Buffy Acacia
Mido, a part of the Swatch Group that offers mid-priced watches, is often unfairly ignored. None of their watches are technically innovative, but they’re also certainly not cheap. So what’s the appeal? Why is Mido so popular in some countries, outselling Tissot, Grand Seiko and Patek Philippe in Mexico? In fact, the brand has a history of its own that predates the Swatch Group, with a reputation for quality, value and design.
November 11th, 1918. This is the date that World War I officially ended, and also the date that Georges Charlene and Hugo Joubert founded Mido G. Charlene & Cie SA. Watch history buffs will know that after the war, convenience and improved technology led to a shift from pocket watches to men’s watches, and a boom in men’s designs. Mido was not so much interested in pure practicality. Its designs were Post-war optimism in the 1920sIt captures the playful essence of something that was ahead of its time by nearly 40 years.
Women’s watches featured elaborate case shapes covered in decorative, colorful enamel, while men’s watches often had connections to the automotive world, such as pocket watches shaped like wheels or watches shaped like radiator grilles. Despite these innovative elements, Mido watches did not sacrifice quality: vintage pieces age beautifully and can sell for five figures on the second-hand market.
The 18K gold collaboration between Mido and Bugatti is particularly collectible. Given Bugatti’s luxury status today,A watch actually owned by Ettore Bugatti himself Sold in 2021 for €272,800But as the 1930s progressed, demand for novelty items plummeted and the prototype of the “tool watch” was born. Mido even briefly supplied watches for Citizen in Japan before establishing its own identity. Durability became a priority, and Mido was at risk of going bankrupt if it didn’t change direction quickly.
The Mido Multifort was first introduced in 1934 and remained a Mido bestseller well into the late ’50s. Not only was it beautiful with its easy-to-read Arabic numerals covered in luminous material, but models from 1935 onwards were among the first watches to combine automatic winding (made by A. Schild), Incabloc shock resistance and a waterproof system. The Taubert cases also featured a movement cover, which may have helped with anti-magnetic properties. The Aquadura system (used since 1934 but only named in 1959) uses treated natural cork as an expanding gasket to seal the crown and prevent water from entering when the crown is pulled.
None of these innovations were invented by Mido himself. for example, Waterproof case The cork system was patented and manufactured by Taubert & Fils (successor to the legendary Borger case company), but it was the combination of the assembled protection system and Mido’s stress testing capabilities that set Mido apart: in the ’30s, Mido sold a pressure tester for watches with a standard immersion test up to 13 ATM.
The Mido Multifort was already a commercial success before World War II, but a testimonial from an American pilot in 1944 gave it an added marketing boost. Advertisements boasted its waterproofness, able to withstand hundreds of hours underwater, and the tagline “Strange but true” was often seen next to Mido’s metal mascot, Robi the robot. While Mido was entirely focused on robustness, Robi seemed to revive Mido’s 1920s quirkiness. Another notable development of the 1940s was the launch of the Mido Multicentre Chrono. Uses Lemania movement Both the seconds counter and the elapsed minutes counter are located on the center pinion.
In the early 1950s, chronometry became incredibly fashionable.Even if you don’t absolutely need accurate timekeeping for your everyday watch, If you don’t have tested chronometers in your catalog, you’re falling behind the competition.Mido’s first chronometer was submitted to the Swiss Watch Testing Office in 1954, but submissions quickly grew: after a decade, over 500 chronometers had been tested. By 1973, that number had swelled to 100,000. At that point, only Rolex and Omega were producing more chronometers per year in Switzerland.
The first Mido Ocean Star watch was not launched until 1959, although the word “Ocean Star” and the starfish logo had been trademarked in 1944 and 1942, respectively. The 1959 Ocean Star Commander was not quite like a diver’s watch as we understand it today, instead combining angular modernist ideas and refined finishes in a slender case. At this time, the cork gasket system was given the name Aquadura, which increased the waterproofness of the one-piece case. As there was no removable caseback, the movement had to be fitted from the front using a split-stem crown.
One Mido watch that any watch enthusiast has heard of is the Ocean Star Decompression Timer. The 2020 reissue was a huge successFirst released in 1961, this model beautifully blended form and function, with vibrant pastel colors to aid in diving calculations. From this point in the 60s, the Ocean Star became the diving tool watch we know today. The Ocean Star Tribute Series is a reissue of classic 60’s pieces.. Ocean Star Decompression Worldtimer is the latest version It’s available now and is truly its spiritual successor.
In the 70s and 80s Mido again found themselves in financial difficulties – the quartz crisis was in full swing and Mido didn’t consider itself a luxury brand, so it didn’t have the edge that Audemars Piguet had. Still, they managed to survive and even designed a cool TV-shaped watch. Mido Multifort TV Big Date CollectionA partnership with tennis champion Björn Borg in 1981 may have given Mido a slight boost, but behind the scenes things were not going well: Mido had already joined ASUAG in 1970, merged with Eterna in 1976, and the merger of ASUAG with SSIH, which would later become the Swatch Group, had put the company on the brink of extinction until it was re-established with its own management.
The ’90s saw the launch of some fun quartz models, such as the Bodyguard with its 100dB alarm, but throughout the late ’90s and 2000s, Mido products went back to vintage best-sellers for inspiration. New models aimed to be affordable in both price and style. Some models still used the natural cork Aquadura system, but this was eventually replaced by modern rubber gaskets.
This brings us to the present day Mido. Knowing its history, you can learn about its ultra-practical releases such as the Ocean Star Divers, Lighter lines, like the Baroncelli Wildstone watchClearly, this isn’t just another Swatch Group offering a stream of carefully crafted new products at targeted price points, but a historic brand with its own dedicated following and collectors.
The fact that it’s not as popular in the US was directly addressed by CEO Franz Linder. 2018 Forbes interviewHe said, “In the U.S., boutiques aren’t as important. What you need is a good watch store with staff that know everything about watches.” This makes a lot of sense, because even without existing brand recognition, trusted retailers can recommend Mido based solely on quality and value.
Six years have passed since that interview, and quite a lot has changed. The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly had a major impact on shopping habits, and the Mido Ocean Star Decompression Timer 1961 has undoubtedly gained widespread recognition in the U.S. But Mido isn’t desperate to change its strategy. Anyone who does their research seems to naturally stumble upon Mido if that’s what they’re really looking for, and the design, history, and value for money of the watches speak for themselves. Reliable ETA MovementIf you’d like to purchase one for yourself, please visit the Time+Tide Watch Discovery Studio in Melbourne or View the Time+Tide Shop online.
