Mido Multifort

The Multifort is among the oldest of Mido's collections. The Swiss manufacturer first introduced this line to much acclaim in 1934. It wowed audiences with its automatic caliber, water resistance, shock protection, and anti-magnetic properties.

Since then, the collection has grown by leaps and bounds. Today, it contains everything from three-hand models to chronographs and watches with a second time zone. Each watch shares a classic stainless steel case between 40 and 44 mm in diameter. There are also gold-plated editions, as well as watches with a black PVD coating. Most models are water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft). Exceptions include the Multifort Two Crowns with a depth rating of 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft) and the Multifort Patrimony, which can only survive 5 bar (50 m, 66 ft) of pressure.

Another defining feature of the Multifort collection is its unique dials. The majority of these tidy dials are decorated with vertical Geneva stripes. When it comes to a power source, Mido equips these timepieces with modified ETA movements. Some even boast an 80-hour power reserve and chronometer certification from the Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).

Mido dedicates a large portion of the Multifort collection to three-hand watches. One example is the Multifort Gent. This sporty dress watch measures 42 mm in diameter. Its stainless steel case is available with polished and brushed finishes or with a rose gold PVD coating. The Gent Special Edition breaks the mold with its black coating. Regardless of the model, the case is water-resistant to 100 m (10 bar, 328 ft) and houses the caliber 80 (a modified ETA C07.621) with an 80-hour power reserve.

You can choose from a silver, anthracite, or black dial, each with vertical Geneva stripes. Applied stick indices mark the hours at 3, 6, 9, and 12, with dot indices representing the other hours. Both the hour markers and the narrow hands are filled with luminous material. A day-date display completes these models. Plan to spend around 730 USD on a stainless steel Multifort Gent. Gold-plated watches cost a bit more at 870 USD. The black Special Edition with orange hands and indices demands about 110 USD more.

Mido embraces the retro watch trend with the Multifort Escape. While the cases are a rather modern 44 mm in diameter, their anthracite-colored PVD coating resembles aged, sand-blasted steel. The dials are available in solid black or khaki and feature applied Arabic numerals. White, beige, or green luminous material fills the numerals and skeletonized hands. A narrow minute scale runs around the outside of the dial. The date display at 6 o'clock rounds off this timepiece. You can purchase a Multifort Escape on a black or green leather strap for roughly 830 USD. The special edition on a light brown Horween leather strap costs around 930 USD.

The Multifort Two Crowns is a diving watch in every sense of the term. It is water-resistant to 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft) and features an internal diving bezel operated by an additional crown at 4 o'clock. The main winding crown sits at 2 o'clock. Applied dot indices represent the hours on the anthracite dial. Only 12 o'clock is marked with a numeral for increased readability. Luminous material coats the hands and indices, enabling the wearer to tell the time deep under water. Otherwise, the Two Crowns is identical to the Multifort Gent, down to the day-date display at 3 o'clock. Expect to pay around 910 USD on this diving watch.

The Multifort Patrimony is unlike any of its sister models. Its design is based on the original Multifort watches from the 1930s. The Patrimony is also the only Multifort model to have a sunburst pattern on its dial instead of Geneva stripes. Each dial is split into three sections: First, there's an inner ring with a fine second scale. The hour markers sit beyond this inner ring, including Arabic numerals at 3, 6, 9, and 12 o'clock. Finally, a pulsometer scale occupies the dial's outer edge. Syringe-shaped hands complete this timepiece's vintage look. The caliber 80 provides this watch with an 80-hour power reserve and a date display at 6 o'clock.

Mido pairs the Patrimony with a black or brown leather strap. Models with a blue or anthracite dial and stainless steel case sell for about 750 USD. The rose gold-plated edition with a brown dial demands roughly 910 USD.

The Multifort Chronometer shares much of its design with the Multifort Gent. Their cases are nearly identical, and both feature a tidy dial with a day-date display at 3 o'clock. One difference includes the Chronometer's use of triangular hour indices. As its name implies, this model comes with a chronometer-certified caliber – namely the caliber 80 COSC (based on the ETA C07.621). A display case back offers a view of this movement at work.

