It was in the fall of last year when we brought you word of the Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition. For me, I thought it was perfect, because it had a sort of “pumpkin spice” flavor to it (say what you will, but that remains my favorite pie spice mix, so it’s a positive term for me). Well, it may now well be officially in to spring, but we’ve been spending some time with the watch, and we’re here to tell you what’s what about the Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition.
And the what, frankly, is the dial on the Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition. Yes, the strap is quite nice (and we’ll get to that shortly), but the dial really is the star of the show for me. Why, you ask? Well, when viewed straight on in normal lighting, it looks like a nice dark dial, contrasting well with the tan accents in the indices, handset, and chapter ring. Tilt it a little bit, though, and you realize that the dial is something else. You see, those there are what are called (or at least, I’m calling) Geneva stripes. You know, those lines you would more commonly see on a decorated movement. Mido has done flip turned it upside down, and put the finish on the dial – and I like it.
And that’s a good thing for the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition, because, with a 44mm case, it has a large expanse to fill, and getting those stripes running top to bottom is a treat to see. Sure, it could probably work in a more compact case, but this is about the flash of the unexpected finish, and it’s more dramatic on a larger canvas.
Of course, the other part to the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition is, of course, the collaboration with (my) hometown company Horween, who has long turned out some rather amazing leathers, showing up in all manner of goods. Here, on the watch, it has an almost natural finish to it, which I’ve a feeling would age quite nicely, and develop a bit of a patina (which should go nicely with the hammered, or aged, PVD finish on the case). And because I care about these sorts of things, I will say that the leather on the strap smells a-mazing. This isn’t a scientific way of ascertaining leather quality, but it is a very good sign in my experience.
Then again, flipping the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition over reveals the stamp that’s in the back of the strap, and that is the Horween signature – and even better signal of quality. I do want to call out that strap backing material, as it’s a unique one that I’ve not seen before. It’s a flocked, sort of spongy material (in terms of look and feel) that is more comfortable than that sentence would seem to indicate. And, while I didn’t get the watch wet, I’ve a feeling it would help comfort in those sorts of scenarios.
Past that, I did find that the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition was comfortable in day-to-day situations. It’s a bigger case, yeah, but it’s not particularly thick, so the watch was not getting caught on any cuffs. The crown, while easy enough to manipulate (not screw down) did not dig into my wrist at all either. In other words, if you’re comfortable wearing bigger watches (and this is a healthy 44mm, no optical tricks here), then this watch should work for you.
Along with the dial finish and the strap, the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition is in, many ways, a styling exercise. We looked at the black-and-tan, but there are other color options available, and the hammered finish makes things a bit more casual. Which isn’t to say that the watch itself can’t be considered a technically good watch, either – construction was top notch in my time with the watch, and it is powered by a Swiss movement (in this case, it starts from an ETA C07.611), has a big ol’ sapphire crystal, and of course that superb strap (with quick-change spring bars). Flip the coin, though, it is “just” a three-hander plus date. And using that very broad generalization, you have a lot of choices. So it’s the style of the watch that will guide your choice.
There was one styling miss on the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition, at least for me – and that’s the date display. Fortunately, the date wheel is color matched, so things blend in well. What I found, though, was that the date window was simply too small, particularly when you get into the two-digit dates. You could enlarge the window, but then you’re cutting more into that finished dial. Delete the date, and you lose some functionality. Perhaps even better would be to have an embedded magnifier (on the date window, not the main crystal) that helps things along. Then again, I’ve never designed a watch, so there may be good reasons to not attempt that.
While it took us awhile to get to see the Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition, I am glad I got to spend some time with the watch (and my first hands-on foray into the Mido catalog, to boot). At an asking price of $1,090, we’re definitely in the range of entry-level luxury watch. For those into movement finishing and larger watches, though, this is a unique way to get to see the finishing without needing to take the watch off of your wrist. I, for one, and happy to see the techniques moving to the front of the watch. As well as that lovely, lovely strap. Seriously, well done teaming up with Horween, Mido – well done! midowatches.com
Review Summary
- Brand & Model: Mido Multifort Escape Horween Special Edition
- Price: $1,090
- Who’s it for? You’re a movement finishing fan
- Would I wear it? At the end of the day, it’s larger than I’d typically prefer
- What I would change: Pop an internal magnifier cyclops on the date window
- The best thing about it: The dial, hands down.
Tech Specs from Mido
- Measurements
- Diameter: 44 mm
- Thickness: 11.88 mm
- Lug Width: 23 mm
- Weight: 96 g
- Movement: Automatic Mido Calibre 80.611 (base ETA C07.611)
- Case: Stainless steel with an aged PVD finish
- Crystal: sapphire with double-sided AR coating
- WR: 10 Bar
- Strap: beige and black Horween leather; quick change spring bars
