Mido’s Latest Multifort TV Models Offer New Sizing and Style Options to Suit Any Wrist

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of one of Mido’s most emblematic designs: the Multi-Star, known for its iconic TV-shaped case. In celebration, the brand revived the collection with the debut of the Multifort TV Big Date.

The design revealed some contemporary upgrades, firmly bringing the already retro-inspired timepiece into the modern era while maintaining the instantly recognizable TV silhouette.

A year later, Mido continues this evolution with two new interpretations of the Multifort TV Big Date, offering a new sizing option and a new colorway.

The 1970s were an unusual time in the watch world; the industry was amid the Quartz Crisis, and the landscape became a bit like the Wild West. Thus, with the future of mechanical timepieces uncertain, watchmakers began to take an anything-goes approach to their creations.

In an odd way, it allowed for some freedom from the confines of traditional watchmaking and gave way to some bold designs. After all, they had nothing to lose. The Mido TV case is an excellent example of one such design that has withstood the test of (ahem) time.
 

In 1973, the brand debuted the Multi-Star model, which notably took on the form of early TVs with a cushion-style square case featuring softly rounded corners and an era-appropriate integrated bracelet. The TV-inspired design became one of Mido’s signature designs over the next several years.

The brand reprised the style a decade later in the 1980s and again in the 2000s. However, for about 20 years, the iconic case seemed to disappear from the brand’s lineup until the design returned in June 2023.

In honor of the Multi-Star’s 50th birthday, Mido brought back the beloved TV-shape model by introducing the Multifort TV Big Date in 2023 in a couple of versions with the option of an integrated bracelet like the original or a sportier rubber strap.

These newly reimagined versions of the Multi-Star offer a case with modern 40mm x 39.2mm proportions and a two-level gradient dial featuring a horizontally brushed finish that evokes the lines you might have seen on a vintage cathode-ray tube TV screen.
 

Thankfully, we didn’t have to wait another decade for more TV-inspired models because only a year after the revival of this retro shape, we’ve already gotten two new versions of the Multifort TV.

In June, we got a gorgeous new colorway for the 40mm model dubbed the Multifort TV Big Date “Chocolate.”
 

A more elevated interpretation of the Multifort TV Big Date, this bold model has a more sophisticated feel due to the brand using a rose gold-colored PVD treatment on the case instead of straightforward stainless steel. Plus, to perfectly compliment this warmer case, we get a new dial color: a rich brown that retains the lovely gradient finish of the 2023 revival.
 

Additionally, the brand only offers this model on a rubber strap to balance out the dressier-looking case. This choice works handsomely with the new design, echoing the stunning color of the dial while keeping the model true to its sports watch roots.
 

As the name suggests, the Multifort TV Big Date “Chocolate” offers a big date complication at 12 o’clock, just like the 2023 variation. The new colorway is powered by the same ETA C07.651-based Calibre 80 automatic movement equipped with a high-tech Nivachron hairspring as the 2023 models, which offers solid resistance to shocks and magnetic fields.
 

It’s decently finished, too, with the Geneva wave-decorated oscillating weight and brushed and frosted bridges visible through the exhibition caseback.

It’s no secret that the pendulum has been swinging away from the bold, oversized timepieces that were all the rage in the ‘90s and ‘00s. More modest and accessible proportions have become increasingly in demand over the past several years. Mido has most recently answered this call by downsizing the Multifort TV’s proportions without losing any of its iconic silhouette.
 

With the Multifort TV 35, the brand has, for the first time in the collection’s history, pared down the design to 35mm x 34.2mm, making it easy to wear on any wrist. Moreover, to keep the model as slim as possible, Mido equipped this more compact version with a new movement: the Calibre 72.
 

While the Multifort TV 35 echoes the design language as the Multifort TV Big Date “Chocolate” with the same rose gold PVD treatment on the case and the deep brown gradient dial, on the 35’s dial, you’ll find a touch of sparkle with diamond hour markers.
 

Additionally, at 12 o’clock, the big date has been replaced with a standard date window, which perfectly suits the Multifort TV 35’s smaller proportions. This new compact model is completed with an integrated bracelet just like the original but rendered in the same rose gold PVD as the case.
 

Finally, to round out the collection, Mido has also released this 35mm iteration in stainless steel with the option of either a black or blue dial.

Available now, the new rose gold PVD Multifort TV 35 costs $1,500, while the stainless steel versions each cost $1,270. Finally, the Multifort TV Big Date “Chocolate” costs $1,310 and has been available since June.
 

For more information, including pricing for the new Multifort TV 35, visit Mido’s website.