Perhaps it was just me, or maybe it was the timing of this new release, but Mido just did what I’d consider a soft launch for one of their more intriguing watches of the last few years. Behold the Multifort 8 One Crown, a classy, and clean, integrated bracelet design with a really fantastic textured dial. Integrated bracelets have been very hot for quite some time now, with many brands chasing the Gerald Genta vibe from his famous Royal Oak masterpiece. Even Rolex has thrown their chips onto the table with their 2025 release of the Land-Dweller.
The Multifort 8 One Crown is entering what I’d consider a somewhat saturated segment now. Especially with ultra popular, and accessible offerings such as the integrated bracelet Tissot PRX, which truly is one of the best value propositions in the industry starting at around $550 USD for the automatic variants. I’ve had this Mido in the studio for at least a few weeks now, I’ve gazed at it for days, and I’ve worn it extensively, which has provided me some good feedback and a pretty decent feel for the watch. Lets check out below some of it’s strong points, and what could be slightly adjusted for future variants.
Bezel, Dial and Overall Vibe
I’m not overly convinced on the bezel design of this watch, it could be the only aspect I think Mido should have infused more creativity into. It’s essentially a copy of the Laureato design from Girard Perregaux, which to be frank, I’m also not a huge fan of to begin with, due to its harsh and somewhat clumsy angles making up its octagonal 8 facets around the watch – why even copy this? Mido could have implemented their own signature version of an engine turned bezel, or simply could have kept it simple and clean with a polished sloped bezel.
The finishing of the metal, from the bezel to the case, as well as the bracelet is impressive, and its one aspect I’ve always admired from Mido. They seem to have solid quality control and access to industry leading tools in order to maintain such a nice finish to their watches at their obtainable price points, and the One Crown is no exception here.
The dial on the other hand is really cool, with its very fine horizontal grooving combined with the vibrant almost aquatic like blue hue. The horizontal grooving can only really be noticed in certain lighting and at certain angles. During my time wearing the watch I noticed that it can actually disappear depending on environment. It gives the watch a little bit of design flair, on what I’d say is a rather reserved package, not found on other integrated watches available today. The dial is finished off with a nice array of polished and lume filled applied markers that taper off, with the wide end starting on the outer edges of the dial and tapering in towards the middle. A small date window can be found at 3 o’clock, which I personally think could have been excluded as well, although I’m aware many of you out there appreciate the presence of a date window.
The dial is nice and large, and certainly makes use of the full 40mm case size. It feels roomier than it should be, which I believe comes down to the integrated style of the watch, which always seems to add about 1-2mm in size to a watches actual perceived appearance.
Wearability and Final Thoughts
Historically, I’ve always been straight forward and direct in my watch reviews. I’m also spoiled with my selection of Rolex at my disposal, with their perfect proportions – which I will admit, has at times spoiled my appreciation for more obtainable brands and models. The Multifort 8 One Crown leans slightly towards the larger end of the spectrum for an integrated bracelet watch, and at times while wearing it, I felt it was too large on my 6.5 inch wrist. The integration of the bracelet it executed finely though, and made a watch that’s slightly too larger for me wearable for short periods of time. The watch also has a pretty decent heft to it, providing a nice high quality Swiss watch feel to it, but also contributing to wrist fatigue. I can at times make the exception for this, for example on dive watches that require the additional metal for functional reasons of water resistance, but there is no excuse here for the One Crown.
Overall, I like the watch at its $1,070 USD price point. I think you’d be hard pressed to find an alternative integrated bracelet watch with an automatic movement, especially a good one like the Powermatic 80, at this price. Although, there are options out there, especially on the used market, Mido’s offering here keeps the acquisition simple and can certainly quench your desire to add an integrated option to your collection.
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