Tropical 1950s Mido Multifort Luxe "Borgel Case" (Ref. 220) Gilt Dial

Founded in 1918 by Georges G. Schaeren in Biel/Bienne, Switzerland, Mido quickly established a reputation for producing technically innovative timepieces that balanced durability with elegant design. Throughout the 20th century, the brand pioneered numerous advancements, including the use of one of the industry's first "unbreakable" mainsprings, helping cement Mido's standing as one of Switzerland's premier manufacturers of robust everyday wristwatches.

Introduced in 1934, the Mido Multifort represented one of the most technically advanced wristwatches of its era, becoming among the first serially produced watches to combine automatic winding, water resistance, shock protection, and anti-magnetic properties in a single package. The Multifort would go on to become Mido's flagship collection throughout the 1930s, '40s, and '50s, earning a reputation for reliability that rivaled many of its contemporaries.

Among collectors, the most desirable Multifort examples are those housed in cases manufactured by the legendary François Borgel. Renowned for producing some of the finest waterproof watch cases of the period, Borgel's workshop supplied cases for iconic references such as the Patek Philippe ref. 1463 "Tasti Tondi," ref. 565, and ref. 2508, as well as the celebrated Movado M90 and M95 chronographs. This Multifort Luxe ref. 220 pairs that exceptional Borgel case with a beautifully aged tropical gilt dial, whose rich chocolate-brown patina and warm gilt printing perfectly capture the charm that only decades of honest aging can produce. Equal parts historically significant and visually captivating, it stands as an outstanding example of one of Mido's most important early automatic wristwatches.