Mido fits this watch with a black or silver dial. You can also choose between a polished stainless steel, gold PVD-coated, or two-tone case. Depending on the model, prices for this timepiece range from 920 to 1,200 USD.

In 2018, Mido introduced a reworked version known as the Multifort Chronometer 1. The main difference between this model and its predecessor is the caliber. The newer model uses a modified ETA C07.821 movement called the caliber 80 COSC Si. Many of its key components, including the balance spring, are made of ^silicon and are thus better protected against magnetic fields. However, it has the same power reserve and precision as the previous model.

You can recognize the Chronometer 1 by its luminous stick indices and baton hands. Once again, the dial is available in black or silver and sits within a two-tone, gold-plated, or plain stainless steel case. Mido also produces a model with a black case and black PVD coating. These watches require an investment of between 1,200 and 1,400 USD.

The Multifort collection also contains numerous chronographs. Of these models, the 44-mm Multifort Chronograph offers the widest variety of options. It's available as a stainless steel watch with a silver or anthracite dial, a gold-plated edition with a silver dial, or a black PVD-coated timepiece with a black dial. The all-black model features hands, numerals, and indices that glow bright orange in the dark.

Mido outfits these chronographs with the caliber 1320, a modified version of the proven ETA Valjoux 7750. This movement lends the Multifort Chronograph a day-date display at 3 o'clock, an hour counter at 6, a small seconds at 9, and a minute counter at 12 o'clock. A stainless steel Multifort Chronograph changes hands for around 1,400 USD. The addition of gold plating increases the price to about 1,500 USD. Be sure to have roughly 1,900 USD on hand for the black edition.

The Multifort Chronograph Aluminium Bezel and Chronograph Adventure also feature black PVD-coated cases. The caliber 60 ticks away inside these timepieces. This movement is based on the ETA A05.H31 and has a 60-hour power reserve. There's also a 30-minute counter at 3, date at 6, and small seconds at 9 o'clock. A large "12" dominates the upper half of the anthracite dial. While the standard editions have an internal tachymeter scale, Mido has relocated this scale to the bezel on these models. The Chronograph Aluminium Bezel with a perforated black leather strap costs some 1,400 USD. The Chronograph Adventure comes on a light-brown leather strap with a patina and demands approximately 1,700 USD.

With a water resistance of 200 m (20 bar, 656 ft), the Multifort Chronograph Automatic is a great choice for divers and fans of water sports. The caliber 60 also powers this model. Beyond that, this watch shares very little with other Multifort chronographs. In addition to its chronograph pushers, it features a third pusher for setting the date at 10 o'clock. It also has a second crown that controls the internal diving bezel at 8 o'clock. This diving chronograph sells for about 1,700 USD.

You'll also find watches with a second time zone in the Multifort collection. The Multifort Dual Time is one such timepiece. It gets its power from the GMT version of the caliber 80 (ETA C07.661). This movement displays the time in an additional time zone using a fourth hand and a 24-hour scale around the edge of the dial. The Dual Time is available in three designs: stainless steel with a blue dial, gold plated with an anthracite dial, and solid black. These practical timepieces cost between 880 and 1,100 USD.

The Multifort GMT also features a second time zone. Like the Dual Time, it has a fourth hand and internal bezel for showing the time in an additional time zone. The current version has an internal rotatable ring with 24 city names, each representing a different time zone. You can select the city using an extra crown at 4 o'clock, so you'll always know what time zone the GMT hand is set to. Earlier Multifort GMT models also feature an internal bezel ring. However, these rings have a conventional 24-scale with red and blue numerals. While newer watches have silver dials, older editions feature black dials. In terms of technology, both versions house the caliber 1193 with a 42-hour power reserve. This movement is based on the ETA 2893-2. Prices depend on the model and range from 840 to 1,000 USD.