One of the Best Affordable Royal Oak Alternatives Just Got Better (and Cheaper)

Last year, Mido debuted the Multifort 8 Two Crowns, a unique steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet and an octagonal bezel boasting a mix of brushed and polished finishes.

The watch drew immediate comparisons to the most iconic integrated sports watch out there, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, but Mido’s affordable take on the style did have one glaring difference. The watch added some diver styling and functionality via its titular two crowns, with one of them controlling an inner timing bezel.

The result was a bit of a weird mashup that, I think, kept the watch from generating as much hype as it otherwise would have. Well, the suits at Mido must’ve thought the same thing, because the brand has now launched a new, cleaner version of the Multifort 8 with a single crown and no dive bezel.

Mido

Heavy lies one crown

The new Mido Multifort 8 One Crown has the same case design as the Two Crowns, with its stainless steel case measuring 40mm across and 38.4mm long and sporting the same AP-inspired octagonal bezel.

The crowns are different, obviously, with a single octagonal crown at 3:00 replacing the two that were previously found at 2:00 and 4:00.

The bracelet is also the same integrated, fully brushed, three-row design as before, and it again features quick-release spring bars, as the watch is also available on a rubber strap.

Mido

The One Crown’s single crown screws down, and the watch remains water resistant to 100m. It’s a bit thicker than the Two Crowns, however, at 9.9mm tall instead of 9.5mm. That’s still exceptionally thin for a sports watch, and the reason for the difference is an updated movement.

Both watches have ETA-based automatic movements, with the Two Crowns being powered by the Mido Calibre 72, which evolved from the ETA 2892, and the One Crown getting the Mido Calibre 80, which is ETA’s Powermatic 80.

The Cal. 80 has an 80-hour power reserve — so 8 hours more than the Cal. 72 — and is better decorated, but the Cal. 72 is thinner, has a more premium build and features an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring. Just as before, the new movement is visible behind a display caseback.

Mido

Outside of the new movement and the fact that there are 50 percent fewer crowns than before, the other big difference found on the new Multifort 8 is the dial. Now that there’s no inner timing bezel, the dial is much more expansive, making the watch wear larger than before.

The dial still features the same horizontal grooved pattern as before, but the greater surface area allows for larger applied indices and a bolder handset. Both look more premium than before and remind me a bit of what you’d find on a Christopher Ward Twelve, which is arguably the watch that’s closest to this one in the market.

Mido

Pricing and availability

The Multifort 8 One Crown wouldn’t be a Mido if it didn’t provide great value, and thankfully, that’s very much the case here. The watch retails for just $1,070 on the bracelet, which is a whopping $450 cheaper than the Multifort 8 Two Crowns. Considering I think this watch will appeal to a lot more people, that’s pretty great news.

To start, Mido is offering the Multifort 8 Two Crowns with the option of a blue or black dial on the bracelet, with the black dial also available on a black rubber strap for $1,030. Lastly, there is a two-tone version with a black dial featuring rose gold PVD coating on the bezel, crown and center links of the bracelet. It tops out the collection at $1,230.

Mido

Mido Multifort 8 One Crown

Specs

Case Size	40mm
Movement	Mido Cal. 80 automatic (ETA)
Water Resistance	100m

• $1,070 at Bloomingdale's

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