Mido was founded in 1918 by Georges Schaeren. The name Mido comes from the Spanish sentence "Yo mido" ("I measure"). Since its foundation, the Swiss watchmaker has been synonymous with innovation paired with a functional style. It was also among the first brands to celebrate the connection between the watchmaking and automotive industries, as exemplified by 1920s car radiator-looking timepieces.
The brands that inspired Georges Schaeren were Buick, Bugatti, Fiat, Ford, and Hispano-Suiza. In 1925, the company welcomed new investors, turning to "Société Anonyme Mido". The Board of Directors has ever since included the Schaeren brothers and Hugo Jubert; new offices in Biel were added to the original factory site in Solothurn.
The brand has always designed watches for him and her. As far as women are concerned, its goal was to craft art-decò refined watches, whereas Mido watches were sporty, showcasing a sleek, uncluttered, timeless design as they are today.
As stated above, Mido watches drew inspiration from European and US carmakers. The company then created one-of-a-kind wristwatches whose case shape mimics several 1920 and 1930s cars' radiator grilles.
Among them is, for instance, a 1929 Mido Bugatti in pink gold; one piece fetched 48,000 Euros during an auction held by Bonhams—a similar watch with a vertically-shaped case sold at Artcurial for 36,000 Euros in 2013.
Other watches, especially women's watches, adopted finely enameled cases. Here is a gold Mido pocket watch with enamelled case; it dates back to 1920 and sold at as much as 4,000 Euros. In brief, vintage Mido watches are highly sought after.
In 1934, Mido launched one of its most successful collections ever, the Mido Multifort.
It was the brand's first anti-magnetic, self-winding, waterproof and shockproof watch. Another milestone in the brand's history is the 1954-released efficient Powerwind self-winding mechanism.
Mido was ahead of the times when it worked to improve product reliability and cost-effectiveness; Powerwind ensured some 17-to-7 parts were cut down while raising the power reserve and eventually lowering service costs.
In 1959, Mido launched the Ocean Star; it is currently a diving watch collection, once it was a water-resistant watch. The original Ocean Star, named Ocean Star Commander, adopted a one-piece case, often restricted to more premium, professional timepieces (e.g., the Omega Ploprof).
This case structure and the Aquadura patent made the Ocean Star the forerunner of today's Mido diving watches. In 1967, the brand set another milestone by engineering the smallest self-winding women's watch. In 1971, Mido was acquired by GWC (General Watch Co. Ltd.) and faced the "Quartz Crisis" along with all its Swiss-made counterparts. In 1976, with the Swiss watchmaking industry making a comeback, Mido introduced its ultra-classic Baroncelli collection.
The brand's mission is to produce sturdy yet innovative self-winding watches: for example, the Aquadura sealing system, i.e. a cork seal placed inside the winding crown, ensured enhanced waterproofness. In 1934, the brand released its now-legendary collection, Multifort.
In 1954, Mido introduced the Powerwind automatic winding system, offering increased power reserve and superior reliability thanks to fewer parts (from 17 to 7) inside the winding system.
The original Mido Ocean Star was one of the few watches with a one-piece case. While not being a diving watch, the combination of this technology with the Aquadura system made it the forerunner of modern diving watches.
Mido offers seven collections, from diving to classic watches, some of which are chronometer-certified. The brand's pro is the excellent quality-to-price ratio and a base price of well under a thousand euros. The collections are the following:
We have reviewed plenty of Mido watches, including some limited editions to celebrate the brand's anniversaries.
The Multifort is the brand's promoter. In Italy, for instance, its self-winding chronograph had good market success.
Recently (2020), Mido introduced models like the Mido Multifort Power Reserve. The collection widely adopts the calibre 80, boasting the highest power reserve in its product category.
In 2018, Mido also unveiled the Mido Chronometer 1, an ultra-precise take on the standard Multifort. Among the more classic variations is, instead, the Mido Multifort Patrimony. The main sub-collections are listed below:
Discover them by reading our in-depth reviews.
The price ranges from 710 Euros (Mido Multifort Gent) to 1,880 Euros (Mido Multifort Chronograph Limited Edition).
The contemporary Ocean Star started with the Mido Ocean Star 200 Titanium, a 200-meter diving watch with a slim titanium case and an 80-hour maximum power reserve.
The Mido Ocean Star 200 Titanium sells at slightly over 1,000 Euros. If you opt for a steel Ocean Star 200, the price drops below the 1000-euro threshold.
In 2019, Mido extended the collection by introducing the Ocean Star Diver 600, a professional diving watch designed for saturation diving.
Crafted in steel, the Ocean Star Diver 600 has a ceramic bezel and a mechanism to lock it in a chosen position. An automatic helium escape valve is placed on the left side of the case. Despite such specs, the watch sells for less than 1,500 Euros. The Ocean Star Diver 600 is also available with a DLC-treated case and rubber strap. The Mido Ocean Star Chronograph was added to the brand's collection in 2021.
Below are all the main sub-collections:
You can discover them by accessing our dedicated articles.
The price starts at 990 Euros (Mido Ocean Star Tribute), a best-seller among the Ocean Star watches, and grows to 2,250 Euros requested for a Mido Ocean Star Chronograph.
Mido prides itself on a relevant history. Many vintage Mido watches are highly sought after and have fetched very high prices at several auctions.
With an average price of less than one thousand euros, you get a well-built automatic watch with high power reserve and good performance.
You'll find plenty of reviews enriched by our photos, technical specs, and prices on our site. Please scroll down this page.
Mido offers models below the psychological threshold of 1,000 Euros and, in some cases, below 800 Euros.
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