Mido

Who are Mido?

Mido is a Swiss watch brand founded in 1918 by Georges Schaeren and based in Le Locle (Swatch Group). It is owned by The Swatch Group, which places it in its Middle Range with Tissot, Certina and Hamilton (Swatch Group Annual Report 2025). This page covers its history, collections and ownership, then what to check when buying a Mido second-hand in the UK.

The name comes from the Spanish “yo mido”, meaning “I measure” (Swatch Group). Mido is known mainly for automatic watches, several of them COSC-certified chronometers, and for collections such as the Multifort and Ocean Star (Mido). It is sold in nearly 70 countries through more than 2,700 points of sale (Swatch Group).

The history of Mido

Mido’s history runs from a small firm founded in 1918 to a brand inside the Swatch Group. The key dates are the founding (1918), the Multifort (1934), the first chronometer (1954), the Ocean Star and Aquadura name (1959), ASUAG (1970 or 1971) and the move of production to Le Locle (1997).

The founding. Sources disagree on the details of Mido’s founding. All agree on 1918 and on Georges Schaeren (Swatch Group). The Historical Dictionary of Switzerland says Schaeren, born in Biel in 1882, founded Mido G. Schaeren & Co. with his brother Henri in Solothurn, and that Mido moved to Biel in 1946. Time+Tide says Schaeren founded the company with Hugo Jubert on 11 November 1918, and Wikipedia says it was founded in Biel.

The 1920s. Mido made Art Deco watches for women with coloured enamel cases, and men’s novelty watches including cases shaped like car radiator grilles, among them a Bugatti (Time+Tide; Wikipedia).

Multifort and Aquadura. A Swiss patent applied for in 1928 and granted in 1929 covered a crown sealed with cork, the system later called Aquadura (Time+Tide). The Multifort followed in 1934. From 1935, Time+Tide says, Multifort models combined automatic winding with shock resistance and water resistance; the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland also dates Mido’s automatic watches to 1935, while Wikipedia says the 1934 Multifort was already self-winding.

Chronometers and the Ocean Star. Mido submitted its first chronometer for official testing in 1954 (Time+Tide). It registered the Oceanstar name in 1944, and in 1959 released the first Ocean Star, the Commander, with a one-piece case; the Aquadura name dates from then (Time+Tide; Wikipedia).

ASUAG and the Swatch Group. Mido joined ASUAG, the forerunner of the Swatch Group, around 1970: Time+Tide gives 1970, the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland and Wikipedia give 1971, and Grail Watch gives 1972. Time+Tide says Mido merged with Eterna in 1976 and that, after ASUAG and SSIH merged, the Swatch Group gave Mido its own management again. The Baroncelli collection dates from 1976 (Cicala). Since 1997 Mido watches have been produced in Le Locle (Historical Dictionary of Switzerland).

Recent decades. Time+Tide says Mido replaced the natural cork in Aquadura gaskets with rubber from the late 1990s. In 2017 the Baroncelli Caliber 80 Chronometer Si brought a silicon balance spring to Mido’s Caliber 80 (Europa Star), and in 2018 the brand marked its centenary (Wikipedia).

What is Mido known for?

Mido is known for automatic watches with long power reserves, for chronometers, for the Aquadura crown seal and one-piece Ocean Star case, and for the Multifort.

Chronometers. Mido says selected models are tested and certified by COSC, the official Swiss chronometer testing institute, and carry a 5-year international warranty (Mido). Wikipedia, citing COSC figures, says Mido had 61,358 movements certified in 2013, the fourth-highest total in the Swiss industry. Our guide to COSC certification explains what the test measures.

Movements. Mido’s Caliber 80 is an automatic movement with up to 80 hours of power reserve, and the Caliber 80 Chronometer Si adds a silicon balance spring for resistance to magnetism and shocks (Mido). Europa Star gives the base of the 80 Si as the ETA C07.821; ETA is the Swatch Group’s movement maker (Swatch Group Annual Report 2025). Mido also lists a Caliber 72 and a Caliber 60 chronograph (Mido). Our guide to in-house and outsourced movements explains why the base matters.

