MIDO
Though still something of a novice on the Czech market, in many other
countries of the world Mido watches, with a tradition reaching back more
than a century, are a household name. Before the brand, famous for its
superb COSC-certified mechanical watches, became part of the Swatch
Group, the world’s biggest watchmaking concern, it had a fascinating
history. Characterising the brand nowadays are its architecture-inspired
designs as well as its striking models following up on historic
timepieces.
Where to buy?
More about Mido
The look of each collection is inspired by architecture. A look at a Baroncelli watch may evoke the aesthetics of the Rennes Opera House in Brittany in France, a Belluna watch brings back the harmonious curves of the Royal Albert Hall in London while a Multifort induces the atmosphere of Sydney and the majestic appeal of the famous Harbour Bridge.
The women’s Rainflower line is reminiscent of the Singaporean ArtScience Museum while the Roman Colosseum is the architectural gem pervading the All Dial collection. The Commander range, which has just celebrated its 60th anniversary, draws from the uniqueness of the Eiffel Tower while in the Ocean Star collection we can hear the ribald tales of sailors as they sail past the Gibraltar lighthouse.
The brand’s history
Watchmaker Georges G. Schaeren founded the Mido company on a very significant date – 11 November 1918. It was the day on which a railway carriage in the French town of Compiègne was the scene for the signing of the armistice between the allied forces and Germany that would officially end WWI. On that very same day, 36 year-old Schaeren set up his firm Mido, which is derived from the Spanish “yo mido” meaning “I measure”.The firm’s first successes came hand-in-hand with a wave of unbridled enthusiasm for fabulous motorcars in the mid-1920s. Its timepieces, sporting the logos of Bugatti, Ford or Fiat, accompanied newly purchased cars. Nowadays, these watches are prized collector’s items.
The continuous effort to present the perfect watch spurred the designers and watchmakers at Mido to constant perfection. In the 1930s the brand came up with its first technological novelty, a cork seal for the crown ensuring water-resistance. Later on this acquired the moniker Aquadura. Not long afterwards the firm boasted the shock-proof, anti-magnetic and water-resistant Multifort watch, which proved an instant hit. More than 85 years have passed since the introduction of this bestseller which, to top it all off, featured a self-winding mechanism.
In 1954 it was the Mido workshop that saw the birth of the Powerwind system. This simplified the self-winding mechanism from seventeen parts to just seven and, above all, extended the power reserve. Another milestone for the brand came in 1967 when it introduced the world’s smallest automatic winding mechanism. With the new millennium came the era of architecturally-inspired watches. Mido sponsors sportspeople and extreme sports, such as show jumping and Red Bull Cliff Diving, but the brand’s most famous ambassador is Robi the Robot, who was born as early as 1939.