Mido Multifort Review

The Mido Multifort is a Long-Lasting Icon in Swiss Watchmaking.

Review watch supplied by Certified Watch Store, who generously loaned us this watch for nearly three weeks.

The Multifort Day/Date I have here is my first hands-on experience with Mido; it’s also one of the better-looking versions of the Multifort collection (though all of them are attractive). I prefer clean, purposeful design, and the gold/white dial/brown leather combination I have here is well-styled by such definition. This watch scratches all the right aesthetic itches.

Like other entry-level luxury watches from brands in the Swatch Group, the Multifort Day/Date is well priced (MSRP $1,000ish, street price $600ish), and comes with a Swiss-made automatic movement (the Mido Caliber 80, boasting 80 hours of power reserve).

This movement is appreciated for its accuracy and monster power reserve; the same is true of the Caliber 80’s sister movements, versions of which are used by many Swatch Group brands. The Tissot Seastar Powermatic 80 I reviewed (on loan from the fine folks at Gem by Carati) used Tissot’s version, the Powermatic 80 (official title: ETA/Tissot C01.111).

Where to Buy

We worked closely with Certified Watch Store to make this review happen. They offer:

• Great Prices & Free Shipping
• 100% Authentic
• 2 Year Warranty
• From $583

Mido Multifort Automatic Technical Specifications

• Model Number: M005.430.36.031.00
• MSRP: $1,040 (found discounted)
• Case Diameter: 42mm
• Alternate Models: Lots of options for band, dial color, and features.
• Movement: Automatic, Mido Caliber 80 (base movement: ETA C07.621)
• Complications: Day/date display
• Power Reserve: Estimated 80 hours
• Water Resistance: 100m / 330ft
• Crystal Material: Sapphire

Brief Introduction to Mido Watches

Brand Information

The Multifort line of watches are among Mido’s most storied and enduring, with the first watches to bear the name being released in 1934. These first Multiforts used a self-winding automatic movement that was shock resistant and made use of an industry-first unbreakable mainspring.

Mido was founded in 1918 in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland. They released both men and women’s collections in the early 1920s that featured color-enameled shaped cases, art-deco styling, and designs that emulated components from the quickly-expanding automotive market.

Today, Mido is one of the world’s top-10 producers of certified chronometer watches, and is a small but notable component of the Swatch Group of Swiss brands.

Comparison

Other options you might consider with similar complications and grey-market affordability:

Movements

Other watches available with a variant of the C07.xxx movement:

• Tissot Seastar Powermatic 80
• Hamilton Pan-Europ
• Mido Commander II (just not this particular model)

Other options with ETA-derived movements:

• Hamilton Jazzmaster Day/Date
• Armand Nicolet M02 Day/Date

Price

Price comparable:

• Seiko Presage Day/Date
• Reveue Thommen Airspeed Day/Date

The Multifort’s a Contender

As we move into 2018, it’s awesome to be able to appreciate that there are many excellent watches in the $400 – $600 range. Both major and micro brands are building watches that will last for a while (potentially decades if well-taken care of), and provide ownership experiences that may not have the scarcity of more luxurious segments of horology, but certainly provides a similar level of technical and aesthetic value.

That’s the ownership experience I’m looking for: something that doesn’t cost me my life’s savings, will last for a good number of years, and has a quality movement that is robust and long-lasting. Isn’t that the definition of “entry-level luxury”?

Then again, the waters surrounding our perspective of luxury have never been muddier. The term “luxury” has been diluted to the point where saying something is “entry-level” luxury almost makes the item sound cheap. If everything is luxury, then nothing is.

Mido’s Multifort makes a strong case for itself and the term, though.

The Multifort is one of the better demonstrations of what entry-level luxury should be: affordable, found under $600; made well, as is clearly demonstrated by the quality of its build; attractive, as a glance of the beautifully textured dial will convey; and special, with a lineage that goes back over 80 years.

$600 (or thereabouts) is fair value for it, too. Excellent construction is evident top and bottom, but it is on stage thanks to the clean – and gorgeous – white dial that fills up the 42mm case. The texture supplied by an exquisitely-machined face elevates the dial and helps define the Multifort’s style.

As much as I appreciate how it looks, I appreciate even more how well it’s made. Full-size images are 6000×4000 pixels, and even under such close scrutiny, the dial holds up.

The rest of the watch looks pretty good, too. The brown leather strap – high-quality, and featuring a deployant clasp – uses stitching to match the dial, helping the Sydney Harbour Bridge-inspired design stand at its best (that’s Mido marketing, for the record). I’m not 100% sure I see the resemblance, but I certainly do appreciate a good looking watch when I wear one.

Powered by Mido Caliber 80 Automatic Movement

The Caliber 80 is based off of the ETA C07.621 automatic (which itself is based off the ETA 2836). It is a 25- jewel movement that beats at 28,800bph and can be adjusted to up to 5 positions to fine-tune accuracy. As mentioned earlier, other Swatch Group brands – Hamilton and Tissot – are using their own versions of the C07xxx movements that feature huge power reserves.

The movement is attractively decorated and a real treat to photograph- the textured and grooved rotor looks great from any angle, as does the rest of the movement (which is machined with precision).

Accuracy

Tested via Toolwatch.io, the Caliber 80 inside this particular Multifort is running fast at +7 seconds per day. This is pretty good and could be regulated to further improve accuracy.

Operation

• To adjust the time, pull the crown to the farthest position (position 3). Turn the crown clockwise to adjust the time. Note that the day/date display will automatically rollover at midnight.
• To adjust the date, pull the crown to its middle position (position 2). Turn the crown clockwise to adjust.
• To adjust the day, pull the crown to its middle position (position 20. Turn the crown counter-clockwise to adjust.

Clearly, I Quite Like the Multifort

CertifiedWatchStore has it priced around $550, and at that price it’s excellent value for money. It competes directly with the Hamilton Jazzmaster’s, Tissot Ballade’s, and Seiko Cocktail Time’s of the world. The Multifort certainly competes with the best of them and is a great introduction to the brand.

You can find the Multifort in a variety of styles and uses, including dive watches, chronographs, and upscale styles that showcase diamonds, interesting color combinations, or both. There are even smaller versions with 38mm cases for the wimpy-wristed like me.

Unfortunately, the leather strap sat awkwardly on my wrist. I found two ways to resolve it: wear it much tighter (which I didn’t find comfortable), or swap the strap. So I swapped the strap (with Barton quick-release leather, review coming soon). I blame the deployant clasp, which forces the bottom of the strap to retain a wider shape than my little wrists find comfortable. Ha.

In any case, the Multifort is a strong option, not just for the price (though it is priced well), but for the whole package it offers. And again, the dial…

Mido Multifort Day/Date Photo Gallery

Affiliate Relationship Disclosure

The folks at CertifiedWatchStore.com sent us the Multifort for our review. They also have an affiliate program that we participate in, where we receive a portion of the revenue of each watch that one of our readers purchases.

We only recommend watches that we would personally wear, and as you can see, we get hands-on experience with each one. We purchase most of the watches we review and recommend, as well as all camera equipment (over $3,500 so far), software licenses, and so on.

We are thrilled to work with Certified Watch Store, who are excellent partners that offer a great selection of watches at great prices (and 2 year warranties).

If you are interested in the Multifort and want to purchase, we’d love it if you did so at Certified Watch Store. Thank you for supporting us!