Today we’re taking a look at the new TV Big Date dials introduced to the Mido Multifort collection. As one would expect even before clicking in to this article, you’re in for a pretty unique looking watch – with a unique name. I can’t stop thinking about TV Dinners ever since this collection arrived at my door.
Design and Form
Right off the bat you’ll notice the squarish case , bezel and dial are somewhat reminiscent of the Patek Philippe Aquanaut. It has a bit of that vibe going. But where the Aquanut leans towards diver with it’s sporty dial, the Mido leans classy with its more refined and simple layout.
Besides the unique case shape, the dial follows suit with it’s also squarish shape, but you’ll notice something pretty neat, which is the very big date window at 12’oclock – not a date positioning – or size – you see on many watches – but I will say, I kind of like it. It reminds me of an old mechanical flight time billboard I remember seeing in the airport in Belgrade Serbia back in my wonder years.
The rest of the dial is very simple, with small spaced out markers encircling it. While the markers have strong contrast and are easily legible I would have preferred to see larger markings for aesthetic reasons, I feel it would have been slightly more proportional with the rest of the watch. But maybe Mido kept the marking small to emphasize the date window, which in that case it does work.
Selecting the Right Hue
So we have the entire collection here, I was bouncing around between the dial colors to see which one I prefer and I think it’s going to be the green dial with a very close second being the charcoal/grey one. The fume like gradient on these colours seems more pronounced than on the blue, and the blue one is exceptionally dark.
Sizing and Comfort
In terms of sizing, the watch wears really, really well on my 6.5 inch wrist. Exceptionally well actually I’m quite surprised. The dial is nice and roomy, but the short lugs and rather slim case are helping, I think the squarish shape is also pulling off some kind of illusion of an overall smaller appearance. It’s funny because when I handle this watch off the wrist, I’m not totally blown away but when I slip it onto the wrist it comes alive.
Overall, the watch is very nicely finished, in line with what you’d expect from Mido, nice alternating brushing and polishing on the bracelet links and a nearly fully brushed case except for some small sections that add a little pop. This watch is also sporting really nice crown guards and a screw down crown, it’s a very nice touch that completes the watch.
The Bracelet
Another important section to touch on is the bracelet, it’s very high quality and I’m impressed with it. It feels solid and there’s zero jangle to it, the links are very tight fitting, and it meets the case perfectly almost giving off an integrated type of look. The clasp is very robust and the metal is thick.
Inside the Watch
This guy here is featuring an Automatic ETA Caliber 80 Big Date movement with a nice generous 80 hours of power reserve. This is a modifoed ETA, it was specifically modified for this watch and represents Mido’s 100th Anniversary. It’s actually somewhat decorated as well with Geneva Stripes and an inscribed Mido logo on the rotor. The movement also has a Nivachron Balance-Spring – and everything is viewable from the exhibition window back.
Final Thoughts: Value Proposition
Dang, this watch offers some great value. If you’re looking for a watch with this unique case shape around this price point, there isn’t much option out there – take a close hard look at this guy.
For more information visit the official Mido website here.
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