This Underrated Affordable Swiss Brand Quietly Launched Its Best Sports Watch Yet

Practically every affordable brand these days has its own attainable version of a luxury sports watch, with virtually all of them basing their designs on those two integrated-bracelet icons, the Audemars Piguet Royal Oak and Patek Philippe Nautilus.

But Mido did things a little differently with its high-end-looking sports watch.

Instead of going the integrated route like all of its competitors, the lesser-known Swatch Group brand seemingly took inspiration from a different, non-integrated icon from Patek: the Aquanaut. Mido’s Aquanaut-lookalike, the Multifort TV Big Date, has quickly become one of the brand’s most recognizable watches.

Now, Mido has added to the Multifort TV Big Date line with its most impressive version of the sports watch yet.

Mido

Titanium TV

Since launching the original Multifort TV Big Date in stainless steel, Mido has continuously added to the Multifort TV collection with new Big Date versions in gold or black PVD, a smaller 35mm version and an automatic chronograph. The latest is the Multifort TV Big Date Titanium, which not only swaps the original’s 39.2mm x 40mm steel case for titanium, but also includes a full titanium bracelet.

The new titanium model is of course lighter than its steel predecessors, but it’s received the same impressive level of finishing that the TV Big Date has become known for. That includes the signature Aquanaut-like broad bezel that’s vertically brushed on top and mirror-polished on its sides. The case also retains its slim 11.5mm thickness and its screw-down crown-reinforced 100m water resistance.

Mido

The bracelet, while still not integrated — the case has traditional lugs — resembles the Nautilus bracelet, with brushed H-links flanking polished center links. It also features the same quick-release system found on the steel TV Big Date bracelet.

The dial has also been tweaked. Rather than featuring the horizontally brushed texture of the steel models, the titanium watch’s dial gets proper engraved horizontal lines. This added texture, combined with a less dramatic gradient effect, makes the watch look decidedly more high-end. I’ve always thought the dials on the steel versions have been a weak point and cheapen the watch’s aesthetic a bit.

Mido

The dial is gray with black text, and the date windows feature white-on-black numerals. Pairing the dial with the duller sheen of the gray titanium case and bracelet makes the watch is a very monochrome affair. It looks quite cool without trying very hard.

Inside the watch, and visible behind a sapphire crystal, is the same modified ETA Powermatic 80 movement as always. It’s a solid automatic engine with an 80-hour power reserve, an anti-magnetic Nivachron hairspring and the watch’s eponymous big date complication, where two discs display the date in a pair of windows for easier viewing; a feature normally associated with far more expensive watches.

Mido

Pricing and availability

The Multifort TV Big Date Titanium is the most high-end version of the watch that Mido has produced yet. It looks more luxurious with its updated dial design, and it’s made with a more expensive metal. As a result, it predictably costs more than the steel version, but it’s really not a significant price increase.

The steel Multifort TV Big Date on a bracelet costs $1,440, while the new titanium version comes in at $1,580 — just $140 more. That seems like a pretty good deal to me for what is undeniably a more premium watch — and inarguably the best version of this very cool sports watch we’ve seen yet.

Mido

Mido Multifort TV Big Date Titanium

Specs

Case Size	39.2mm x 40mm
Movement	Mido Calibre 80 automatic big date (ETA)
Water Resistance	100m

• $1,580 at Mido

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