When you hear the name “Mido Multifort”, what are you picturing? For me, that calls to mind a watch design with a rather prominent feature on the dial – Geneva stripes. This stands out because it’s a finishing technique that we normally see reserved for the movement, and not the dial. Well, Mido is trying to break me of that mental picture habit, it seems, with the release of the Mido Multifort Patrimony.
You see, the dial of the Mido Multifort Patrimony has a more traditional finish to it, that of a sunburst pattern. Where are the Geneva stripes, you might ask (as I did)? Well they show up in a more expected place (for any other watch, that is), on the rotor of the movement. That rotor – visible through the sapphire window on the casebook – is attached to the Mido Caliber 80 (which starts life as an ETA C07.621). This is an Elaboré-grade movement that gets you up to an 80-hour power reserve. Ergo, the Caliber 80. This, in turn, powers the functions of the watch.
Flipping it over, you can see that the Mido Multifort Patrimony is a relatively simple watch, a three-hander plus date configuration. The styling of the dial itself starts us off with a vintage feel, but it’s really that bit of text around the outer edge that seals the deal. What’s Pulsométre mean? That’s a pulsimeter scale, aka, something you can use to calculate your pulse. The instructions – such as they are – accompanying that text are to measure the passing of time it takes to get to 30 beats. Then, that gives you a simple readout on the dial of what the beats per minute (of your heart, not the watch) are. This is something perhaps more of use in the medical field, but hey, why not check your own heart rate? And really, when it comes to a vintage dress watch like this, this scale differentiates the watch, and updates the game a bit.
Though, for me calling the Mido Multifort Patrimony, you’ve got a surprising amount of luminous paint being used. You’ve got the indexes and numerals filled with it, as well as the syringe hour and minute hands. What this gives, then, is a watch that fits into a sort of business casual sort of a feel. It’s not a sport watch, but it’s not so dressy that you feel out of place at work with it. Then again, swap out the strap for something with a bit more of a sheen to it, and I think it could quite easily work with a suit as well. Perhaps a jacket with surgeon cuffs to complete the “I’m not a doctor but play one in my mind” sort of feel?
As I alluded to above, the Mido Multifort Patrimony definitely has an older feel to it. Sure, it’s a modern movement tucked into a steel case, but the case design itself gives you that time-traveling feeling as well as the dial does. You’ve got gently twisted and beveled lugs coming off of the fairly thin bezel that surrounds one of my favorite features of an older-looking watch – the boxed crystal. While on true vintage, that’s often plexiglass, here, it’s the form of durable sapphire. All in all, it’s a look I like.
Of course, that’s helped by the fact that the Mido Multifort Patrimony is offered in a lovely blue dial paired to a tan strap. There are two other options as well – another steel case with grey dial and black strap, and then a golden PVD case on darker brown strap. Frankly, all three of those straps would look sharp against the blue dial. Combo pack for the win! For the two steel finish models, you’ll be bringing along $890 to the store, while the gold PVD version bumps the price up to $1,000. While I may have still think of the Multifort lineup as having Geneva stripes all over the dial, the old-school Mido Multifort Patrimony may just get me to change my mental picture. It’s a tidy look, particularly if you are attached to the medical field (or simply like checking your pulse). shopmido.com
Watch Overview
- Brand & Model: Mido Multifort Patrimony
- Price: $890 (steel) / $1,000 (PVD)
- Who we think it might be for: You want a vintage feel (complete with pulsimeter scale) hiding modern materials and accuracy
- Would I buy one for myself based on what I’ve seen? Indeed – this looks like a great every day (or every-other day, with that power reserve) sort of “at the office” watch
- What spoke to me the most about this watch: The twisted lugs and the boxed sapphire crystal
Tech Specs from Mido
- MOVEMENT
- Automatic Mido Caliber 80 (ETA C07.621 base), 111?2’’’, Ø25.60 mm, height: 5.22 mm, 25 jewels, 21,600 vph.
- Finely decorated Elaboré-grade move- ment, oscillating weight decorated with Geneva stripes and the Mido logo.
- Functions HMSD + day.
- Adjusted on 3 different positions for high accuracy.
- Up to 80 hours of power reserve.
- CASE
- Polished and satin-finished 316L stainless steel, Ø40 mm, 3 pieces, box sapphire crystal and screwed case back
- Finely decorated Elaboré-grade movement visible through the transparent case back
- Engraved serial number
- Water-resistant up to a pressure of 5 bars (50 m /165 ft).
- STRAP : Cognac-coloured genuine cow leather, natural look, pin buckle in stainless steel.
- DIAL
- Domed, graduated blue colour, finely sunray satin-finished
- Indexes coated with white Super- LumiNova®, pulsimeter scale around the edge.
- Date aperture at 6 o’clock.
- HANDS: Flat diamond-cut hour and minute hands with white Super-LumiNova®, flat diamond-cut seconds hand.
