor automatic
Water Resistance	30m

$1,306 at Baltic

About the Author:

Johnny Brayson is an editor at Gear Patrol mostly covering watches. He enjoys watches that are packed with blink-and-you’ll-miss-’em details and believes nearly every watch could stand to be a tad smaller.

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