Water resistance. The cork-sealed Aquadura crown and the one-piece Ocean Star case of 1959 were designed to keep water out at the two weakest points of a watch, the crown and the case back (Time+Tide; Grail Watch).

Which Mido collections are there?

Mido’s current range has five collections: Ocean Star, Multifort, Commander, Baroncelli and Rainflower (Mido).

The collections table on this page gives the year each began and a line on each. When reading listings:

• Chronometer or not. Two watches in the same collection may differ in movement; only those marked COSC-certified carry the 5-year chronometer warranty (Mido). Check the reference.
• Reissues. The Ocean Star Decompression Timer was reissued in 2020 (Time+Tide), so check whether a listing is the modern watch or an original from the 1960s.
• Multifort TV. The TV-shaped Multifort TV is a separate line within Multifort (Swatch Group Annual Report 2025).
• Dive watches. Water resistance on a second-hand watch depends on its seals; read our guide to water resistance.

Who owns Mido?

Mido is owned by The Swatch Group Ltd, a Swiss company whose shares are listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (Swatch Group Annual Report 2025). The group’s 2025 annual report lists MIDO AG, Le Locle, as a wholly owned subsidiary and places Mido in its Middle Range with Tissot, Balmain, Certina and Hamilton.

Mido came under ASUAG in 1970 or 1971, depending on the source (Time+Tide; Historical Dictionary of Switzerland), and stayed in the group when ASUAG merged with SSIH to form what became the Swatch Group. Sylvain Dolla, a member of the group’s Executive Group Management Board since 2024, is responsible for Tissot, Mido, Certina and Hamilton among others (Swatch Group Annual Report 2025). Other Swatch Group brands covered on Watch60 include Omega and Longines.

Buying a Mido watch second-hand in the UK: what to check

Check whether the watch is a COSC chronometer, what warranty is left and whether it was registered, that the serial number matches the papers, when it was last serviced, and that it is not recorded as stolen.

1. Chronometer status. A COSC-certified Mido should have its chronometer status on the papers. That decides whether the 5-year international warranty applies (Mido).

2. Warranty and registration. Mido invites owners to register their watch to access the warranty (Mido). Ask whether the watch was registered and whether the seller can pass that on. Mido does not state the standard warranty for non-chronometer models or whether any warranty transfers. See watch warranties explained.

3. Papers and the full set. Ask which items come with the watch and whether they are originals. Our guide to what “full set” means explains what each item proves.

4. Servicing. Ask when the watch was last serviced, by whom, and for the paperwork. On an older Ocean Star or Multifort, ask whether the crown gasket has been replaced: Time+Tide says natural cork gave way to rubber from the late 1990s.

5. Authenticity and theft. Buy from a seller who accepts returns and will put authenticity in writing. Our guide on how to spot a fake watch covers what a watchmaker looks at, and our stolen-watch check guide lists the UK registers.

For the full process, see the guide to buying a luxury watch.

Frequently asked questions

Who owns Mido?

The Swatch Group Ltd, which wholly owns MIDO AG of Le Locle (Swatch Group Annual Report 2025).

When was Mido founded?

In 1918, by Georges Schaeren (Swatch Group). Sources differ on whether it began in Solothurn or Biel.

What does Mido mean?

It comes from the Spanish “yo mido”, “I measure” (Swatch Group).

Where are Mido watches made?

Mido is based in Le Locle, and its watches have been produced there since 1997 (Swatch Group Annual Report 2025; Historical Dictionary of Switzerland).

Are Mido watches chronometers?

Selected models are COSC-certified chronometers, with a 5-year international warranty (Mido).

What is Mido Caliber 80?

An automatic movement with up to 80 hours of power reserve; the Chronometer Si version has a silicon balance spring (Mido).

What is Aquadura?

Mido’s crown-sealing system, originally using cork, patented in 1929 and named in 1959 (Time+Tide).

Is Mido related to Certina and Tissot?

Yes. All three are in the Swatch Group’s Middle Range (Swatch Group Annual Report 2025).

This page is general information. Watch60 is independent and has no commercial relationship with Mido or The Swatch Group.

We check the facts on this page against the sources listed, and it is correct to the best of our knowledge as of October 2026. Brands change their warranty, servicing and sales terms, so confirm them with the brand or the seller before you buy.