MIDO Watches

Mido has remained at the forefront of watchmaking technology for over a century. Its brand has become synonymous with robust craftsmanship, elegance and advanced technology. In the tradition of Swiss watchmaking, Mido has created a unique space in timepieces that are inspired by man-made wonders.

You can discover the Colosseum of Rome, the Eiffel Tower of Paris and the Sydney Harbor Bridge in Mido watch.

Now a subsidiary of the global watch giant, the Swatch Group, Mido was established in 1918 by Swiss watchmaker George G. Schaeren. It's name derives from the Spanish phrase "Yo Mido" or "I measure". At its inception, George focused on precision measurement of time & combined it with artistic designs. For example, the 1920s Mido collection for gents was an art Deco style while the ladies collection was made of shaped cases in colored enamel and modern straps. Subsequently, Mido introduced radiator grill-shaped watches for automotive enthusiasts.

These watches were groundbreaking designs of their time, but they are vintage classics of today. By the 1930s, Mido launched the first-ever water-resistant wristwatch that was also scroll-free. It impressed the world with a functional Swiss watch that wasn't merely a vanity product.

Underneath the promise, a patented cork-crown sealing technology that insulated the dial from water, even in submerged conditions. Thereafter, Mido pioneered many new technologies. For example, they introduced the world's first watch with an anti-magnetic feature that could withstand most magnetic disturbances during aviation.

The same watch also had the bespoke self-winding movement & shock resistance. All these features were combined in their best selling timepiece till date i.e. the Multifort. While the features were amazing, Mido's competitors positioned themselves as durable products. As a result, Mido focused on robustness and launched the specially crafted robust collection called Robi. This watch was marketed as a part of a comic book series.

Mido was an affordable luxury for the young and the adventurous. It represented change and attracted new generations of pioneers.

Watchmakers were competing globally while facing post-war challenges of the domestic market. In this era, Mido was the first company to design a world timer within its watches. They were way ahead of the competition and the customer viewed them differently from other Swiss watches. When athletes, public figures, racers and artists were traveling the globe, Mido watches served their purpose of being functional and reliable timekeepers.

Mido was the first watch-matcher to introduce a center chronograph i.e. hands staged at the center. This made it intuitive for the watch bearer to read elapsed time. It was also a feature that resonated with the brand name Mido. Wearers could not only measure time, but elapsed time and stopwatch time.

It was the first to imbue brand features of other companies in its designs. For example, the radiator grill designs of Excelsior, Chevrolet, Buick, Peugeot, Bugatti etc.

The Dark Phase:

The world has suffered World Wars and then gone into new power struggles over sea routes and mined resources. This was coupled with lower purchase capacity of consumers. On top of it all, watch manufacturers also faced the Quartz crisis. The supply could never match the demand for these watches. While the new customer base was not growing, the old customers were obsessed with Quartz watches. All Swiss watchmakers suffered depleted margins, especially members of the industrial body called ASUAG. Thereafter, many companies merged into larger Watch groups. In the case of Mido, it got absorbed by the Swatch Group.

The Impactful Designs

Every design must have a purpose. Mido wanted this purpose to incorporate functionality that could resist extreme conditions. As a result, watch cases were made from waterproof technology of Taubert and Fils, a company that was acquired by the Borgel Watch Case Company. This feature wasn't enough for competitive advantages. Mido also made its watches shock-resistant by using the Incabloc shock-resistant system.

Timeless Collections :

The combination of many factors helped Mido remain ahead of the competition and survive a century of Swiss watchmaking. The following collections of Mido represent this achievement.

Mido Multifort: As mentioned earlier, this was the world's first Anti-Magnetic watch. It remained immune to general magnetic fields of the surrounding urban environment i.e. electricals, electronics, in flight magnetism and even automobiles. The Multi-fort was a Multi fortress of water resistance, shock resistance & magnetic resistance. Its self-winding system was protected by the exclusive natural cork system.

Commander: This was an Eiffel Tower inspired timepiece of 1959. Unlike previous watches, the Commander was the first-ever single shell watch. Due to less moving parts in the shell, this watch captured the robustness of the Eiffel tower. The Commander is a successful watch even today. Many consumers see it as a "must-have" and gift it for the prolonged life span. Mido plans to continue with this collection for many more years.

Baroncelli: The Baroncelli collection is made of timepieces that define Mido as a Swiss watchmaker. It is their best-designed watch collection in terms of aesthetics. Baroncelli is an elitist watch that exudes luxury. There is no Mido vintage collection without a Baroncelli, whether men or women.

Mido Belluna: 

The Belluna is a blend of features and design. Functional enthusiasts can opt for the Multifort or commander, design lovers can go for the Baroncelli, but for the all in one customer, Belluna is the perfect watch. Unlike other Mido watches, it is automatic. As a 90th anniversary release, Mido did not shy away from diverging its collection from mechanical winding watches.

Mido watch appeal to passion and reason: 

They have something for everyone i.e. connoisseurs and new watch wearers. Mido is pocket friendly luxury that hosts the latest technology. You can choose from the traditional Swiss approach of designer watches, or the Mido approach of pioneering technology. Either way, you get a watch that is worth a lifetime. It is a timepiece that will weather all the challenges of your daily life.