Swatch’s Most Overlooked Brand Just Dropped an Affordable Royal Oak Alternative

Mido is a hidden gem in the loaded Swatch Group lineup, offering luxury designs at approachable prices.

the dial, crowns and bezel of a steel watch

Published March 14, 2025

·

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Mido is often overshadowed by its Swatch Group siblings, such as Omega, Longines, Hamilton and Tissot, but watches like the new Multifort 8 Two Crowns prove it deserves more recognition.

The Multifort 8 Two Crowns is a modern steel sports watch with an integrated bracelet that clearly borrows some design cues from the iconic Audemars Piguet Royal Oak, but at a far more approachable price.

a mido steel dive watch — The Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns has one crown to adjust the time and date and another to operate the internal bezel.

As the name suggests, it has two crowns. The upper crown activates and adjusts the inner rotating dive bezel, and the lower crown adjusts the time and date complication.

Add in the fact that it is powered by a Mido-branded automatic movement produced by fellow Swatch Group brand ETA, the gold standard of watch movements, and the $1,340 price tag starts to look like an outstanding bargain.

An everyday diver

Apart from the double crowns covered by the name, the Multifort Two Crowns’ most outstanding feature is its modest size. Measuring just over 38 millimeters, the case sits comfortably on just about any size wrist.

a steel dive watch with a blue dial and strap on a man's wrist — The Multifort 8 Two Crowns has a 38-millimeter case and tapered integrated bracelet.

Watches with a tapered integrated bracelet like this can really dominate the wrist with cases above 40 millimeters. Hitting the “Goldilocks” zone with 38 millimeters keeps the steel bracelet or rubber strap, depending on the reference, at a comfortable and discrete width.

the exhibition case back of a Mido steel dress watch — The Multifort 8 Two Crowns is powered by an ETA produced automatic movement.

The dial is relatively simple for a dive watch. Each reference has a single color dial with a fine horizontal line texture marked with white dash and dot indices. The tri-faceted hour and minute hands are narrow, marked with a thin line of white Super-LumiNova, and the date window is small.

a steel dive watch with a black dial and steel bracelet — The black dial reference has black PVD coated crowns.

Tucking the dive bezel into the gasket streamlines the watch’s appearance. It allows for the octagonal steel fixed bezel on the outside and creates a neutral look ideal for everyday wear, complementing everything from swim trunks to a suit.

Three distinct designs

Mido offers three distinct looks in the new Multifort 8 Two Crowns. The most refined watch in the set has a steel case, quick-release integrated bracelet and crowns with a grayish-green dial that is both refreshing and versatile.

close up of the dial on a Mido steel dive watch — The green-gray dial is refreshing and versatile.

Next, there is a black dial version. It has the same steel case and quick-release integrated bracelet, but the crowns are coated in black PVD. This reference can pull off a more formal appearance and even work with black tie.

The sportiest version has a navy blue dial with a matching rubber integrated strap, which closes with a three-piece clasp. The case and bezel are steel but the crowns are coated in navy blue PVD.

a steel dive watch with a blue dial and strap — The blue dial reference has a matching blue rubber strap.

All three options offer a similar design to the legendary Royal Oak, albeit simplified, for a much more affordable price. Each one can live on your wrist all summer long, ready to flaunt the under-the-radar Swatch Group brand you know about.

Availability and pricing

The Mido Multifort 8 Two Crowns is available now from Mido and authorized dealers. The black dial with steel bracelet and gray-green dial with steel bracelet options are $1,340, and the blue dial with blue rubber strap is $1,270.