Mentioning a non-Italian leather goods brand to an Italian, is almost sacrilege, although I am the one wearing classic shoes made in Northampton! Leather-working is not an exclusively Italian tradition and it is certainly not just a European one; we can boast a long tradition in this field, but so do our American friends, who have been working with leather in an excellent manner since the beginning of the last century.
The Horween brand is still managed by a family member of the third generation – Arnold Horween III – with the same maniacal passion for quality that some Italian ateliers also have.
What does Horween have to do with the Mido Multifort? When it comes to artisan-made leather – like the one from Horween – this association comes quite naturally, because the leather strap is possibly the most important customization element in a watch; the only part that a customer can objectively personalize, unless they opt for the dial and the case (a more invasive intervention that Mido itself has already performed with the crafting of its Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition).
Historically speaking Horween and the Mido Multifort have a lot in common, although the paths taken by the Chicago–based workshop and the Swiss–born brand have been quite different throughout the course of history. The Multifort is Mido‘s historical model, the collection that has passed 80 years of age and that this year Mido crafted in its Escape version; a 44–mm–steel–case and an “aged and sand-blasted” surface treatment (as Mido itself defines it).
A finishing that is not very popular in watch-making, at least in this market segment, with a vague “oxidation” look that is quite Safari–like and that is accentuated by the brown calf leather strap created by Horween. The American brand crafted a leather strap for the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition using its Essex leather.
It is an achievement that required three years of development to reach the level of quality that the American brand was hoping for and that is now being used for internal productions and collaboration projects. Among the features declared by Horween is the special patina that the strap develops over time and this is quite an interesting statement considering how often we talk about a patina on the case, but never on the strap.
Among the productions that the American brand can boast, there is a 100% American one; the creation of American footballs and baseball balls (a tradition that has been lasting for 70 years). This is why, to confirm the customization principle described above, the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition comes with a second strap in black leather and crafted by its own brand; the “Football“.
The Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition is not only different from the other Mido Multifort Escape timepieces when it comes to the strap, but also the dial version of this three-hands-watch is different from that of the other Escape timepieces – the “chemin de fer” minute ring and the indices on the dial are of a warm beige color filled with SuperLuminova on the Arabic indices.
The other characteristics of the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition do not change at all if compared to those of the collection; a very advanced caliber and 80 hours of power reserve. The more you use a watch on a regular basis, the greater is your “peace of mind” when you use it; that is to say that your number one rule is that you don’t need to worry about ever adjusting your timepiece.
Personally, I would have dared a little bit more and I would have gotten rid of the date to fully complete this synthesis of vintage inspiration and the union between a brand founded in 1905 and an 83–year–old collection. This would have resulted in a version that further detaches itself from the Escape collection; price-wise there is no gap there, as this model has been wisely positioned at a retail price of € 950 – not bad at all!
(Photo credit: Horween Leather Co, Horbiter®)
Gaetano C @Horbiter®
